Year 1 English More Ways to Write a Sound: worked examples and questions with answers
By the end of this chapter you will be able to
- Read and spell words with a split e, such as cake, these, bike, nose and cube
- Say which vowel says its name in a split digraph
- Know that one sound can be spelled in more than one way, such as ay and ai
- Choose the right spelling for a word I know
- Read a longer word by reading its parts, then joining them
You should already know
- Two letters that make one sound: ai, ee, igh, oa, oo, ow, oi (Chapter 2)
- Single letter sounds and letter names (Chapter 1)
Where this leads
- Tricky words that do not follow the usual sounds (Chapter 4)
- Adding endings to words, such as -s, -ing and -ed (Chapter 5)
National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 1 English, Year 1. Content: Read and spell split digraphs a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e and u-e (cake, these, bike, nose, cube), Spell the same sound in other ways: ay, ou, ie, ea, oy, ir, ue, aw, ew, oe, au, ey, Choose the right spelling for words taught, Read words with more than one syllable.
- 3.1 Split digraphs: a-e and e-e: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · lesson page
- 3.2 Split digraphs: i-e and o-e: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · lesson page
- 3.3 Split digraph: u-e: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · lesson page
- 3.4 Other spellings: ay, ea, ey and ie: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · lesson page
- 3.5 Other spellings: oe, ew, ue, ou and oy: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · lesson page
- 3.6 Other spellings: ir, aw and au, and longer words: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · lesson page
- Check-up and end-of-chapter quiz: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · lesson page
Exercise P Do you remember?
Method. Say the alphabet in order, and find the letter b.
- Find b. b is the second letter of the alphabet.a, b, c
- Look at the next letter. The letter after b is c.b, c
- Write the answer. c
Check. Say a, b, c out loud in order. ✓
Watch out. Say the alphabet slowly, and do not guess.
Method. Look for two letters that work together.
- Look at the start of ship. Two letters at the start make one sound.s, h
- Say the two letters together. The s and the h stay together, as one sound.sh
- Write the answer. sh
Check. The word ship begins with sh, then i and p. ✓
Watch out. Do not split the two letters apart.
Method. Look for the letters a and i together.
- Look for ai. ai is two letters that make one sound.rain: a and i together
- Check the other words. rat and rag have an a, but no i.rat: no i; rag: no i
- Write the answer. rain
Check. Read rain with your finger under each letter. ✓
Watch out. Look for the two letters side by side.
Method. Look at the middle of the word.
- Look at the letters in boat. The middle letters are the vowels.b, o a, t
- Say the two letters together. o and a make one sound.oa
- Write the answer. oa
Check. Read boat as one word: b, oa, t. ✓
Watch out. The two letters go together. They are not two sounds.
Method. Look for the two letters e and e together.
- Look for ee. ee is two e letters that make one sound.tree: e and e together
- Check the other words. tray has ay, and tea has ea.tray: ay; tea: ea
- Write the answer. tree
Check. tree has two e letters, and the other two words do not. ✓
Watch out. tea and tree look alike, but they are spelled differently.
Split digraphs: a-e and e-e
Printable: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · Open this lesson on its own page
Look at the word cake. It has an a, then a k, then an e at the end. The a says its name. The e at the end does not make a sound of its own. Its job is to make the a say its name.
Two vowel letters are split apart by one consonant. We call this a split digraph. In these, the first e says its name, and the e at the end does not make a sound.
Key ideas
- Two vowels are split by one consonant, with an e at the end: cake.
- The first vowel says its name. The a in cake says its name.
- The e at the end does not make a sound of its own.
- e-e words include these, theme, complete and athlete.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a cake.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.c - a - k - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.cake
Check. Count the letters in cake: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as tap becomes tape.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.tap: the a has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.tap + e = tape
- Check the vowel now. The a says its name in the new word.tape
Check. Read tape as one word. The a says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. A split digraph: two vowel letters split by one consonant. The first vowel says its name.
Method. Find the e at the end, then the consonant and vowel in front of it.
- Find the e at the end. The last letter is the e.complete: last letter is e
- Find the consonant before the e. One consonant sits between the vowel and the e.consonant: t
- Find the vowel before the consonant. This vowel says its own name.vowel: e, so the pattern is e-e
Check. The vowel e says its name in complete. ✓
Watch out. The pattern is written with the vowel first: e-e.
Watch out
Watch out: cap and cape are different words. The e at the end of cape makes the a say its name. Read every letter, including the e.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Write cap and cape side by side. Ask your child to point to the vowel in each word, then say the name of that letter. Then ask: “What does the e at the end do?”
