Year 4 Spelling
Year 4 Spelling Rules - List and Explanation
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Rules |
Words (Words in bold are statutory spellings) |
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Rule 1 Words with /aw/ spelt with augh and au |
caught naughty taught daughter autumn clause cause astronaut applaud author |
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Rule 2 Adding the prefix in- (meaning ‘not’ or ‘into’)
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inactive incorrect inaccurate insecure indefinite incomplete infinite inedible inability indecisive |
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Rule 3 Adding the prefix im- (before a root word staring with ‘m’ or ‘p’) |
immature immeasurable impossible immortal imperfect impatient immovable impolite important improper |
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Rule 4 Adding the prefix il- (before a root word staring with ‘l’) and the prefix ir- (before a root word staring with ‘r’) |
illegal illegible illogical illiterate illicit irregular irrelevant irresponsible irrational irresistible |
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Rule 5 Homophones & near homophones |
medal meddle missed mist scene seen board bored which witch |
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Rule 6 Words with /shun/ endings spelt with ‘sion’ (if root word ends in ‘se’, ‘de’ or ‘d’) |
division invasion confusion decision collision television revision erosion inclusion explosion |
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Rule 7 Words with a /shuhn/ sound, spelt with ‘sion’ (if root word ends in ‘se’, ‘de’ or ‘d’) |
expansion extension comprehension tension corrosion supervision fusion conclusion persuasion suspension |
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Rule 8 Words with a /shuhn/ sound, spelt with ‘ssion’ (if root word ends in ‘ss’ or ‘mit’) |
expression discussion confession permission admission transmission possession profession depression impression |
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Rule 9 Words with a / shuhn/ sound, spelt with ‘tion’ (if root word ends in ‘te’ or ‘t' / or has no definite root) |
invention injection action question mention attraction translation devotion position solution |
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Rule 10 Words with a /shuhn/ sound, spelt with ‘cian’ (if root word ends in ‘c’ or ‘cs’) |
musician politician electrician magician mathematician dietician statistician technician clinician beautician |
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Rule 11 Words with ‘ough’ to make a long /o/, /oo/ or /or/ sound |
though although dough through breakthrough thought bought brought fought ought |
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Rule 12 Homophones & Near Homophones |
accept except affect effect aloud allowed weather whether whose who’s |
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Rule 13 Homophones & Near Homophones |
cereal serial check cheque through threw draft draught stares stairs |
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Rule 14 Nouns ending in the suffix -ation |
information evaporation sensation preparation education location exaggeration concentration imagination organisation |
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Rule 15 Adding the prefix sub- (meaning ‘under’) |
submerge subheading submarine subordinate subway |
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Rule 16 Adding the prefix super- (meaning ‘above’) |
superman supervise supersede superpower superhuman |
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Rule 17 Plural Possessive Apostrophes with plural words |
girls’ boys’ babies’ parents’ teachers’ women’s men’s children’s people’s mice’s |
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Rule 18 Words with the /s/ sound spelt with ‘sc’ |
science crescent discipline fascinate scent scissors ascent descent scientist scenery |
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Rule 19 Words with a ‘soft c’ spelt with ‘ce’ |
centre century certain recent experience sentence notice celebrate ceremony certificate |
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Rule 20 Words with a ‘soft c’ spelt with ‘ci’ |
circle decide medicine exercise special cinema decimal accident city citizen |
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Rule 21 Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in form and meaning |
phone phonics microphone telephone homophone real reality realistic unreal realisation |
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Rule 22 Word families based on common words, showing how words are related in form and meaning |
solve solution insoluble dissolve solvent sign signature assign design signal |
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Rule 23 Adding the prefix inter- (meaning ‘between’ or ‘among’) |
interact interfere intercity international intermediate internet intergalactic interrupt intervene interlude |
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Rule 24 Adding the prefix anti- (meaning ‘against’) |
antiseptic anticlockwise antisocial antidote antibiotic antivenom anti-ageing antifreeze antiperspirant antigravity |
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Rule 25 Adding the prefix auto- (meaning ‘self’ or ‘own’) |
autograph autobiography automatic autofocus autocorrect autopilot autopsy automobile autonomy autocue |
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Rule 26 Adding the prefix ex- (meaning ‘out’ ) |
exit extend explode excursion exchange export exclaim expel external exterior |
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Rule 27 Adding the prefix non- (meaning ‘not’ ) |
non-stick non-stop non-starter non-smoker nonsense non-fiction non-drip non-violent non-profit non-believer |
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Rule 28 Words ending in -ar/ -er |
calendar grammar regular particular peculiar popular consider remember quarter integer |
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Rule 29 Adding the suffix -ous (No change to root word) |
dangerous poisonous mountainous joyous synonymous hazardous riotous perilous momentous scandalous |
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Rule 30 Adding the suffix -ous (No definitive root word) |
tremendous enormous jealous serious hideous fabulous curious anxious obvious gorgeous |
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Rule 31 Adding the suffix -ous (Words ending in ‘y’ become ‘i’ and words ending in ‘our’ become ‘or’) |
various furious glorious victorious mysterious humorous glamorous vigorous odorous rigorous |
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Rule 32 Adding the suffix -ous (Words ending in ‘e’ drop the ‘e’ but not ‘ge’) |
famous nervous ridiculous carnivorous herbivorous porous adventurous courageous outrageous advantageous |
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Rule 33 Adverbials of frequency and possibility |
regularly occasionally frequently usually rarely perhaps maybe certainly possibly probably |
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Rule 34 Adverbials of manner |
awkwardly frantically curiously obediently carefully rapidly unexpectedly deliberately hurriedly reluctantly |