Year 3 English Spelling patterns: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check its spelling.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   caring about how someone else feels
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.
   sympathy
3. Check the tricky part. The y says the i sound, as in sit.
   Tricky part: y
4. Write the answer.
   sympathy

Check. Read sympathy and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. The y says the i sound, as in sit.

Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.

1. Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.
   trouble
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for 2 letter(s) in a row.
   2 missing letter(s)
3. Write the missing letters. The ou says the u sound, as in cup.
   ou

Check. Put ou back in the box and read trouble. ✓

Watch out. The ou says the u sound, as in cup.

Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.

1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.
   Our ___ has a big black dog.
2. Find the word that fits the meaning. a person who lives next door to you
   neighbour
3. Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
   Our neighbour has a big black dog.
4. Write the answer.
   neighbour

Check. Read the whole sentence with neighbour in it. ✓

Watch out. The eigh says the ay sound. The ou at the end is the UK spelling.

Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word we want.

1. Look at shalay. Compare it with the word chalet.
   shalay is not right
2. Find the tricky part. The ch says the sh sound, as in shop. This spelling comes from French.
   Tricky part: ch
3. Write the word correctly.
   chalet

Check. Read chalet and check each letter. ✓

Watch out. The ch says the sh sound, as in shop. This spelling comes from French.

Method. Choose the word by its meaning, not by how it sounds.

1. Read the sentence. Think about what the gap means.
   Everyone came to the party ___ Ben, who was ill.
2. Match the meaning. The word that fits has this meaning.
   except means not including; leaving out
3. Check the other word. Put it in the gap. Does it still mean the same?
   accept (to say yes to something) does not fit this meaning
4. Write the answer.
   except

Check. Read the sentence with except in the gap. ✓

Watch out. Homophones sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Choose by meaning.

Method. Compare the sound with the example word.

1. Look at chemist. chemist comes from Greek, so the ch says k.
   chemist
2. Compare with the example. The ch says the k sound, as in kite, not the sh sound.
   k sound, as in kite
3. Write the answer.
   No. The ch in chemist says the k sound, as in kite.

Check. chemist has the k sound. ✓

Watch out. Greek ch says k.

Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.

1. Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.
   scissors
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for 2 letter(s) in a row.
   2 missing letter(s)
3. Write the missing letters. The sc says the s sound, as in sun. This spelling comes from Latin.
   sc

Check. Put sc back in the box and read scissors. ✓

Watch out. The sc says the s sound, as in sun. This spelling comes from Latin.

Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check its spelling.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   a period of one hundred years
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.
   century
3. Check the tricky part. Learn the whole word by its shape: cen-tu-ry.
   Learn the whole word
4. Write the answer.
   century

Check. Read century and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. Learn the whole word by its shape: cen-tu-ry.

Method. Check the sound of each word.

1. Look at they, grey and eighty. Each has the ay sound, as in play.
   ay sound
2. Look at early. The ea says the ur sound, as in earn.
   early: ur sound
3. Write the answer.
   early

Check. early does not have the ay sound. ✓

Watch out. Check the sound, not only the letters.

Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.

1. Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.
   accident
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for 2 letter(s) in a row.
   2 missing letter(s)
3. Write the missing letters. The double cc says the ks sound, as in box.
   cc

Check. Put cc back in the box and read accident. ✓

Watch out. The double cc says the ks sound, as in box.

Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check its spelling.

1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
   not old; at an early age
2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.
   young
3. Check the tricky part. The ou says the u sound, as in cup.
   Tricky part: ou
4. Write the answer.
   young

Check. Read young and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. The ou says the u sound, as in cup.

Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.

1. Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.
   bicycle
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for 1 letter(s) in a row.
   1 missing letter(s)
3. Write the missing letters. The i says the eye sound, as in my.
   i

Check. Put i back in the box and read bicycle. ✓

Watch out. The i says the eye sound, as in my.

Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.

1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.
   The tourists climbed up the big stone ___.
2. Find the word that fits the meaning. a shape with a square base and four sides that meet at a point
   pyramid
3. Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
   The tourists climbed up the big stone pyramid.
4. Write the answer.
   pyramid

Check. Read the whole sentence with pyramid in it. ✓

Watch out. The y says the i sound, as in sit.

Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word we want.

1. Look at brocher. Compare it with the word brochure.
   brocher is not right
2. Find the tricky part. The ch says the sh sound, as in shop. This spelling comes from French.
   Tricky part: ch
3. Write the word correctly.
   brochure

Check. Read brochure and check each letter. ✓

Watch out. The ch says the sh sound, as in shop. This spelling comes from French.

Method. Choose the word by its meaning, not by how it sounds.

1. Read the sentence. Think about what the gap means.
   Have you ___ the new film at the cinema?
2. Match the meaning. The word that fits has this meaning.
   seen means looked at with your eyes
3. Check the other word. Put it in the gap. Does it still mean the same?
   scene (a part of a play or film, or a view) does not fit this meaning
4. Write the answer.
   seen

Check. Read the sentence with seen in the gap. ✓

Watch out. Homophones sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. Choose by meaning.

Method. Compare the sound with the example word.

1. Look at couple. The ou is in the middle of the word.
   cou-ple
2. Compare with the example. The ou says the u sound, as in cup.
   u sound, as in cup
3. Write the answer.
   No. The ou in couple says the u sound, as in cup.

Check. couple has the u sound. ✓

Watch out. The ou can say more than one sound.

Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.

1. Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.
   synonym
2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for 1 letter(s) in a row.
   1 missing letter(s)
3. Write the missing letters. The y says the i sound, as in sit.
   y

Check. Put y back in the box and read synonym. ✓

Watch out. The y says the i sound, as in sit.

Method. Say each word and find the letter that is not said.

1. Look at answer. The w is written, but not said: an-ser.
   answer: w is silent
2. Check the others. breath and extreme have no silent letter.
   no silent letter
3. Write the answer.
   answer, w

Check. The w in answer is silent. ✓

Watch out. Silent letters are written but not said.

Method. Use each word in a sentence that makes sense, with the correct spelling.

1. Use February. February is the second month of the year.
   My birthday is in February.
2. Use forwards. Forwards means ahead, in the direction in front of you.
   The runners moved forwards.
3. Write the answer.
   Any two correct sentences, for example: My birthday is in February. The runners moved forwards.

Check. Check each spelling against the list. ✓

Watch out. Check the capital F in February.

Method. Compare the sound each word makes with its example word.

1. Look at heart. The ea says the ah sound, as in car.
   heart: ah sound, as in car
2. Look at heard. The ea says the ur sound, as in earn.
   heard: ur sound, as in earn
3. Write the answer.
   The ea in heart says the ah sound, as in car, and the ea in heard says the ur sound, as in earn.

Check. The same spelling can make different sounds. ✓

Watch out. The spelling is not a reliable guide to the sound.