Exercise 3A Split digraphs a-e and e-e
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a cake.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.c - a - k - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.cake
Check. Count the letters in cake: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.l?ke
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.lake: the gap is a
- Write the missing letters. a
Check. Put a into the gap and read lake again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.g?me
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.game: the gap is a
- Write the missing letters. a
Check. Put a into the gap and read game again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.p?ge
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.page: the gap is a
- Write the missing letters. a
Check. Put a into the gap and read page again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.m?ke
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.make: the gap is a
- Write the missing letters. a
Check. Put a into the gap and read make again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as cap becomes cape.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.cap: the a has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.cap + e = cape
- Check the vowel now. The a says its name in the new word.cape
Check. Read cape as one word. The a says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as tap becomes tape.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.tap: the a has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.tap + e = tape
- Check the vowel now. The a says its name in the new word.tape
Check. Read tape as one word. The a says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as mad becomes made.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.mad: the a has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.mad + e = made
- Check the vowel now. The a says its name in the new word.made
Check. Read made as one word. The a says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as pal becomes pale.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.pal: the a has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.pal + e = pale
- Check the vowel now. The a says its name in the new word.pale
Check. Read pale as one word. The a says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Method. We want the word that has the a-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.pan: no e at the end, so no split e
plate: a, t, e makes a-e ✓
plan: no e at the end, so no split e - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for plate: a-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.plate
Check. Check plate once more: the letters are p - l - a - t - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a plane.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.p - l - a - n - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.plane
Check. Count the letters in plane: there are 5. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a lake.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.l - a - k - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.lake
Check. Count the letters in lake: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Compare Mo’s word with the right word, letter by letter.
- Look at the letters Mo wrote. Mo wrote l, a and k.lak
- Compare with the right word. lake has one more letter, at the end.lake = l, a, k, e
- Find the missing letter. The missing letter is the e at the end.e
Check. Read lake with your finger: l, a, k, e. ✓
Watch out. The e at the end is easy to forget. Check the end of the word.
Method. Look for the pattern that most of the words have. Then find the word that does not have it.
- Look at all the words. Find the pattern in each word.cake, make, cap, lake
- Find the word that does not match. cake, make and lake end with a consonant then e, but cap has no e at the end.cap does not match
- Write the answer. cap
Check. Check each of the other words has the same pattern. ✓
Watch out. Look at the letters, not the picture or the meaning, for this question.
Method. We want the word that has the e-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.theme: e, m, e makes e-e ✓
them: no e at the end, so no split e
the: the e at the end has no single consonant and vowel before it - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for theme: e-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.theme
Check. Check theme once more: the letters are t - h - e - m - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.th?s?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.these: the gap is e and e
- Write the missing letters. e and e
Check. Put e and e into the gap and read these again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.th?m?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.theme: the gap is e and e
- Write the missing letters. e and e
Check. Put e and e into the gap and read theme again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Sort each word by its spelling pattern, one word at a time.
- Look at each word in turn. Find the letters or the pattern that tells the group.these, theme, athlete, bed, pen, dog
- Put each word in the group that matches. Keep the groups apart.Has a split e: these, theme, athlete
No split e: bed, pen, dog - Write the groups. Has a split e: these, theme, athlete; No split e: bed, pen, dog
Check. Count the words: there are 6 in all, and none are left out. ✓
Watch out. Check every word is in one group only.
Method. Compare the two words letter by letter.
- Look at cap. cap has a short a. The a does not say its name.cap: short a
- Look at cape. The e at the end makes the a say its name.cape: long a
- Decide if they are the same word. Two words with different sounds are different words.different words
Check. Read each word out loud. The a sounds different in each one. ✓
Watch out. Adding an e can change the word itself, not just the spelling.
Key words. A split digraph: two vowel letters split by one consonant. The first vowel says its name.
Method. Find the e at the end, then the consonant and vowel in front of it.
- Find the e at the end. The last letter is the e.complete: last letter is e
- Find the consonant before the e. One consonant sits between the vowel and the e.consonant: t
- Find the vowel before the consonant. This vowel says its own name.vowel: e, so the pattern is e-e
Check. The vowel e says its name in complete. ✓
Watch out. The pattern is written with the vowel first: e-e.
Split digraphs: i-e and o-e
Printable: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · Open this lesson on its own page
Now look at bike. The i says its name, like the letter i. Then comes one consonant, the k. The e at the end does not make a sound. In nose, the o says its name, like the letter o.
The e can change a word. kit has a short i. kite has an i that says its name. Read every letter to be sure.
Key ideas
- i-e: the i says its name, as in bike and kite.
- o-e: the o says its name, as in nose and home.
- One consonant sits between the vowel and the e.
- Adding an e can make a new word: hop and hope are different words.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a bike.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.b - i - k - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.bike
Check. Count the letters in bike: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as pin becomes pine.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.pin: the i has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.pin + e = pine
- Check the vowel now. The i says its name in the new word.pine
Check. Read pine as one word. The i says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Method. We want the word that has the o-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.hop: no e at the end, so no split e
hope: o, p, e makes o-e ✓
hot: no e at the end, so no split e - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for hope: o-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.hope
Check. Check hope once more: the letters are h - o - p - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Watch out
Watch out: the word the ends in e, but it is not a split e. The e follows the th, and there is no single vowel in front of it.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Put a finger on the vowel and say its name. Then slide your finger to the e at the end. Try kit and kite, then hop and hope.
