Year 6 spelling rules: -fer words, hyphens, ough, silent letters and confusing words
Year 6 finishes the primary spelling rules with the spellings that trip up adults too: the many faces of ough, silent letters and the word pairs that sound alike. Every card ends with something you can do when the rule is not enough.
Words ending in -fer: to double or not
When you add a vowel suffix to a word ending in -fer, double the r only if the stress is still on the -fer part after the suffix is added.
- stress stays: double
- refer → referring → referred prefer → preferring → preferred transfer → transferring → transferred defer → deferred
- stress moves: no doubling
- reference referee preference transference
Watch out: Say prefer then preference. In preference the loud beat moves to PREF, so no extra r.
Using a hyphen after a prefix
A hyphen can join a prefix to a root word, especially when the prefix ends in a vowel letter and the root begins with one. It stops two vowels bumping together in a confusing way.
- with hyphens
- co-ordinate re-enter co-operate co-own pre-arranged re-examine
Watch out: Dictionaries sometimes differ: cooperate and co-operate are both seen. Follow your school style and be consistent.
i before e, except after c
This rule works for words where the spelling says an ee sound: ie usually, but ei after c. It does not apply to words that do not say ee.
- ei after c
- deceive receive conceive perceive ceiling receipt
- ie in other words
- believe achieve field relief niece
- exceptions
- protein caffeine seize
Watch out: Neighbour and weigh do not say ee, so they are not covered by the rule.
The letter string ough
ough is one of the trickiest spellings in English because it can say a lot of different sounds. Learn them in groups of words that share the same sound.
- says or
- ought bought thought nought brought fought
- says uff
- rough tough enough
- says off
- cough trough
- says oh
- though although dough
- says oo
- through
- says uh
- thorough borough
- says ow
- plough bough
Watch out: Make a silly sentence for each group, such as: He thought he bought a rough, tough, cough drop.
Words with silent letters
Some letters are no longer sounded, but they were sounded hundreds of years ago. You cannot predict them from the sound, so learn them with a memory trick.
- silent letters
- doubt island lamb solemn thistle knight autumn column castle whistle listen honest
Watch out: Use a hook: the lamb is lame without its b; the solemn column; the silent n in autumn.
Words that are often confused: nouns and verbs
In these pairs the noun ends -ce and the verb ends -se. A clue: advise (verb) is said with a z sound, which c cannot make.
- noun ce, verb se
- advice / advise device / devise licence / license practice / practise prophecy / prophesy
Watch out: Test with a pair: Please give me advice. Please advise me.
More pairs that are often mixed up
These pairs sound alike or nearly alike. Learn the meaning of each and attach a picture or clue to it.
- pairs
- aisle / isle aloud / allowed affect / effect altar / alter ascent / assent bridal / bridle cereal / serial compliment / complement descent / dissent desert / dessert draft / draught farther / father guessed / guest heard / herd led / lead morning / mourning past / passed precede / proceed principal / principle profit / prophet stationary / stationery steal / steel
Watch out: Clues: dessert has two s because you want two helpings; stationery has an e like envelope; the principal is your pal.
Year 6 spelling quiz
12 quick questions on the rules above. Choose an answer for each, then check.
Keep going
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.