Free English / Spelling / Years 3 and 4

Years 3 and 4 spelling words: the 100 statutory words

Every word on the national curriculum years 3 and 4 list (ages 7 to 9), with a recording of the word and a sentence, a memory tip, and three ways to practise.

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

Quick answer

What: The 100 words that schools in England must teach in Years 3 and 4.
Spellings to practise: 109. Some list entries cover two words (busy/business) or a word and an ending (accident(ally)), so each form gets its own sentence.
Practise: Hear it, look-say-cover-write-check, a dictation test, or spaced practice.
Printable: Download the list as a PDF

Two big crayons and a red pencil case full of coloured pencils.

The 100 words

Tap the speaker to hear the word, or the sentence. Tap I know it to keep a tally on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere.

accidentlist entry: accident(ally)

The cyclist stopped at once after the small accident on the corner.

Tip: Two c's: ac-ci-dent. Add ally to get accidentally.
accidentally

Zara accidentally left her lunchbox on the bus.

Tip: Two c's: ac-ci-dent. Add ally to get accidentally.
actuallist entry: actual(ly)

The actual size of the whale was far bigger than the model.

Tip: actual + ly = actually.
actually

Leo actually enjoyed the spinach soup.

Tip: actual + ly = actually.
address

Please write your address clearly at the top of the page.

Tip: Double d and double s: add-ress.
answer

Min knew the answer before the teacher finished asking.

Tip: The w is silent: ans-wer.
appear

Stars begin to appear as the sky grows dark.

Tip: Double p, then ear. Disappear is dis + appear.
arrive

The train should arrive at the station at ten past four.

Tip: Double r in the middle: a-r-r-i-v-e.
believe

I believe that the lost kitten is hiding under the porch.

Tip: i before e: there is a lie in be-lie-ve.
bicycle

Thiri rides her bicycle along the canal path.

Tip: bi (two) + cycle. The c in cy says s.
breath

Take a deep breath before you dive in.

Tip: Breath (noun) has no e at the end. Breathe (verb) does.
breathe

It is hard to breathe properly when you are laughing.

Tip: The verb breathe ends in e and rhymes with seethe.
build

Let us build a den from branches and an old sheet.

Tip: The u is silent: b-u-i-l-d.
busylist entry: busy/business

The market is busy on Saturday mornings.

Tip: business = busy, change the y to i, add ness.
business

Leo's uncle runs a small business selling plants.

Tip: business = busy, change the y to i, add ness.
calendar

Cross off each day on the calendar before the trip.

Tip: It ends in ar, not er.
caught

Ava caught the ball with both hands.

Tip: augh says or: c-augh-t.
centre

Place the vase in the centre of the table.

Tip: British spelling ends in re.
century

A century is a hundred years.

Tip: From cent, meaning hundred. The first c says s.
certain

I am certain that I locked the bike shed.

Tip: The c says s: cer-tain.
circle

Sit in a circle on the carpet.

Tip: Two c's: one says s, one says k.
complete

Complete the jigsaw before tea time.

Tip: Ends in e: com-plete.
consider

Consider the facts carefully before you decide.

Tip: con + sider: an s, then a d.
continue

Please continue reading from the top of the page.

Tip: Ends in ue: contin-ue.
decide

We cannot decide between the red kite and the blue one.

Tip: The c says s: de-cide.
describe

Describe your journey to school in three sentences.

Tip: de + scribe: s-c-r-i-b-e.
different

Every snowflake looks different under the magnifying glass.

Tip: Say all three parts: diff-er-ent.
difficult

The last puzzle was difficult, but we solved it.

Tip: Double f, then i-c-u-l-t.
disappear

The ice cubes will disappear in the hot sun.

Tip: dis + appear: one s, double p.
early

We set off early so that we would not miss the ferry.

Tip: ear-ly: the ear spells the er sound.
earth

Worms push through the soft earth after the rain.

Tip: It contains the word ear, then th.
eightlist entry: eight/eighth

There are eight crayons in the new tin.

Tip: eigh says ay. Eighth is eight plus h, so there is only one t.
eighth

Priya finished in eighth place in the sack race.

Tip: eigh says ay. Eighth is eight plus h, so there is only one t.
enough

Have we got enough chairs for everyone in the hall?

Tip: ough says uff here, like rough.
exercise

Running around the field is good exercise for the whole class.

Tip: The c says s: ex-er-cise.
experience

Climbing the hill was a new experience for the twins.

Tip: The ending is ence, spelt with an e.
experiment

Our experiment showed that warm water dissolves sugar faster.

Tip: It starts like experience: ex-peri-ment.
extreme

The desert can be extreme, with hot days and freezing nights.