Exercise 3B Split digraphs i-e and o-e
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a nose.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.n - o - s - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.nose
Check. Count the letters in nose: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as kit becomes kite.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.kit: the i has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.kit + e = kite
- Check the vowel now. The i says its name in the new word.kite
Check. Read kite as one word. The i says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as hop becomes hope.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.hop: the o has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.hop + e = hope
- Check the vowel now. The o says its name in the new word.hope
Check. Read hope as one word. The o says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as not becomes note.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.not: the o has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.not + e = note
- Check the vowel now. The o says its name in the new word.note
Check. Read note as one word. The o says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as pin becomes pine.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.pin: the i has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.pin + e = pine
- Check the vowel now. The i says its name in the new word.pine
Check. Read pine as one word. The i says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.b?ke
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.bike: the gap is i
- Write the missing letters. i
Check. Put i into the gap and read bike again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.n?se
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.nose: the gap is o
- Write the missing letters. o
Check. Put o into the gap and read nose again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.h?me
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.home: the gap is o
- Write the missing letters. o
Check. Put o into the gap and read home again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. We want the word that has the i-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.sit: no e at the end, so no split e
bite: i, t, e makes i-e ✓
bin: no e at the end, so no split e - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for bite: i-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.bite
Check. Check bite once more: the letters are b - i - t - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a home.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.h - o - m - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.home
Check. Count the letters in home: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Compare Sam’s word with the right word.
- Look at the letters Sam wrote. Sam wrote r, o and p.rop
- Compare with the right word. rope has one more letter, at the end.rope = r, o, p, e
- Find the missing letter. The missing letter is the e at the end.e
Check. Read rope with your finger: r, o, p, e. ✓
Watch out. Check the end of the word for an e that splits the vowel.
Method. Look for the pattern that most of the words have. Then find the word that does not have it.
- Look at all the words. Find the pattern in each word.home, nose, hop, bone
- Find the word that does not match. home, nose and bone all have a split o-e. hop has no e at the end.hop does not match
- Write the answer. hop
Check. Check each of the other words has the same pattern. ✓
Watch out. Look at the letters, not the picture or the meaning, for this question.
Method. Sort each word by its spelling pattern, one word at a time.
- Look at each word in turn. Find the letters or the pattern that tells the group.kite, smile, rope, joke
- Put each word in the group that matches. Keep the groups apart.i-e: kite, smile
o-e: rope, joke - Write the groups. i-e: kite, smile; o-e: rope, joke
Check. Count the words: there are 4 in all, and none are left out. ✓
Watch out. Check every word is in one group only.
Method. We want the word that has the i-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.lap: no e at the end, so no split e
mine: i, n, e makes i-e ✓
hat: no e at the end, so no split e - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for mine: i-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.mine
Check. Check mine once more: the letters are m - i - n - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Method. We want the word that has the o-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.nest: no e at the end, so no split e
bone: o, n, e makes o-e ✓
bend: no e at the end, so no split e - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for bone: o-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.bone
Check. Check bone once more: the letters are b - o - n - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Method. Compare the two words letter by letter.
- Look at hop. hop has a short o, and no e at the end.hop: short o
- Look at hope. The e at the end makes the o say its name.hope: long o
- Decide if they are the same word. Different sounds and different letters mean different words.different words
Check. Read each word out loud. The o is different in each one. ✓
Watch out. One extra letter can make a new word.
Split digraph: u-e
Printable: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · Open this lesson on its own page
Look at cube. There is a u, then a b, then an e at the end. The u says its name, like the letter u. The e does not make a sound of its own.
Other u-e words are tube, huge, cute and tune. Some short words look alike. A cub is a baby animal. A cube is a shape with six square faces.
Key ideas
- u-e: the u says its name, as in cube and tube.
- Other u-e words: huge, cute and tune.
- Short words that look alike: cub and cube, tub and tube, cut and cute, hug and huge.
- The e at the end does not make a sound of its own.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a tube.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.t - u - b - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.tube
Check. Count the letters in tube: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as cut becomes cute.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.cut: the u has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.cut + e = cute
- Check the vowel now. The u says its name in the new word.cute
Check. Read cute as one word. The u says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. A split digraph: two vowel letters split by one consonant. The first vowel says its name.
Method. Find the e at the end, then the consonant and vowel in front of it.
- Find the e at the end. The last letter is the e.huge: last letter is e
- Find the consonant before the e. One consonant sits between the vowel and the e.consonant: g
- Find the vowel before the consonant. This vowel says its own name.vowel: u, so the pattern is u-e
Check. The vowel u says its name in huge. ✓
Watch out. The pattern is written with the vowel first: u-e.
Watch out
Watch out: cut and cute are different words. A cub is a baby animal. A cube is a shape. Check the e at the end every time.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Use real things at home: a small toy cube, a cardboard tube from kitchen roll. Ask: “Which one is the cube? Which one is the tube?” and point to the u in each word.
Exercise 3C Split digraph u-e
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a cube.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.c - u - b - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.cube
Check. Count the letters in cube: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.c?be
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.cube: the gap is u
- Write the missing letters. u
Check. Put u into the gap and read cube again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.h?ge
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.huge: the gap is u
- Write the missing letters. u
Check. Put u into the gap and read huge again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.t?ne
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.tune: the gap is u
- Write the missing letters. u
Check. Put u into the gap and read tune again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as cub becomes cube.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.cub: the u has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.cub + e = cube
- Check the vowel now. The u says its name in the new word.cube
Check. Read cube as one word. The u says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as tub becomes tube.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.tub: the u has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.tub + e = tube
- Check the vowel now. The u says its name in the new word.tube
Check. Read tube as one word. The u says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as cut becomes cute.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.cut: the u has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.cut + e = cute
- Check the vowel now. The u says its name in the new word.cute
Check. Read cute as one word. The u says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as hug becomes huge.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.hug: the u has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.hug + e = huge
- Check the vowel now. The u says its name in the new word.huge
Check. Read huge as one word. The u says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Method. We want the word that has the u-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.cut: no e at the end, so no split e
cute: u, t, e makes u-e ✓
cup: no e at the end, so no split e - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for cute: u-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.cute
Check. Check cute once more: the letters are c - u - t - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Method. Compare the two words, letter by letter.
