Free English / Spelling / Years 5 and 6

Years 5 and 6 spelling words: the 100 statutory words

Every word on the national curriculum years 5 and 6 list (ages 9 to 11), 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 5 and 6.
Spellings to practise: 104. 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

A large open book beside a spiral notepad.

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.

accommodate

The new hotel can accommodate two hundred guests.

Tip: Double c, double m: ac-com-mo-date.
accompany

Priya will accompany her little brother to the school gate.

Tip: Double c, one m, then pany.
according

According to the map, the cave is a mile away.

Tip: accord + ing: the d stays.
achieve

With practice, you can achieve almost anything.

Tip: i before e: ach-ie-ve.
aggressive

The goose was aggressive and hissed at us.

Tip: Double g, double s.
amateur

The amateur chef made a lovely lemon cake.

Tip: Ends in eur, a French ending.
ancient

The ancient temple stood on a hill.

Tip: The cie says sh: an-cient.
apparent

It was apparent that the team had trained hard.

Tip: Double p, one r.
appreciate

I really appreciate your help with the heavy boxes.

Tip: Double p: ap-pre-ci-ate.
attached

The label was firmly attached to the parcel.

Tip: Double t, then ached.
available

Are there any seats available on the afternoon coach?

Tip: Ends in able.
average

The average temperature in July was twenty degrees.

Tip: av-er-age: ends in age, like cage.
awkward

The parcel was an awkward shape to carry.

Tip: There is a w in the middle: awk-ward.
bargain

The coat was a real bargain at half price.

Tip: bar-gain: gain at the end.
bruise

Leo had a purple bruise on his knee.

Tip: ui says oo: br-ui-se.
category

Sort the animals by category: mammal, bird or fish.

Tip: cat-e-gor-y: say each part.
cemetery

The old cemetery was quiet and full of ivy.

Tip: Three e's: c-e-m-e-t-e-r-y.
committee

The committee met on Monday to plan the fair.

Tip: Double m, double t, double e.
communicate

Bees communicate by dancing.

Tip: Double m, one n: com-mu-ni-cate.
community

Our community holds a street party every summer.

Tip: Double m: com-mu-ni-ty.
competition

Ava won first prize in the art competition.

Tip: compete + ition.
conscience

His conscience told him to return the lost purse.

Tip: It is science with con in front: con + science.
conscious

The patient was conscious and talking again.

Tip: It ends in scious. It is related to science too.
controversy

The new road caused much controversy in the town.

Tip: Say it in four parts: con-tro-ver-sy.
convenience

The shop's late opening is a great convenience.

Tip: con-ven-ience: ends in ience.
correspond

Penfriends correspond by letter every month.

Tip: Double r, one s.
criticiselist entry: criticise (critic + ise)

It is unkind to criticise someone's drawing without helping.

Tip: critic + ise.
curiosity

Curiosity led the kitten into the box.

Tip: Related to curious.
definite

We need a definite answer by Friday.

Tip: There is finite in definite.
desperate

The desperate fox searched for food.

Tip: Say the e in the middle: desp-e-rate.
determined

Zara was determined to finish the race.

Tip: determine + d.
develop

Seeds need water and light to develop into plants.

Tip: No e at the end.
dictionary

Look up the word in the dictionary.

Tip: dic-tion-ary: ends in ary.
disastrous

The picnic ended in a disastrous downpour.

Tip: There is no e: disaster + ous.
embarrass

Please do not embarrass your sister in front of her friends.

Tip: Two r's and two s's.
environment

We must look after the environment around our school.

Tip: Remember the n in the middle: environ-ment.
equiplist entry: equip (-ped, -ment)

Mr Okafor will equip every group with a magnifying glass.

Tip: Double the p before ped, but not before ment.
equipped

The boat was equipped with life jackets.

Tip: Double the p before ped, but not before ment.
equipment

Please carry the equipment back to the shed.