Tip: Ends in e: ex-treme.
famous

The bridge is famous for its tall blue towers.

Tip: fame + ous: the e is dropped.
favourite

Mango ice cream is Kofi's favourite pudding.

Tip: British spelling has our: favour-ite.
February

February is the shortest month of the year.

Tip: Say the first r: Feb-ru-ary.
forwardlist entry: forward(s)

Take one step forward and stop.

Tip: for + ward.
forwards

The crowd pushed forwards to see the parade.

Tip: for + ward.
fruit

A bowl of fresh fruit stood on the table.

Tip: ui says oo: fr-ui-t.
grammar

Our grammar lesson was about different kinds of verbs.

Tip: It ends in ar, not er.
group

Each group chose a name and a team badge.

Tip: ou says oo in this word.
guard

A guard stood by the gate of the old castle.

Tip: The u is silent after g: g-u-ard.
guide

The guide led us through the dark tunnel with a lantern.

Tip: The u is silent after g: g-u-ide.
heard

I heard the kettle whistle in the kitchen.

Tip: It has ear in it. Do not mix it up with herd, a group of cows.
heart

Your heart beats faster when you run.

Tip: There is an ear and an art in heart.
height

We marked everyone's height on the classroom wall.

Tip: eigh then t. It does not end in th.
history

Our history topic this term is the Stone Age.

Tip: Say the middle: his-to-ry.
imagine

Imagine a house made entirely of glass.

Tip: The g says j before i.
important

It is important to wash your hands before eating.

Tip: im-port-ant: ends in ant.
increase

Prices may increase before the summer.

Tip: The c says s: in-crease.
interest

Zara has a keen interest in space and rockets.

Tip: Say the er in the middle: in-ter-est.
island

A small island lay in the middle of the lake.

Tip: The s is silent: is-land.
knowledge

Reading the museum guide added to her knowledge of Roman roads.

Tip: Silent k at the start, and the dge ending.
learn

Children learn quickly when they can try things for themselves.

Tip: ear says er: l-ear-n.
length

We measured the length of the playground with a long tape.

Tip: It has a g before the th: len-g-th.
library

Our class visits the library every Thursday afternoon.

Tip: Say both r's: li-brar-y.
material

The tent is made from a strong, waterproof material.

Tip: Ends in al.
medicine

The nurse gave Ava a spoonful of medicine for her cough.

Tip: Related to medical, so the s sound is spelt c.
mention

Please do not mention the surprise to Grandma Ruth.

Tip: Ends in tion.
minute

Wait a minute while I find my other shoe.

Tip: min-ute ends in ute.
natural

The cave was a natural shelter from the wind.

Tip: Ends in al: nat-ur-al.
naughty

The naughty puppy chewed the corner of the rug.

Tip: augh says or: n-augh-ty.
notice

Did you notice the owl on the fence post?

Tip: The c says s: no-tice.
occasionlist entry: occasion(ally)

A birthday is a special occasion for most families.

Tip: Double c, one s: oc-ca-sion.
occasionally

We occasionally see a fox in the garden.

Tip: Double c, one s: oc-ca-sion.
often

How often does the bus come past our road?

Tip: Some people say the t, but you must write it.
opposite

Hot is the opposite of cold.

Tip: Related to oppose: double p.
ordinary

It looked like an ordinary Tuesday until the fire bell rang.

Tip: Say the middle: ord-in-ary.
particular

Is there a particular book you would like to borrow?

Tip: par-tic-u-lar: ends in ar.
peculiar

A peculiar smell drifted from the cupboard.

Tip: pe-cul-iar: ends in iar.
perhaps

Perhaps we could paint the fence green.

Tip: per + haps: the h is in the middle.
popular

Football is a popular game at our school.

Tip: Ends in ar.
position

Hold the pencil in the correct position.

Tip: One s, then ition: pos-i-tion.
possesslist entry: possess(ion)

Few families possess a telescope as big as that one.

Tip: Double s twice: pos-sess.
possession

Her most treasured possession is a silver whistle.

Tip: Double s twice: pos-sess.
possible

Is it possible to cross the river on foot?

Tip: Ends in ible.
potatoes

We dug up potatoes in the school garden.

Tip: Potato plus es.
pressure

Too much pressure on the pencil can snap the lead.

Tip: Double s, then ure.
probably

It will probably rain later, so take a coat.

Tip: Say the middle: prob-ab-ly.
promise

Make a promise that you will always tell the truth.

Tip: Ends in ise.
purpose

What is the purpose of the tall fence around the pond?

Tip: pur-pose: ends in ose.
quarter

Kofi ate a quarter of the pizza and shared the rest.

Tip: qu then ar, then ter.
question

Raise your hand if you have a question about the story.