- Look at tub. tub is a short word with no e at the end.tub
- Look at the picture. The picture shows a tube. A tube needs an e at the end.tube
- Write what is missing. The e is missing from the end of the word.An e at the end. The word is tube.
Check. Read tube with your finger: t, u, b, e. ✓
Watch out. Look at the end of the word for an e that is missing.
Method. Look for the pattern that most of the words have. Then find the word that does not have it.
- Look at all the words. Find the pattern in each word.cube, tube, huge, cup
- Find the word that does not match. cube, tube and huge all have a u-e split. cup has no e at the end.cup does not match
- Write the answer. cup
Check. Check each of the other words has the same pattern. ✓
Watch out. Look at the letters, not the picture or the meaning, for this question.
Method. Sort each word by its spelling pattern, one word at a time.
- Look at each word in turn. Find the letters or the pattern that tells the group.cube, tune, cute, cup, cut, hug
- Put each word in the group that matches. Keep the groups apart.Has a u-e split: cube, tune, cute
No u-e split: cup, cut, hug - Write the groups. Has a u-e split: cube, tune, cute; No u-e split: cup, cut, hug
Check. Count the words: there are 6 in all, and none are left out. ✓
Watch out. Check every word is in one group only.
Method. We want the word that has the u-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.cub: no e at the end, so no split e
cube: u, b, e makes u-e ✓
cup: no e at the end, so no split e - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for cube: u-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.cube
Check. Check cube once more: the letters are c - u - b - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Method. Think about what each word means.
- Read cub. A cub is a baby animal, such as a baby bear.cub = baby animal
- Read cube. A cube is a shape with six square faces.cube = six square faces
- Write the answer. cube
Check. Think of a dice. It is a cube, and it has six square faces. ✓
Watch out. The e changes the word and its meaning.
Method. Compare the two words, and think about what they mean.
- Look at cub. A cub is a baby animal.cub: baby animal
- Look at cube. A cube is a shape. It is a different word.cube: a shape
- Decide if she is right. Adding an e made a different word.No.
Check. The e at the end gives the u its name, and the words mean different things. ✓
Watch out. An e can change a word completely.
Key words. A split digraph: two vowel letters split by one consonant. The first vowel says its name.
Method. Find the e at the end, then the consonant and vowel in front of it.
- Find the e at the end. The last letter is the e.tune: last letter is e
- Find the consonant before the e. One consonant sits between the vowel and the e.consonant: n
- Find the vowel before the consonant. This vowel says its own name.vowel: u, so the pattern is u-e
Check. The vowel u says its name in tune. ✓
Watch out. The pattern is written with the vowel first: u-e.
Other spellings: ay, ea, ey and ie
Printable: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · Open this lesson on its own page
Some sounds can be written in more than one way. The sound in rain can be ai, but it can also be ay, as in day.
Look where the letters go. ay is usually at the end of a word: play, tray, day. ai is usually in the middle: rain, train.
The ea in tea says the same sound as the ee in tree. The ey in key and donkey says that sound too. The ie in pie says the same sound as in bike.
Key ideas
- ay is usually at the end of a word: play, day.
- ai is usually in the middle of a word: rain, train.
- ea can say the ee sound, as in tea and beach.
- ey can end a word: key and donkey.
- ie can say the sound in bike, as in pie.
Method. Say the word, then check which spelling is right.
- Look at the two spellings. Only one of them is a real English word.plai is not the word; play is
- Use the spelling rule. ay is usually at the end of a word, so play ends with ay.The right word is play
- Write the word. play
Check. Look at the picture or the meaning of play to check it. ✓
Watch out. Some words follow a rule. Others you learn by heart.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a cup of tea.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.t - e - a
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.tea
Check. Count the letters in tea: there are 3. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Look for the letters ie in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.pie: has ie
pit: does not have ie
pin: does not have ie - Think about the spelling rule. ie can say the sound in bike, and it is at the end of pie.The letters ie are in pie
- Write the answer. pie
Check. Read pie with your finger. The letters ie are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up ie with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Watch out
Watch out: ay and ai can make the same sound, as in day and rain. They are not used in the same place. Check where the letters go.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Write ay and ai on two cards. Ask your child: “Is it at the end of the word, or in the middle?” Then read the word together.