Tip: Double the p before ped, but not before ment.
especially

I like all sports, especially swimming.

Tip: It starts with es, not ex.
exaggerate

Do not exaggerate; the fish was not as big as a bus.

Tip: Double g: ex-ag-ger-ate.
excellent

Kofi gave an excellent talk on the rainforest.

Tip: Double l: ex-cel-lent.
existence

Nobody knew of the village's existence until the map was found.

Tip: Ends in ence.
explanation

Give a clear explanation of how you solved the problem.

Tip: Explain loses the i: explanation.
familiar

The tune sounded familiar to everyone in the room.

Tip: Related to family: famil-iar.
foreign

Min hopes to visit a foreign country one day.

Tip: The g is silent: for-eign.
forty

Forty children took part in the sponsored walk.

Tip: Four has a u. Forty does not.
frequently

Our bus is frequently late on rainy days.

Tip: frequent + ly: qu then ent.
government

The government is the group that runs the country.

Tip: govern + ment: do not forget the n.
guarantee

The shop gives a guarantee that the radio will work for a year.

Tip: gu-ar-an-tee: the u is silent.
harass

It is wrong to harass anyone, online or in person.

Tip: One r, double s.
hindrance

The thick fog was a hindrance to the rescue team.

Tip: hinder loses its e: hindrance.
identity

The detective tried to discover the thief's identity.

Tip: Related to identical.
immediatelist entry: immediate(ly)

The doctor ordered immediate rest.

Tip: Double m, then ediate.
immediately

Come here immediately, please.

Tip: Double m, then ediate.
individual

Each individual child will receive a certificate.

Tip: in-di-vid-u-al.
interfere

Please do not interfere with the experiment.

Tip: inter + fere.
interrupt

It is rude to interrupt when someone is speaking.

Tip: Double r: inter + rupt.
language

Min speaks a different language at home.

Tip: The u comes before the a: lang-u-age.
leisure

The park is popular for leisure activities.

Tip: ei says ee here, which is a surprise.
lightning

Lightning flashed across the dark sky.

Tip: Light + ning: no e in the middle.
marvellous

The firework display was marvellous.

Tip: Double l in British English.
mischievous

The mischievous monkey stole a hat.

Tip: Three syllables: mis-chiev-ous, not mischievious.
muscle

A strong muscle in your arm lets you lift a bag.

Tip: The c is silent: mus-cle.
necessary

A coat is necessary on such a cold day.

Tip: One collar, two sleeves: one c, two s's.
neighbour

Our neighbour waters the plants when we are away.

Tip: eigh says ay, and our is the British ending.
nuisance

The buzzing fly was a nuisance during the exam.

Tip: nu-i-sance.
occupy

Games will occupy the children while we cook.

Tip: Double c, one p.
occur

Rainbows occur when sunlight meets rain.

Tip: Double c, one r. Occurred has a double r.
opportunity

The trip is a great opportunity to learn.

Tip: Double p: op-por-tu-ni-ty.
parliament

Parliament meets in a grand building in London.

Tip: There is a lia in the middle: par-lia-ment.
persuade

Can we persuade Dad to let us stay up late?

Tip: per + suade: there is a u after the s.
physical

Swimming is a good physical activity.

Tip: ph says f.
prejudice

We learned that prejudice means judging someone before you know them.

Tip: pre + judice: it contains the word judge.
privilege

It is a privilege to look after the class rabbit.

Tip: Say priv-i-lege with an i in the middle.
profession

Her mother's profession is nursing.

Tip: One f, double s.
programme

We watched a programme about polar bears.

Tip: British spelling ends in mme.
pronunciation

Practise the pronunciation of each new word.

Tip: Pronounce loses the o: pronunciation.
queue

The queue for the ice cream van stretched around the corner.

Tip: q-ueue: five letters, only one sound.
recognise

Do you recognise the girl in the old photograph?

Tip: recog + nise: the g is there.
recommend

Can you recommend a good book about dragons?

