Year 4 Spelling Lists

Mr. C.'s Year 4 Spellings - The Rules!

Spelling rules for:

When you have to double the consonant in the middle of words

You have to double the consonant after a short vowel sound in the middle of words.

taping
tapping
biter
bitter
hoping
hopping
super
supper
funny
apple

taping
tapping
writing
written
pole
pollen
super
supper
sorry
swimming

Adverbs: adding -ly

An adverb adds information to a verb, giving you more information about how something is done. Many adverbs end in -ly

happily
sadly
loudly
quietly
meanly
kindly
quickly
slowly
friendly
lonely

happily
sorrowfully
loudly
silently
meanly
thoughtfully
rapidly
beautifully
friendly
successfully

An adjective describes an object.

quiet
gloomy
rich
angry
light
grubby
thick
bony
faint
heavy

occasional
topmost
national
volcanic
musical
foolish
metallic
athletic
natural
dangerous

Adding the suffixes -s, -ed and -ing to verbs ending in -e and -y

When a verb ends in -e:
To add -s: just add -s
To add -ed: take off the extra -e
To add -ing - take off the -e

When a verb ends in -y:
If there is a consonant before the -y, change it to a -y before adding -es or -ed
If there is a vowel before the -y, just add on -s or -ed

save
saves
saved
saving
note
noted
noting
explore
explores
exploring

play
plays
played
carry
carries
carried
rely
relies
relied
married

Common homophones sound the same but are spelt differently and have different meanings.

there
new
are
two
their
to
knew
our
they're
too

there
peace
right
rode
their
road
piece
write
they're
rowed

Adding suffixes -ate, -en and -ify

You can turn nouns and adjectives in to verbs by adding suffixes, such as -ate, -en, -ise or -ify.

pollen
pollinate
note
notify
length
lengthen
deep
deepen
pure
purify

pollen
pollinate
note
notify
apology
apologise
length
lengthen
medicine
medicate

Apostrophes of omission and possession

An apostrophe can be used to show omission (two words turn into one, showing where some letters are missed out) or possession (showing something belongs to somebody or thing)

Wouldn't
Won't
Can't
Didn't
That's

Wouldn't
Weren't
They've
You'll
They're

Irregular verbs in the past tense

Many verbs in the past tense end with -ed. These are called regular verbs. However, there are many verbs that are irregular, and can be spelt very differently in the past tense. I would like you to find out the past tense for these following verbs. They are all irregular verbs. You will be tested on their past tense next week:

blow - blew
begin - began
spend - spent
sell - sold
shake - shook
find - found
creep - crept
eat - ate
drive - drove
is - was

wind - wound
creep - crept
ring - rang
fight - fought
can - could
sell - sold
teach - taught
does - did
buy - bought
wear - wore

Year 4 High Frequency Words - Autumn Term

ask
asked
began
being
brought
can't
change
coming
didn't
does
don't
found
goes

gone
heard
I'm
jumped
knew
know
leave
might
opened
show
started
stopped
think

thought
told
tries
turn
turned
used
walk
walked
walking
watch
write
woke
woken

Words ending in -tion and -ough

Words ending in -tion are usually nouns.
Words ending in -ough can sound very different from each other.

action
station
rotation
reaction
potion
tough
bough
though
cough
through

subtraction
promotion
ambition
devotion
reaction
although
borough
enough
bough
through

Prefixes al-, ad- and af-

The prefix al- means 'all'.The prefixes ad- and af- mean towards or tending towards.

almost
already
always
although
also
adjoin
admire
advance
affect
affection

already
although
almighty
altogether
always
adverb
adjust
admire
affluent
affection

There are many words that have silent letters in them. A good way to remember how to spell these words is to sound out the letter when you say the word. (It sounds silly, but it helps!) Unscramble the letters of the words below to find out your spellings for this week (this is part of your literacy homework too!)

mlcbi - climb
nwko - know
olohsc - school
eitlns - listen
mhubt - thumb
okkcn - knock
ekwn - knew
rgwon - wrong
egmon - gnome
ewirt - write

prawrep - wrapper
eitlns - listen
bliicmgn - climbing
itkhng - knight
sreanw - answer
wang - gnaw
sosisrcs - scissors
bleurcm - crumble
kelirwn - wrinkle
steelwr - wrestle

Adding an -s to singular words that end in -f, -ff or -fe

When adding an -s to singular words that end in -f, -ff or -fe, the rules are:
For -f, change it for -ves
For -ff, just add an -s
For -fe, change this for -ves
I would like you to change the following singular words into their plurals (you'll be tested on these)

calf - calves
cliff - cliffs
life - lives
leaf - leaves
sniff - sniffs
wolf - wolves
safe - saves
staff - staffs
knife - knives
thief - thieves

scarf - scarves
bluff - bluffs
life - lives
leaf - leaves
sniff - sniffs
shelf - shelves
safe - saves
staff - staffs
knife - knives
thief - thieves

Comparative adjectives

Comparative adjectives describe something as more or less to something else. They compare something to something else. They often do this by using the suffixes -er and -est. However, not all do this. See if you can spot any rules for words ending in -e, or having a short vowel sound.
I would like you to complete the table below, using the correct comparative adjective. An example has been given to you. Your test will be using any of these words. Be careful with a couple of examples - they don't follow the normal rules…

tall
big
loud
hard
bad
good
less

taller
bigger
louder
harder
worse
better
lesser

tallest
biggest
loudest
hardest
worst
best
least

Year 4 High Frequency Words - Spring Term

almost
always
any
before
better
during
every
first
half

morning
much
never
number
often
only
second
sometimes

still
suddenly
today
until
upon
while
year
young

Mr. C.'s Year 4 Spellings - The Rules!

