Tricky spellings: Years 5 and 6

For grown-ups: this lesson in words

Years 5 and 6 · English

Tricky spellings: Years 5 and 6: I can choose the right spelling for tricky endings and learn the Year 5 and 6 words.

1. Lots of words end in a shus sound. Here are two ways to spell it: cious and tious.

   Look at the root word. space and grace end in ce. Drop the e and write cious: spacious, gracious.

   ambition and nutrition end in tion. Keep the letter t and write tious: ambitious, nutritious.

   Picture: Sorting into 2 groups: cious, tious. cious: space, spacious (house), grace, gracious (bow). tious: ambition, ambitious (trophy), nutrition, nutritious (carrot).

2. Your turn: caution ends in tion. Add the shus ending. Which spelling is right?

   Choose one:

   • cautious
   • caucious
   • caushus

   Answer

   The answer: cautious

   cautious. caution ends in tion, so we keep the letter t and write tious.

3. Now a shul sound: cial or tial. Look at the letter just before the ending.

   official and special: the letter before the ending is a vowel, so we write cial.

   partial and confidential: the letter before the ending is a consonant, so we write tial.

   Picture: Sorting into 2 groups: cial, tial. cial: official (medal), special (star). tial: partial (pie), confidential (envelope).

Words to know

root word:

The word we start with, before adding an ending.

suffix:

An ending added to a root word.

vowel:

One of the letters a, e, i, o, u.

consonant:

Any letter that is not a vowel.