Explore How to Spell Exception Words

In this activity, we’re going to be looking at exception words.

Exception words are words which do not follow normal spelling rules and patterns.

They like to be different and stand out among the crowds! 

I don’t blame them but this does make the spellings harder to learn.

Here are the exception words we’re going to be looking at in this activity:

Read through the list and check you can read each word first.

Here are some handy tips to help us remember the spelling of these exception words:

1. Look for words within the words

Look at the words below:

woman

women

Can you see any smaller words hiding within the words here?

Woman has man hiding in it.

Women has men hiding in it.

This helps us to remember that a woman is one person (like a man) and women is a group of people (like men).

Can you see any words hiding within these words?

purpose

sentence 

peculiar

pressure

Can you see pose hiding in purpose?

This could make us think of someone posing on purpose!

Can you see ten hiding in sentence? Someone likes to write ten sentences! 

A liar is hiding in peculiar.

Press is hiding in pressure. We press things to apply pressure.

2. Look for words with the same endings

position

mention

Both these words have -tion at the end.

3. Split the word up into its syllables

To help us remember other spellings, we can break them down into syllables.

minute = min + ute

natural = nat + ur + al

probably = prob + ab + ly

surprise = sur + prise

promise  = prom + ise

various = var + i + ous

4. Say the word how it is spelt

Read this word aloud and make sure you stress each individual sound. Next time you go to write it, imagine yourself saying every single sound.

strength - s - t - r - e - n - g - th

5. Look for similar letter strings

All of the words below have ough in them.

thorough

thought

though

although

In through, ough makes an ew sound.

In thought, ough makes an or sound.

In though and although, ough makes an oa sound.

The two words below have similar letter strings:

weight

straight

Eigh and aigh make an ay sound in these words.

6. Words with silent letters

The word reign (as in the King's reign on the throne) has a silent g in it.

It's spelt like the reins of a horse but with a silent g before the n.

7. Look for double letters

Possess and possession have lots of double letters between them.

They are possessing all of the s's!

In this activity, you’ll be answering questions about this set of words. Good luck.