Exercise 3D Other spellings: ay, ea, ey and ie
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a key.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.k - e - y
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.key
Check. Count the letters in key: there are 3. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a pie.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.p - i - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.pie
Check. Count the letters in pie: there are 3. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.pl?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.play: the gap is ay
- Write the missing letters. ay
Check. Put ay into the gap and read play again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.tr?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.tray: the gap is ay
- Write the missing letters. ay
Check. Put ay into the gap and read tray again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.d?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.day: the gap is ay
- Write the missing letters. ay
Check. Put ay into the gap and read day again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.t?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.tea: the gap is ea
- Write the missing letters. ea
Check. Put ea into the gap and read tea again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.s?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.sea: the gap is ea
- Write the missing letters. ea
Check. Put ea into the gap and read sea again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.l?f
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.leaf: the gap is ea
- Write the missing letters. ea
Check. Put ea into the gap and read leaf again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.b?ch
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.beach: the gap is ea
- Write the missing letters. ea
Check. Put ea into the gap and read beach again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Look for the letters ay in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.day: has ay
dog: does not have ay
dig: does not have ay - Think about the spelling rule. ay is usually at the end of a word, as in day.The letters ay are in day
- Write the answer. day
Check. Read day with your finger. The letters ay are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up ay with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.tr?n
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.train: the gap is ai
- Write the missing letters. ai
Check. Put ai into the gap and read train again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.p?nt
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.paint: the gap is ai
- Write the missing letters. ai
Check. Put ai into the gap and read paint again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.pl?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.play: the gap is ay
- Write the missing letters. ay
Check. Put ay into the gap and read play again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.st?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.stay: the gap is ay
- Write the missing letters. ay
Check. Put ay into the gap and read stay again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Compare the two spellings for play, letter by letter.
- Look at plai. ai is usually in the middle of a word, not at the end.plai: ai at the end
- Look at play. ay is usually at the end of a word.play: ay at the end
- Write the right spelling. play
Check. Read play with your finger: p, l, a, y. ✓
Watch out. Check where the letters go in the word.
Method. Look for the letters ey in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.key: has ey
kite: does not have ey
kid: does not have ey - Think about the spelling rule. ey can end a word, as in key and donkey.The letters ey are in key
- Write the answer. key
Check. Read key with your finger. The letters ey are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up ey with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Say the word, then check which spelling is right.
- Look at the two spellings. Only one of them is a real English word.monky is not the word; monkey is
- Use the spelling rule. ey is at the end of monkey. Monkey is the word we use for the animal.The right word is monkey
- Write the word. monkey
Check. Look at the picture or the meaning of monkey to check it. ✓
Watch out. Some words follow a rule. Others you learn by heart.
Method. Sort each word by its spelling pattern, one word at a time.
- Look at each word in turn. Find the letters or the pattern that tells the group.day, tray, stay, rain, train, paint
- Put each word in the group that matches. Keep the groups apart.ay (usually at the end): day, tray, stay
ai (usually in the middle): rain, train, paint - Write the groups. ay (usually at the end): day, tray, stay; ai (usually in the middle): rain, train, paint
Check. Count the words: there are 6 in all, and none are left out. ✓
Watch out. Check every word is in one group only.
Method. Think about where ay is usually found in a word.
- Look at play. The letters ay come at the end of the word.play: p, l, a, y
- Think about the rule. ay is usually used at the end of a word. ai is usually used in the middle.ay at the end
- Write the answer. ay is usually at the end of a word.
Check. Try ai at the end of play: plai. It does not look right. ✓
Watch out. Learn the common places for each spelling.
Other spellings: oe, ew, ue, ou and oy
Printable: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · Open this lesson on its own page
oe says the sound in boat, as in toe and hoe. It is usually at the end of a word.
ew and ue both say the oo sound in moon. Use ew in new and chew. Use ue in blue and true. You need to learn which words use each one.
ou says the sound in cow, as in out, cloud and mouse. oy says the sound in coin, as in boy and toy. It is usually at the end of a word.
Key ideas
- oe says the oh sound, as in toe and hoe.
- ew and ue both say the oo sound, as in new and blue.
- ou says the ow sound, as in out and cloud.
- oy says the oi sound, as in boy and toy.
- Some spellings must be learnt, because the rule is not always enough.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a shoe.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.s - h - o - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.shoe
Check. Count the letters in shoe: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Look for the letters ue in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.blue: has ue
blew: does not have ue
bloom: does not have ue - Think about the spelling rule. ue is at the end of blue. blew has ew, not ue.The letters ue are in blue
- Write the answer. blue
Check. Read blue with your finger. The letters ue are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up ue with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Say the word, then check which spelling is right.
- Look at the two spellings. Only one of them is a real English word.toi is not the word; toy is
- Use the spelling rule. oy is usually at the end of a word, as in toy and boy.The right word is toy
- Write the word. toy
Check. Look at the picture or the meaning of toy to check it. ✓
Watch out. Some words follow a rule. Others you learn by heart.
Watch out
Watch out: cloud is spelled ou, not ow. A cow is spelled with ow. Look at the letters before you write.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Make two lists on paper: words with ew, and words with ue. Ask your child: “Which list does blue go on?” Keep the lists for reading practice.
