Year 4 English: The statutory word list: accident to certain
Part of the Year 4 English the statutory word list and the dictionary chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
The statutory word list: accident to certain
The statutory word list is a list of words that pupils in Years 3 and 4 must learn to spell. The list is in alphabetical order. Each word has one spelling, so you must learn the letters rather than work out the word from its sound.
Some entries have brackets, such as accident(ally). The brackets mean that two words are on the list: accident and accidentally. This section starts at accident and ends at certain.
Mia's trick has five steps: look at the word, say it, cover it, write it from memory, and check it against the word.
Key ideas
- The statutory list is in alphabetical order. Brackets show two words, such as accident and accidentally.
- Each word has one spelling. Learn the tricky letters, such as cc in accident and ai in certain.
- UK English spells centre, not center, with -tre at the end.
- Use the look, say, cover, write, check trick to learn each word.
Method. Match the meaning to the word on the list, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.by chance, and not on purpose
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word on the list with this meaning.accidentally
- Check the tricky part. Accidentally is accidental with -ly added. Keep the al before the ly.Tricky part: cc
- Write the answer. accidentally
Check. Read accidentally and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Accidentally is accidental with -ly added. Keep the al before the ly.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.Dad runs a small ___ that sells bikes.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. a shop or company that sells goods or servicesbusiness
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.Dad runs a small business that sells bikes.
- Write the answer. business
Check. Read the whole sentence with business in it. ✓
Watch out. Business starts like busy, and it ends in -iness with two s letters.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each letter. Read every letter in order.calendar
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 2 letter(s) in a row.2 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. The word ends in -ar, not -er.ar
Check. Put ar back in the box and read calendar. ✓
Watch out. The word ends in -ar, not -er.
Watch out
Watch out: accidentally keeps the al from accidental. It is not accidently. Also, busy and business have different spellings, even though business starts like busy.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Use the look, say, cover, write, check trick with five words at a time. Ask your child to write each word from memory, then check it. Keep the list the child cannot spell yet, and practise only those words.
Exercise 2A Practice: accident to certain
Method. Match the meaning to the word on the list, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.something bad that happens by chance, and that nobody meant
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word on the list with this meaning.accident
- Check the tricky part. Two c letters come together, then ident. The word ends in -ent.Tricky part: cc
- Write the answer. accident
Check. Read accident and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Two c letters come together, then ident. The word ends in -ent.
Method. Match the meaning to the word on the list, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.by chance, and not on purpose
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word on the list with this meaning.accidentally
- Check the tricky part. Accidentally is accidental with -ly added. Keep the al before the ly.Tricky part: cc
- Write the answer. accidentally
Check. Read accidentally and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Accidentally is accidental with -ly added. Keep the al before the ly.
Method. Match the meaning to the word on the list, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.real, or true, and not made up
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word on the list with this meaning.actual
- Check the tricky part. Actual has ua in the middle, and it ends in -al.Tricky part: ua
- Write the answer. actual
Check. Read actual and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Actual has ua in the middle, and it ends in -al.
Method. Match the meaning to the word on the list, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.in fact, when the truth is known
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word on the list with this meaning.actually
- Check the tricky part. Actually has ua in the middle, then al and ly at the end.Tricky part: ua
- Write the answer. actually
Check. Read actually and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Actually has ua in the middle, then al and ly at the end.
Method. Match the meaning to the word on the list, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.the place where someone lives, with its street and number
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word on the list with this meaning.address
- Check the tricky part. Two d letters come together near the start, and two s letters at the end.Tricky part: dd
- Write the answer. address
Check. Read address and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Two d letters come together near the start, and two s letters at the end.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.Ella wrote the ___ to the last question.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. what you say or write when someone asks you a questionanswer
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.Ella wrote the answer to the last question.
- Write the answer. answer
Check. Read the whole sentence with answer in it. ✓
Watch out. The w is written but not said.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.A rainbow may ___ after the rain.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. to come into view, or to seemappear
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.A rainbow may appear after the rain.
- Write the answer. appear
Check. Read the whole sentence with appear in it. ✓
Watch out. Two p letters come together, then ear.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.The train will ___ at the station at six o'clock.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. to get to a placearrive
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.The train will arrive at the station at six o'clock.
- Write the answer. arrive
Check. Read the whole sentence with arrive in it. ✓
Watch out. Two r letters come together, and the word ends in -ive.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.I ___ that you can finish the puzzle.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. to think that something is truebelieve
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.I believe that you can finish the puzzle.
- Write the answer. believe
Check. Read the whole sentence with believe in it. ✓
Watch out. The ie is in the middle of the word: be-lie-ve.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.Sam rode his ___ to the park.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. a two-wheeled vehicle that you pedalbicycle
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.Sam rode his bicycle to the park.
