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Spelling for Years 3 to 6: the statutory words, the rules and free practice

Every word on the national curriculum lists for Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6, with audio, a memory tip for each one, and the spelling rules explained year by year. Free, with no login.

For teachers, parents and childrenChecked 7 November 2026Source: DfE national curriculum, English Appendix 1

Quick answer

What
The 100 + 100 statutory words, the rules from Year 2 to Year 6, and tools to practise.
Practise
Hear the word, look-say-cover-write-check, dictation tests and spaced practice.
Printable
Tick-sheets for both lists.
Cost
Free. Nothing is stored except your own progress on your own device.
An open book and a big pencil in a sunny classroom.

Where to start

Years 3 and 4 words100 statutory words with audioYears 5 and 6 words100 statutory words with audioSpelling rules by yearYears 2 to 6, with quizzesSpaced practiceFive boxes, five minutes a dayVocabulary builder100 useful words, one a dayGrammarTerms, topics and practice papers

How to learn a word: look, say, cover, write, check

  1. Look at the word closely. Find the tricky part.
  2. Say the word aloud, then say it again in syllables.
  3. Cover the word.
  4. Write it from memory.
  5. Check letter by letter. If it is wrong, find the difference and try again.

Our learn tool walks through those five steps for any word on the lists. The memory tips pick out the unusual part, link words to their relatives (medicine and medical, sign and signature), and use the national curriculum's own advice to understand how words are built.

Little and often

Five minutes most days works better than one long session. The spaced practice page brings words back at growing gaps, which is the way memory is strengthened. Children who miss a word see it again tomorrow; children who know it see it again in a week or two.

Questions

Which words are statutory?

The Years 3 and 4 list and the Years 5 and 6 list in English Appendix 1 of the national curriculum are statutory: schools in England must teach them. The Year 1 and Year 2 word lists in the appendix are example words, apart from the common exception words.

Is this the same as the spelling test?

These pages are practice material, not the test. The key stage 2 test is separate. Our practice papers include a spelling part in a similar style, with original words and sentences.

Can I use this outside England?

Yes. The lists suit any learner of British English spelling. Teachers abroad may prefer to start with the rules pages.

Spelling lists and grammar terminology: Department for Education, National curriculum in England: English programmes of study, Appendices 1 and 2 (Crown copyright 2013), reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example sentences, tips, explanations and questions are by Litlings.