Exercise 3E Other spellings: oe, ew, ue, ou and oy
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a cloud.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.c - l - o - u - d
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.cloud
Check. Count the letters in cloud: there are 5. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a mouse.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.m - o - u - s - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.mouse
Check. Count the letters in mouse: there are 5. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.n?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.new: the gap is ew
- Write the missing letters. ew
Check. Put ew into the gap and read new again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.bl?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.blue: the gap is ue
- Write the missing letters. ue
Check. Put ue into the gap and read blue again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.gr?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.grew: the gap is ew
- Write the missing letters. ew
Check. Put ew into the gap and read grew again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.gl?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.glue: the gap is ue
- Write the missing letters. ue
Check. Put ue into the gap and read glue again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Look for the letters oe in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.toe: has oe
tie: does not have oe
tow: does not have oe - Think about the spelling rule. oe says the oh sound, as in boat, and toe ends with oe.The letters oe are in toe
- Write the answer. toe
Check. Read toe with your finger. The letters oe are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up oe with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.o?t
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.out: the gap is ou
- Write the missing letters. ou
Check. Put ou into the gap and read out again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.f?nd
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.found: the gap is ou
- Write the missing letters. ou
Check. Put ou into the gap and read found again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.sh?t
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.shout: the gap is ou
- Write the missing letters. ou
Check. Put ou into the gap and read shout again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.t?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.toy: the gap is oy
- Write the missing letters. oy
Check. Put oy into the gap and read toy again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.j?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.joy: the gap is oy
- Write the missing letters. oy
Check. Put oy into the gap and read joy again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.b?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.boy: the gap is oy
- Write the missing letters. oy
Check. Put oy into the gap and read boy again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Look at the letters in cloud.
- Look at the word Lila wrote. Lila wrote c, l, o, w, d.clowd
- Look at the right spelling. cloud has the letters o and u together, which is ou.cloud: c, l, ou, d
- Decide if she is right. ow is spelled in cow, not in cloud.No.
Check. Read cloud with your finger. The letters ou are in the middle. ✓
Watch out. ou and ow can make the same sound, so learn which words use each.
Method. Sort each word by its spelling pattern, one word at a time.
- Look at each word in turn. Find the letters or the pattern that tells the group.new, few, chew, blue, true, glue
- Put each word in the group that matches. Keep the groups apart.ew: new, few, chew
ue: blue, true, glue - Write the groups. ew: new, few, chew; ue: blue, true, glue
Check. Count the words: there are 6 in all, and none are left out. ✓
Watch out. Check every word is in one group only.
Method. Say the word, then check which spelling is right.
- Look at the two spellings. Only one of them is a real English word.nue is not the word; new is
- Use the spelling rule. ew is one way to spell the oo sound. nue is not an English word.The right word is new
- Write the word. new
Check. Look at the picture or the meaning of new to check it. ✓
Watch out. Some words follow a rule. Others you learn by heart.
Method. Think about the words that end with the oo sound.
- Look at new, few and chew. Each of these ends with ew.new, few, chew: all end in ew
- Look at blue and true. Each of these ends with ue.blue, true: both end in ue
- Decide if it is always ue. Some words with the oo sound end in ew, so ue is not always right.No.
Check. Read new, blue, few and true. Two spellings, both with the oo sound. ✓
Watch out. Learn the words with ew and ue, rather than guessing.
Other spellings: ir, aw and au, and longer words
Printable: Worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF) · Open this lesson on its own page
ir says the sound in turn, as in bird, girl and first. aw and au both say the sound in fork. Use aw in saw and yawn. Use au in autumn and sauce.
Some words have more than one part. Each part is a syllable. It has one clap and one vowel sound. Read each part first, then join the parts: bed + time = bedtime.
Key ideas
- ir says the er sound, as in bird, girl and first.
- aw is often at the end of a word, or before n, as in saw and yawn.
- au does not end a word. It is in autumn and sauce.
- A syllable is one part of a word, with one clap and one vowel sound.
- Read each part first, then join the parts together.
Method. Look for the letters au in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.saw: does not have au
autumn: has au
sun: does not have au - Think about the spelling rule. au is in autumn. saw has aw, not au.The letters au are in autumn
- Write the answer. autumn
Check. Read autumn with your finger. The letters au are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up au with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.birth-day
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.birth, then day
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.birthday
Check. The parts birth and day make birthday. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.cup-cake
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.cup, then cake
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.cupcake
Check. The parts cup and cake make cupcake. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Watch out
Watch out: August begins with a capital letter, because it is the name of a month. Days and months also need a capital letter.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Clap the parts of a long word with your child: bed-time, birth-day, sun-shine. Read each part before you join them together.
Exercise 3F Other spellings: ir, aw and au, and longer words
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a girl.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.g - i - r - l
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.girl
Check. Count the letters in girl: there are 4. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a paw.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.p - a - w
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.paw
Check. Count the letters in paw: there are 3. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.b?d
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.bird: the gap is ir
- Write the missing letters. ir
Check. Put ir into the gap and read bird again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.sh?t
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.shirt: the gap is ir
- Write the missing letters. ir
Check. Put ir into the gap and read shirt again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.f?st
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.first: the gap is ir
- Write the missing letters. ir
Check. Put ir into the gap and read first again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.sk?t
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.skirt: the gap is ir
- Write the missing letters. ir
Check. Put ir into the gap and read skirt again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.s?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.saw: the gap is aw
- Write the missing letters. aw
Check. Put aw into the gap and read saw again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.y?n
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.yawn: the gap is aw
- Write the missing letters. aw
Check. Put aw into the gap and read yawn again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.?tumn
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.autumn: the gap is au
- Write the missing letters. au
Check. Put au into the gap and read autumn again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.p?se
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.pause: the gap is au
- Write the missing letters. au
Check. Put au into the gap and read pause again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Look for the letters aw in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.sew: does not have aw
saw: has aw
see: does not have aw - Think about the spelling rule. aw is often at the end of a word, as in saw.The letters aw are in saw
- Write the answer. saw
Check. Read saw with your finger. The letters aw are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up aw with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Say the word, then check which spelling is right.