All of the spelling rules and words are here! You can go back to the main menu on the last page by clicking on the (including this one) or you can scroll up and down at your leisure. Click on the button to return to the top of this page. I've even put the answers in bold for you.

Date set:	Spelling rules for:

10/09/04	When you have to double the consonant in the middle of words
	You have to double the consonant after a short vowel sound in the middle of words.
	taping tapping biter bitter hoping hopping super supper funny apple		taping tapping writing written pole pollen super supper sorry swimming

17/09/04	Adverbs: adding -ly
	An adverb adds information to a verb, giving you more information about how something is done. Many adverbs end in -ly
	happily sadly loudly quietly meanly kindly quickly slowly friendly lonely		happily sorrowfully loudly silently meanly thoughtfully rapidly beautifully friendly successfully

24/09/04	Adjectives
	An adjective describes an object.
	quiet gloomy rich angry light grubby thick bony faint heavy		occasional topmost national volcanic musical foolish metallic athletic natural dangerous

15/10/04	Adding the suffixes -s, -ed and -ing to verbs ending in -e and -y
	When a verb ends in -e: To add -s: just add -s To add -ed: take off the extra -e To add -ing - take off the -e		When a verb ends in -y: If there is a consonant before the -y, change it to a -y before adding -es or -ed If there is a vowel before the -y, just add on -s or -ed
	save saves saved saving note noted noting explore explores exploring		play plays played carry carries carried rely relies relied married

22/10/04	Homophones
	Common homophones sound the same but are spelt differently and have different meanings.
	there new are two their to knew our they're too		there peace right rode their road piece write they're rowed

05/11/04	Adding suffixes -ate, -en and -ify
	You can turn nouns and adjectives in to verbs by adding suffixes, such as -ate, -en, -ise or -ify.
	pollen pollinate note notify length lengthen deep deepen pure purify		pollen pollinate note notify apology apologise length lengthen medicine medicate

12/11/04	Apostrophes of omission and possession
	An apostrophe can be used to show omission (two words turn into one, showing where some letters are missed out) or possession (showing something belongs to somebody or thing)
	Wouldn't Won't Can't Didn't That's For possession, the apostrophe goes after the noun, before the -s. E.g. That is dad's coat. Ben's jumper was missing. The boy's homework was neat. You'll be tested on a few of these.		Wouldn't Weren't They've You'll They're For possession, the apostrophe goes after the noun, before the -s. E.g. That is dad's coat. Ben's jumper was missing. The boy's homework was neat. You'll be tested on a few of these.

26/11/04	Irregular verbs in the past tense
	Many verbs in the past tense end with -ed. These are called regular verbs. However, there are many verbs that are irregular, and can be spelt very differently in the past tense. I would like you to find out the past tense for these following verbs. They are all irregular verbs. You will be tested on their past tense next week:
	blow - blew begin - began spend - spent sell - sold shake - shook find - found creep - crept eat - ate drive - drove is - was		wind - wound creep - crept ring - rang fight - fought can - could sell - sold teach - taught does - did buy - bought wear - wore

10/12/04	Year 4 High Frequency Words - Autumn Term
	ask asked began being brought can't change coming didn't does don't found goes	gone heard I'm jumped knew know leave might opened show started stopped think		thought told tries turn turned used walk walked walking watch write woke woken


14/01/05	Words ending in -tion and -ough
	Words ending in -tion are usually nouns. Words ending in -ough can sound very different from each other.
	action station rotation reaction potion tough bough though cough through		subtraction promotion ambition devotion reaction although borough enough bough through

28/01/05	Prefixes al-, ad- and af-
	The prefix al- means 'all'.The prefixes ad- and af- mean towards or tending towards.
	almost already always although also adjoin admire advance affect affection		already although almighty altogether always adverb adjust admire affluent affection

04/02/05	Silent letters
	There are many words that have silent letters in them. A good way to remember how to spell these words is to sound out the letter when you say the word. (It sounds silly, but it helps!) Unscramble the letters of the words below to find out your spellings for this week (this is part of your literacy homework too!)
	mlcbi - climb nwko - know olohsc - school eitlns - listen mhubt - thumb okkcn - knock ekwn - knew rgwon - wrong egmon - gnome ewirt - write		prawrep - wrapper eitlns - listen bliicmgn - climbing itkhng - knight sreanw - answer wang - gnaw sosisrcs - scissors bleurcm - crumble kelirwn - wrinkle steelwr - wrestle

24/02/05	Adding an -s to singular words that end in -f, -ff or -fe
	When adding an -s to singular words that end in -f, -ff or -fe, the rules are: For -f, change it for -ves For -ff, just add an -s For -fe, change this for -ves I would like you to change the following singular words into their plurals (you'll be tested on these)
	calf - calves cliff - cliffs life - lives leaf - leaves sniff - sniffs wolf - wolves safe - saves staff - staffs knife - knives thief - thieves		scarf - scarves bluff - bluffs life - lives leaf - leaves sniff - sniffs shelf - shelves safe - saves staff - staffs knife - knives thief - thieves

04/03/05	Comparative adjectives
	Comparative adjectives describe something as more or less to something else. They compare something to something else. They often do this by using the suffixes -er and -est. However, not all do this. See if you can spot any rules for words ending in -e, or having a short vowel sound. I would like you to complete the table below, using the correct comparative adjective. An example has been given to you. Your test will be using any of these words. Be careful with a couple of examples - they don't follow the normal rules…
	tall big loud hard bad good less	taller bigger louder harder worse better lesser		tallest biggest loudest hardest worst best least

11/03/05	Year 4 High Frequency Words - Spring Term
	almost always any before better during every first half	morning much never number often only second sometimes		still suddenly today until upon while year young