Websink Prep UKKS2 EnglishYear 3 chaptersEnglish textbooksReceptionYear 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5Year 6Year 7Year 8Year 9Browse allPast papersFind a tutorBecome a tutor
Primary English · Year 3Chapter 1 · Spelling patterns
Year 3 English · Spelling patterns · Lesson 1.4

Year 3 English: The statutory word list, part 1: accident to disappear

Part of the Year 3 English spelling patterns chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

1.4

The statutory word list, part 1: accident to disappear

Year 3
Spell the statutory Year 3 and 4 words from accident to disappear, Read the tricky part of each word, and learn it
Story. Ben runs to catch the bus. He takes a deep breath, looks at the calendar, and remembers that he must build a model for the science fair.

The statutory word list is a list of words that a pupil should be able to spell correctly by the end of Year 4. Many of these words are often misspelt, so it helps to learn the tricky part of each one.

This section has the first half of the list, from accident to disappear, and three of the other forms: accidentally, actually and business.

WordTricky partWhy
accidentccThe double cc says the ks sound, as in box.
accidentallyccAccidental becomes accidentally when we add ly. The double cc says the ks sound, as in box.
actualtuThe t and u say the ch and oo sounds together, as in chew.
actuallytuThe t and u say the ch and oo sounds together, as in chew.
addressddThe double d and double s make the word longer: ad-dress.
answerwThe w is written but not said: an-ser.
appearppThe pp is a double letter. Say a-pear.
arriverrThe rr is a double letter. The ive ending is usual.
believeieThe ie says the ee sound, as in see.
bicycleiThe i says the eye sound, as in my.
breatheaThe ea says the e sound, as in bed. Breath is a noun.
breatheeaThe ea says the ee sound, as in see. Breathe is a verb, and it ends in e.
The first 12 words of this section. Every word is practised in the exercise.

Key ideas

  • Accident and accidentally both have a double c.
  • Breath is a noun, and breathe is a verb: breathe ends in e.
  • Busy and business both have a u that says the i sound.
  • Centre is the UK spelling, and it ends in re.
Worked example 1.4.1
Write the word that means: a chart that shows the days, weeks and months of a year.

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

  1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
    a chart that shows the days, weeks and months of a year
  2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.
    calendar
  3. Check the tricky part. The ar at the end says the er sound, as in sister.
    Tricky part: ar
  4. Write the answer.
    calendar

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

Watch out. The ar at the end says the er sound, as in sister.

Worked example 1.4.2
Write the missing word: We will   a sandcastle on the beach.

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.
    We will ___ a sandcastle on the beach.
  2. Find the word that fits the meaning. to make something by joining parts together
    build
  3. Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
    We will build a sandcastle on the beach.
  4. Write the answer.
    build

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

Watch out. The ui says the i sound, as in it.

Worked example 1.4.3
Write the missing letters: c t

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

  1. Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.
    caught
  2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for 4 letter(s) in a row.
    4 missing letter(s)
  3. Write the missing letters. The augh says the or sound, as in corn.
    augh

Check. Put augh back in the box and read caught. ✓

Watch out. The augh says the or sound, as in corn.

Watch out

Watch out: some words look the same but have different spellings: breath (a noun) and breathe (a verb). Actually and accidentally end in ally.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Write each word on a card. Look at the tricky part, say it aloud, cover the card, write the word, then check it. Practise a few words each day, not all of them at once.

Exercise 1D  Practice: the statutory word list, part 1

1
FWrite the word for each meaning.
(a)Write the word that means: something bad that happens by chance, and that nobody meant.
(b)Write the word that means: real, true, as it really is.
(c)Write the word that means: where someone lives, with the house number and street.
(d)Write the word that means: what you write or say back to a question.
(e)Write the word that means: a two-wheeled machine that you ride by pedalling.
(f)Write the word that means: the air you take into your lungs.
(g)Write the word that means: to take air into your lungs and let it out.
2
FWrite the missing word in each sentence.
(a)Write the missing word: We will   a sandcastle on the beach.
(b)Write the missing word: The bees were very   on the flowers.
(c)Write the missing word: Ben   the ball with both hands.
(d)Write the missing word: Put the star in the   of the page.
(e)Write the missing word: The school was built more than one hundred years ago, in the last  .
(f)Write the missing word: Are you   that the bus is coming?
(g)Write the missing word: Draw a   around the right answer.
3
FWrite the missing word in each sentence.
(a)Write the missing word: Ali filled in every box, so the page is  .
(b)Write the missing word: Please   what you want to say before you speak.
(c)Write the missing word: Please   reading the story after lunch.
(d)Write the missing word: It is hard to   which cake to buy.
(e)Write the missing word: Can you   the colour of the sea?
4
FWrite the missing letters.
(a)Write the missing letters: calend 
(b)Write the missing letters: disapp r
(c)Write the missing letters: a ear
(d)Write the missing letters: a ive
5
PSWrite each word correctly.
(a)Ali writes beleive. Write it correctly.
(b)Mia writes diffrent. Write it correctly.
(c)Sam writes difficalt. Write it correctly.
(d)Ben writes actualy. Write it correctly.
6
PSWrite accidentally correctly. Ben writes accidently.
7
RAli says that busy and business both start with bus, and the u says the same sound. Is he right? Explain.
8
RWhich word has a silent letter: answer, arrive or believe?
9
PSWrite one sentence with the word breathe.
10
RWhich of these words has no double letter: appear, arrive or centre?
11
RWrite two sentences using two words from this section: believe and accidentally. Check each spelling.

Websink Prep UK is an independent site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, Eduqas, CCEA, SQA, GL Assessment, CEM or the Department for Education. All exam board names and trademarks belong to their owners. Past papers are linked from the exam boards' own websites and are not hosted here.

About Websink Prep UK · Find a tutor · Privacy · Terms · Cookie settings