- Look at the two spellings. Only one of them is a real English word.Agust is not the word; August is
- Use the spelling rule. August is the name of a month. It starts with a capital A, then u, g, u, s, t.The right word is August
- Write the word. August
Check. Look at the picture or the meaning of August to check it. ✓
Watch out. Some words follow a rule. Others you learn by heart.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.cup-cake
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.cup, then cake
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.cupcake
Check. The parts cup and cake make cupcake. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.bed-time
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.bed, then time
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.bedtime
Check. The parts bed and time make bedtime. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.play-ground
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.play, then ground
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.playground
Check. The parts play and ground make playground. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.tea-pot
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.tea, then pot
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.teapot
Check. The parts tea and pot make teapot. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Put the two parts together, and read the whole word.
- Read the first part. The first part is birth.birth
- Read the second part. The second part is day.day
- Join the parts. Put the parts together, then read the whole word.birthday
Check. Read the parts again: birth, day. Together they make birthday. ✓
Watch out. Join the parts with no space between them.
Method. Look for the pattern that most of the words have. Then find the word that does not have it.
- Look at all the words. Find the pattern in each word.bird, girl, sauce, shirt
- Find the word that does not match. bird, girl and shirt have ir. sauce has au.sauce does not match
- Write the answer. sauce
Check. Check each of the other words has the same pattern. ✓
Watch out. Look at the letters, not the picture or the meaning, for this question.
Method. Look for the letters au in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.saw: does not have au
sauce: has au
sour: does not have au - Think about the spelling rule. au is in sauce, in the middle of the word.The letters au are in sauce
- Write the answer. sauce
Check. Read sauce with your finger. The letters au are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up au with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Think about where the aw and au spellings go.
- Look at saw. saw ends with the aw sound.saw: aw at the end
- Look at au words. au does not usually end a word: autumn, sauce.au is not at the end
- Decide the spelling. So saw is spelled with aw.aw is used at the end of saw.
Check. Read saw with your finger: s, a, w. ✓
Watch out. Learn the common places for aw and au.
Chapter summary
| Skill | Method |
|---|---|
| Split digraph a-e | The a says its name in cake. The e at the end does not make a sound. |
| Split e, i, o and u | These, bike, nose and cube: the first vowel says its name. |
| Same sound, other spellings | ay (day), ea (tea), ey (key), ie (pie), oe (toe), ew and ue (new, blue). |
| Other sounds | ou (cloud), oy (boy), ir (bird), aw (saw), au (autumn). |
| Choosing a spelling | ay is usually at the end of a word, and ai in the middle. oy is at the end, oi in the middle. |
| Longer words | Read each part, then join the parts: bed-time, birth-day. |
Can you…?
- I can read and spell words with a-e, e-e, i-e, o-e and u-e
- I know the first vowel says its name in a split digraph
- I know some sounds can be spelled in more than one way
- I can choose ay or ai, and oy or oi, for a word
- I can read a longer word by reading its parts, then join them
Key terms
- split digraph
- two vowel letters split by one consonant, with an e at the end, as in cake
- say its name
- a vowel sounds like its letter name, as in the a in cake
- consonant
- a letter that is not a vowel, such as b, k or t
- alternative spelling
- another way to write the same sound, as ay and ai
- syllable
- one part of a word, with one clap and one vowel sound
Exercise 3Z Check-up
Method. We want the word that has the a-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.pat: no e at the end, so no split e
mate: a, t, e makes a-e ✓
pot: no e at the end, so no split e - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for mate: a-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.mate
Check. Check mate once more: the letters are m - a - t - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a tadpole.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.t - a - d - p - o - l - e
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.tadpole
Check. Count the letters in tadpole: there are 7. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Look for the letters ie in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.tie: has ie
tay: does not have ie
toe: does not have ie - Think about the spelling rule. ie is in tie.The letters ie are in tie
- Write the answer. tie
Check. Read tie with your finger. The letters ie are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up ie with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.m?t
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.meat: the gap is ea
- Write the missing letters. ea
Check. Put ea into the gap and read meat again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Look for the pattern that most of the words have. Then find the word that does not have it.
- Look at all the words. Find the pattern in each word.shoe, toe, goes, boy
- Find the word that does not match. shoe, toe and goes have oe. boy has oy.boy does not match
- Write the answer. boy
Check. Check each of the other words has the same pattern. ✓
Watch out. Look at the letters, not the picture or the meaning, for this question.
