Key Words Booklet
How can I
improve my
spelling?
A Toolkit for Learning New Vocabulary
Name:
Form:
Introduction
This booklet is intended to help you become more
confident at spelling. It contains key words from all
different subject areas which can be difficult to spell
correctly. On each page you will also find tips on how to
learn spellings and remember them.
Remember, you are not alone in finding words difficult to
spell. Accurate spelling takes time, effort and practise and
just by opening this booklet you are making a positive
step towards improving your spelling and the quality of
your writing.
Common homophones and
confusions
Homophones are words which sound the same but
are spelt differently. The word ‘homophone’ is derived
from the Greek words ‘homo’ meaning same and ‘phone’
meaning sound, so homophone literally means ‘same
sound’. Here are some of the most frequently used
homophones.
advise/advice
affect/effect
quiet/quite
allowed/aloud
bought/brought
site/sight
choose/chose
your/you’re
threw/through
our/are
by/buy/bye
grate/great
here/hear
one/won
of/off
right/write
their/there/they’re
sell/cell
to/too/two
it’s/its
Can you think of any more?
ART
Key words:
charcoal
collage
collection
colour
display
easel
exhibition
gallery
highlight
landscape
sketch
portrait
palette
perspective
TOP SPELLING TIP
LEARN SILENT LETTERS:
Sketch
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
BELIEFS & ETHICS
Key words:
Buddhist/Buddhism
Christian
ceremony
Hindu/Hinduism
faith
celebrate/
celebration
Islam
Judaism/Jewish
pray/prayer
Muslim
religious/religion
prejudice
Sikh/Sikhism
worship
TOP SPELLING TIP
SYLLABIFICATION
Break the word down into
syllables:
cel/e/bra/tion
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
COMPUTING
Key words:
computer
data/database
delete
document
software
graphic
hardware
connect/connection
hardware
internet
virus
icon
keyboard
memory
password
multimedia
TOP SPELLING TIP
IDENTIFY THE TRICKY
PART OF THE WORD
- graphic = ‘ ph ’ not ‘ f ’
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Key words:
syntax
logic
program
algorithm
pseudo code
variable
function
boolean
byte
digital
encryption
component
processor
TOP SPELLING TIP
Rainbow write it
Write out the word, then trace
over the word several times
in different colours to learn
the order of the letters.
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
DESIGN TECHNOLOGY
Key words:
evaluation
fabric
design
fibre
flowchart
hygiene
ingredient
machine
natural
manufacture
portfolio
presentation
production
textile
recipe
TOP SPELLING TIP
MNEMONICS!
Make up a saying to help
you remember the word
RECIPE
Really Excellent Cakes I
Particularly Enjoy
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
DRAMA
Key words:
applause
character
costume
director
improvise
lighting
movement
performance
playwright
rehearse
role
script
stage
scene
theatre
presentation
TOP SPELLING TIP
LOOK FOR WORDS
WITHIN WORDS:
Re-hear-se - ‘you should
‘hear’ them rehearse...’
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
ENGLISH
Key words:
character
dialogue
genre
image/imagery
metaphor
fiction
paragraph
similar
poem/poetry
scene
simile
audience
describe/description
TOP SPELLING TIP
USE A DICTIONARY:
If you are unsure of how
to spell a word, get into
the habit of checking it
in a dictionary.
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
GEOGRAPHY
Key words:
atlas
climate
country
desert
employment
international
location
national/
international
pollution
poverty
rural
region/regional
weather
urban
transport
tourist/tourism
TOP SPELLING TIP
VISUALISATION
Imagine the word as a picture:
cli-mate
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
HISTORY
Key words:
chronology/
chronological
civilisation
conflict
government
independence
invasion
conclusion
bias/biased
motive
invasion
source
parliament
politics/political
interpretation
document
primary/secondary evidence
TOP SPELLING TIP
WORD ROOTS
Learn to recognise WORD ROOTS
e.g civilisation from the Latin word
civilis meaning citizen (an individual
in society).
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
LIBRARY
Key words:
alphabet/
alphabetical
article
catalogue
author
dictionary
encyclopaedia
genre
glossary
index
librarian
magazine
non-fiction
novel
section
thesaurus
dystopian
reference
TOP SPELLING TIP
Read regularly!
One of the greatest tools to learning
spelling, grammar and punctuation
is reading. By reading a variety
of different books you are unknowingly
reinforcing the spelling of many words
over and over again as you read.
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
MATHEMATICS
Key words:
addition
angle
amount
calculate
digit
millimetre
divide/division
centimetre
graph
questionnaire
decimal
metre
subtraction
symmetry/
symmetrical
multiply
volume
percentage
weight
TOP SPELLING TIP
LEARN THE EXCEPTIONS
TO THE RULE:
“ ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after “c”
doesn’t ALWAYS
work. E.g. weight and height
are exceptions.
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
MUSIC
Key words:
choir
harmony
chord
instrument/
instrumental
lyric
percussion
musician
orchestra/
orchestral
pitch
vocal
score
rhythm
tempo
prelude
minor
major
TOP SPELLING TIP
IS THERE A PREFIX
OR A SUFFIX?
Prelude (prefix)
Musician (suffix)
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
P.E.
Key words:
active/activity
exercise
mobile/mobility
athletic/athlete
competition
injury
pitch
muscle
personal
fitness
gym/gymnastic
stamina
energy
squad
tactic
tournament
TOP SPELLING TIP
HAVE FUN PLAYING
Play word games to
help you practise spelling
words - try wordsearches,
crosswords, Scrabble or Boggle
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
PSHE
Key words:
achieve/
achievement
dependant/
dependancy
emotion/emotional
racism/racist
sexism/sexist
choices
discussion
communication
gender
lifestyle
prefer/preference
reward
relationship
skills
stereotype
TOP SPELLING TIP
PRACTISE DIFFICULT
SPELLINGS:
Write out the spelling 3 times.
Concentrate on the shape of
the word and the order of
the letters.
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.
SCIENCE
Key words:
alkaline
acid
apparatus
chemical
cycle
element
experiment
laboratory
liquid
growth
reproduce/
reproduction
particles
solution
temperature
thermometer
TOP SPELLING TIP
ENUNCIATION:
Say the word aloud
stressing all the letters clearly:
lab-o-rat-ory
Spelling Practice
Tricky spelling:
What does it mean?
How many syllables?
What part of speech is it?
(e.g. noun/verb/adjective/adverb?)
What subjects would you use it in?
Use it in a sentence.
Draw an image to represent
this word.