Tip: One c, double m.
relevant

Only write down facts that are relevant to the question.

Tip: It ends in vant, not vent.
restaurant

We ate lunch in a small restaurant by the harbour.

Tip: It has au in the middle: rest-au-rant.
rhyme

Can you think of a word that will rhyme with cake?

Tip: rh then yme.
rhythm

Tap out the rhythm of the song on your desk.

Tip: rhy-thm: no vowels except y.
sacrifice

The team made a sacrifice to win the cup.

Tip: One c, then ri-fice.
secretary

The school secretary answered the telephone.

Tip: Ends in ary: secret + ary.
shoulder

She carried the heavy bag on one shoulder.

Tip: ou says oh: sh-ou-lder.
signature

Sign your name; your signature is on the form.

Tip: sign + ature: the g stays.
sincerelist entry: sincere(ly)

Her thanks were sincere.

Tip: Keep the e when you add ly.
sincerely

He sincerely hoped the rain would stop.

Tip: Keep the e when you add ly.
soldier

The toy soldier stood guard on the shelf.

Tip: sol-dier: the di says j.
stomach

My stomach rumbled during the quiet maths test.

Tip: ch says k: stom-ach.
sufficient

We have sufficient paint to finish the mural.

Tip: Double f, then cient.
suggest

I suggest we start with the hardest question.

Tip: Double g, then est.
symbol

A dove is often a symbol of peace.

Tip: y spells the i sound: sym-bol.
system

The school has a new system for borrowing books.

Tip: y spells the i sound: sys-tem.
temperature

Check the temperature of the water before you step in.

Tip: Say it in four parts: tem-per-a-ture.
thorough

The cleaners did a thorough job of the hall.

Tip: ough says uh here.
twelfth

Kofi was twelfth in the queue.

Tip: It comes from twelve, so there is an f before the th.
variety

The stall sold a variety of apples.

Tip: va-ri-e-ty: four syllables.
vegetable

Carrot is my favourite vegetable.

Tip: Say veg-e-ta-ble, with the ge in the middle.
vehicle

A vehicle with a flat tyre cannot go far.

Tip: The h is silent: ve-hi-cle.
yacht

A white yacht sailed into the bay.

Tip: ach says ot: y-ach-t.

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 5 and 6?

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 5 and 6 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
accommodate	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
accompany	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
according	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
achieve	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
aggressive	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
amateur	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
ancient	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
apparent	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
appreciate	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
attached	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
available	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
average	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
awkward	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
bargain	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
bruise	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
category	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
cemetery	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
committee	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
communicate	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
community	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
competition	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
conscience	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
conscious	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
controversy	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
convenience	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
correspond	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
criticise	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
curiosity	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
definite	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
desperate	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
determined	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
develop	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
dictionary	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
disastrous	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
embarrass	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
environment	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
equip	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
equipped	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
equipment	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
especially	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
exaggerate	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
excellent	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
existence	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
explanation	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
familiar	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
foreign	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
forty	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
frequently	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
government	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
guarantee	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
harass	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
hindrance	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
identity	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
immediate	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
immediately	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
individual	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
interfere	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
interrupt	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
language	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
leisure	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
lightning	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
marvellous	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
mischievous	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
muscle	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
necessary	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
neighbour	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
nuisance	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
occupy	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
occur	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
opportunity	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
parliament	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
persuade	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
physical	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
prejudice	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
privilege	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
profession	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
programme	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
pronunciation	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
queue	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
recognise	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
recommend	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
relevant	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
restaurant	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
rhyme	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
rhythm	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
sacrifice	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
secretary	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
shoulder	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
signature	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
sincere	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
sincerely	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
soldier	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
stomach	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
sufficient	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
suggest	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
symbol	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
system	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
temperature	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
thorough	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
twelfth	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
variety	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
vegetable	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
vehicle	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐
yacht	☐	☐	☐	☐	☐

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.