- Write the answer. bicycle
Check. Read the whole sentence with bicycle in it. ✓
Watch out. Bi is at the start, and cycle is inside the word. The y is in the middle.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each letter. Read every letter in order.breath
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 2 letter(s) in a row.2 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. Breath ends in th. It is the air itself, with no e at the end.ea
Check. Put ea back in the box and read breath. ✓
Watch out. Breath ends in th. It is the air itself, with no e at the end.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each letter. Read every letter in order.breathe
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 2 letter(s) in a row.2 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. Breathe ends in e. It is the action, and breath is the air.ea
Check. Put ea back in the box and read breathe. ✓
Watch out. Breathe ends in e. It is the action, and breath is the air.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each letter. Read every letter in order.build
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 2 letter(s) in a row.2 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. The u and i are in the middle, and the word ends in d.ui
Check. Put ui back in the box and read build. ✓
Watch out. The u and i are in the middle, and the word ends in d.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each letter. Read every letter in order.busy
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 1 letter(s) in a row.1 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. Busy has a u after the b, and it ends in y.u
Check. Put u back in the box and read busy. ✓
Watch out. Busy has a u after the b, and it ends in y.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each letter. Read every letter in order.business
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 1 letter(s) in a row.1 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. Business starts like busy, and it ends in -iness with two s letters.u
Check. Put u back in the box and read business. ✓
Watch out. Business starts like busy, and it ends in -iness with two s letters.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word on the list.
- Look at calender. Compare it with the word calendar.calender is not right
- Find the tricky part. The word ends in -ar, not -er.Tricky part: ar
- Write the word correctly. calendar
Check. Read calendar and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. The word ends in -ar, not -er.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word on the list.
- Look at cought. Compare it with the word caught.cought is not right
- Find the tricky part. Au and gh are together in the middle, then t at the end.Tricky part: augh
- Write the word correctly. caught
Check. Read caught and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. Au and gh are together in the middle, then t at the end.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word on the list.
- Look at center. Compare it with the word centre.center is not right
- Find the tricky part. UK English spells it centre, ending in -tre. Center is the American spelling.Tricky part: tre
- Write the word correctly. centre
Check. Read centre and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. UK English spells it centre, ending in -tre. Center is the American spelling.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word on the list.
- Look at centuary. Compare it with the word century.centuary is not right
- Find the tricky part. The c at the start is followed by e, and the word ends in -ury.Tricky part: ce
- Write the word correctly. century
Check. Read century and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. The c at the start is followed by e, and the word ends in -ury.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word on the list.
- Look at certian. Compare it with the word certain.certian is not right
- Find the tricky part. The ai is in the middle, and the word ends in -ain.Tricky part: ai
- Write the word correctly. certain
Check. Read certain and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. The ai is in the middle, and the word ends in -ain.
Method. Look for the letters ai in each word.
- Look at centre and century. Neither word has ai in it.centre, century: no ai
- Look at certain. The ai is in the middle of certain.certain: ai
- Write the answer. certain
Check. certain has ai, and the other two do not. ✓
Watch out. Learn the letters of each word.
Method. Compare the meanings of the two words.
- Look at breath. Breath is the air that you take in and let out.breath: the air
- Look at breathe. Breathe is what you do to take air in and let it out.breathe: the action
- Write the answer. No. Breath is the air that you take in, and breathe is the action of taking air in and letting it out.
Check. The two words have different meanings. ✓
Watch out. Breathe ends in e and is what you do.
Method. Say each word and look for a letter that is written but not said.
- Look at arrive and appear. Neither word has a silent letter.arrive, appear
- Look at answer. The w is written in answer, but it is not said.answer: silent w
- Write the answer. answer
Check. The w in answer is silent. ✓
Watch out. A silent letter is written but not said.
Method. Use calendar in a sentence that makes sense.
- Think of what a calendar shows. A calendar shows the days, weeks and months of the year.days, weeks and months
- Write the sentence. Check the -ar ending.Check the calendar to find the date of the trip.
- Write the answer. Accept any correct sentence with calendar, for example: Check the calendar to find the date of the trip.
Check. calendar ends in -ar. ✓
Watch out. Calendar ends in -ar, not -er.
Method. Compare the two spellings with the word on the list.
- Look at accidently. It is missing the al before ly.accidently: missing al
- Look at accidentally. It keeps the al from accidental, then -ly.accidentally: al, then ly
- Write the answer. accidentally
Check. accidentally is the correct spelling. ✓
Watch out. Keep the al before the ly.
Method. Compare the endings of the two words.
- Look at busy. Busy ends in y.busy: y
- Look at business. Business ends in -iness, with two s letters at the end.business: -iness
- Write the answer. No. Busy ends in y, and business ends in -iness with two s letters. The two words have different endings.
Check. The endings are different. ✓
Watch out. Learn each word with its own ending.