Tip: The ending is stion, not tion.
recent

The recent storm blew several tiles off the shed roof.

Tip: The c says s: re-cent.
regular

Sam has a regular seat near the window on the bus.

Tip: Ends in ar.
reign

Queen Victoria's reign lasted for more than sixty years.

Tip: The g is silent. Do not mix it up with rain.
remember

Can you remember where we buried the treasure box?

Tip: re + member: re-mem-ber.
sentence

Start every sentence with a capital letter.

Tip: sen-tence: the c says s.
separate

We sorted the beads into separate piles by colour.

Tip: There is a rat in sepaRATe.
special

Mr Okafor made a special badge for the winner.

Tip: The cial ending says shul.
straight

Draw a straight line with a ruler.

Tip: str-aigh-t.
strange

A strange noise came from the attic last night.

Tip: The g says j before e.
strength

The weightlifter showed great strength and patience.

Tip: It has more letters than you hear: str-en-g-th.
suppose

I suppose we could walk if the bus is late.

Tip: Double p.
surprise

We planned a surprise party for Mr Okafor.

Tip: The first r matters: sur-prise.
therefore

It was raining; therefore, we stayed indoors for lunch.

Tip: there + fore.
thoughlist entry: though/although

The soup was good, though a little too salty.

Tip: ough says oh here. Although is al + though.
although

Although it was cold, we ate our picnic outside.

Tip: ough says oh here. Although is al + though.
thought

Priya thought for a moment before she spoke.

Tip: ough says or.
through

The train rushed through the long tunnel.

Tip: ough says oo here.
various

The shop sells various kinds of bread.

Tip: Ends in ous.
weight

Check the weight of the parcel before you post it.

Tip: eigh says ay: w-eigh-t.
womanlist entry: woman/women

The woman at the stall sold us warm bread.

Tip: wo-man, wo-men: man and men change, so the last vowel changes.
women

Three women waited at the bus stop.

Tip: wo-man, wo-men: man and men change, so the last vowel changes.

Learn a word: look, say, cover, write, check

This five-step routine is the classic way to learn a spelling. Work through the words one at a time. The tool remembers what you get right and sends the tricky words back sooner.

Jump to a word:

Test yourself: dictation

You will hear the word, the sentence, then the word again, just as in a classroom spelling test. Type what you hear. Words you miss go into box 1 of your spaced practice. Open spaced practice.

How many words?

Print the list

A tick-sheet with five boxes for each word and a date column. Press print, or download the PDF.

Download PDF

Questions

Do children need to learn all 100 words in Years 3 and 4?

The national curriculum sets this list as statutory and says the words can be taught over the four years of key stage 2 alongside other words teachers choose. Many schools spread them across the year.

Why is there a sentence for every word?

Hearing a word in a sentence shows which word is meant, which matters for words that sound alike. It is how dictation works in class.

Is the recording a real teacher?

No. The words and sentences are read by a computer-generated British English voice. If a recording is missing, your browser reads the text aloud instead.

Years 3 and 4 statutory spelling words

Name: ____________________ Class: ________ Tick each box when you can spell the word without looking. Litlings Free English, english.litlings.com

Word	Look	Say	Cover	Write	Check
accident	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
accidentally	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
actual	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
actually	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
address	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
answer	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
appear	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
arrive	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
believe	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
bicycle	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
breath	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
breathe	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
build	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
busy	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
business	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
calendar	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
caught	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
centre	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
century	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
certain	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
circle	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
complete	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
consider	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
continue	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
decide	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
describe	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
different	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
difficult	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
disappear	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
early	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
earth	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
eight	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
eighth	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
enough	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
exercise	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
experience	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
experiment	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
extreme	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
famous	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
favourite	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
February	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
forward	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
forwards	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
fruit	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
grammar	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
group	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
guard	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
guide	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
heard	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
heart	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
height	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
history	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
imagine	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
important	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
increase	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
interest	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
island	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
knowledge	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
learn	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
length	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
library	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
material	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
medicine	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
mention	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
minute	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
natural	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
naughty	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
notice	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
occasion	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
occasionally	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
often	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
opposite	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
ordinary	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
particular	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
peculiar	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
perhaps	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
popular	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
position	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
possess	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
possession	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
possible	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
potatoes	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
pressure	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
probably	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
promise	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
purpose	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
quarter	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
question	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
recent	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
regular	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
reign	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
remember	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
sentence	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
separate	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
special	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
straight	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
strange	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
strength	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
suppose	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
surprise	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
therefore	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
though	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
although	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
thought	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
through	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
various	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
weight	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
woman	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
women	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐

Word list: Department for Education, National curriculum in England, English Appendix 1: Spelling. Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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.