Method. Look for the letters ew in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.new: has ew
nue: does not have ew
now: does not have ew - Think about the spelling rule. ew is in new.The letters ew are in new
- Write the answer. new
Check. Read new with your finger. The letters ew are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up ew with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Say the word, then check which spelling is right.
- Look at the two spellings. Only one of them is a real English word.birthdai is not the word; birthday is
- Use the spelling rule. birthday ends with ay, and ay is usually at the end of a word.The right word is birthday
- Write the word. birthday
Check. Look at the picture or the meaning of birthday to check it. ✓
Watch out. Some words follow a rule. Others you learn by heart.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.g?t?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.gate: the gap is a and e
- Write the missing letters. a and e
Check. Put a and e into the gap and read gate again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.sun-shine
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.sun, then shine
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.sunshine
Check. The parts sun and shine make sunshine. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.out-side
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.out, then side
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.outside
Check. The parts out and side make outside. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.tea-pot
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.tea, then pot
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.teapot
Check. The parts tea and pot make teapot. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Think about the consonant digraph th, and the vowel in front of the e.
- Look at the word the. The t, h and e are the letters.the: t, h, e
- Look for a vowel before the consonant. The th is a consonant digraph. There is no vowel before it.no vowel before th
- Decide if Ben is right. So the e does not split a vowel.No.
Check. The e in the is not a split e. ✓
Watch out. Not every word that ends in e is a split digraph.
Total 15 marks. Allow about 15 minutes.
Exercise 3X End-of-chapter quiz
Method. We want the word that has the i-e pattern: a vowel, one consonant, then e at the end.
- Look at the end of each word. The e at the end is the first clue.kit: no e at the end, so no split e
kite: i, t, e makes i-e ✓
kid: no e at the end, so no split e - Look at the two letters before the e. The vowel and the consonant must be in the right places.Pattern for kite: i-e
- Write the answer. Only one word has the right pattern.kite
Check. Check kite once more: the letters are k - i - t - e. ✓
Watch out. A word that ends in e is not always a split e. Check the vowel and the consonant before the e.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a boy.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.b - o - y
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.boy
Check. Count the letters in boy: there are 3. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Key words. Adding an e at the end can change the word, as cub becomes cube.
Method. Add an e at the end of the short word. The vowel then says its name.
- Look at the short word. The vowel in a short word has a short sound.cub: the u has a short sound
- Add an e at the end. The e goes after the last letter. The e does not make a sound.cub + e = cube
- Check the vowel now. The u says its name in the new word.cube
Check. Read cube as one word. The u says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not go on the end of every word. Only add it where the new word needs it.
Method. Look for the letters ay in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.play: has ay
plan: does not have ay
plane: does not have ay - Think about the spelling rule. ay is in play.The letters ay are in play
- Write the answer. play
Check. Read play with your finger. The letters ay are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up ay with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Method. Look for the letters ue in each word.
- Look at each word. Find the two letters we want.blue: has ue
blew: does not have ue
bloom: does not have ue - Think about the spelling rule. ue is in blue.The letters ue are in blue
- Write the answer. blue
Check. Read blue with your finger. The letters ue are in it. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up ue with the other spellings of the same sound. Learn the words that use it.
Key words. A split digraph is a vowel, then one consonant, then e at the end, like the a, k and e in cake.
Method. Name the picture, then write the word with the right letters.
- Look at the picture. Say the name of the thing in a whole word.The picture shows a cup of tea.
- Say the word slowly. Look at every letter, one at a time.t - e - a
- Write the word. Write the letters in the right order.tea
Check. Count the letters in tea: there are 3. ✓
Watch out. Look at every letter. A word with a letter missing or in the wrong place is not right.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.p?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.pay: the gap is ay
- Write the missing letters. ay
Check. Put ay into the gap and read pay again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Read the whole word, then find the letters that fit the gap.
- Read the word with the gap. Look at the letters around the gap.t?
- Think about the whole word. The word must be spelled as a whole word.tea: the gap is ea
- Write the missing letters. ea
Check. Put ea into the gap and read tea again. ✓
Watch out. Read the whole word, not just the letters near the gap.
Method. Sort each word by its spelling pattern, one word at a time.
- Look at each word in turn. Find the letters or the pattern that tells the group.day, stay, rain, paint
- Put each word in the group that matches. Keep the groups apart.ay: day, stay
ai: rain, paint - Write the groups. ay: day, stay; ai: rain, paint
Check. Count the words: there are 4 in all, and none are left out. ✓
Watch out. Check every word is in one group only.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.tea-pot
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.tea, then pot
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.teapot
Check. The parts tea and pot make teapot. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Read the word in parts, then put the parts together.
- Clap the parts. Each part has one clap and one vowel sound.birth-day
- Read each part on its own. Read the first part, then the second part.birth, then day
- Put the parts together. Say the whole word once you have read the parts.birthday
Check. The parts birth and day make birthday. ✓
Watch out. Read each part first. Then join them. Do not read the first letters and guess the rest.
Method. Think about what the e does in pine.
- Look at pin. pin has a short i and no e.pin: short i
- Look at pine. The e at the end makes the i say its name.pine: i says its name
- Write the answer. The e makes the i say its name.
Check. Read pine: p, i, n, e. The i says its name. ✓
Watch out. The e does not make a sound. It changes the vowel.