Anything you see in orange
is a link to another part of the course.
You can either:
Work through the spelling course in sequence, using the link at the end of
each unit to move straight to the next one.
Work on certain areas, using the links on the course contents page
to select the unit of your choice.
Work on certain areas or pages and follow the 'word list' links in the right column to learn the word lists.
Simply go direct to word lists through the 'word lists' menu item.
Working through the course
Each unit in the spelling course is numbered:
A normal number e.g. Unit 20, will link to the teaching Unit of
that section of the course. If the number is followed by the letter
'H' e.g. 20H, it will link to the 'Beat the Spell checker'
Homophones Test for that section.
Homophones: those words a computer spell-checker
can't spot: the words which sound the same but have different
spellings for different meanings, for example:
site / sight brake / break stationery
/ stationary
These words are called homophones from the Greek words:
homo: the same phonos: sound
We suggest you look at each section and then decide if that work is at
the right level for your needs. If you want to move on, use these links:
at the end of each page there is a link to the next stage of that
section
at the top of each page there is a link to the full list of Program
Contents.
At the foot of each page you will find a note of the Unit and page number,
and the total number of pages in that Unit, for example: Unit 22 page
8 of 15
You may think some of the early Units are too easy for you. However,
it is worth having a look, just to check, as they contain some quite difficult
words. For example, in Unit 5 you will find:
words which use ch to spell the sound /k/ : character
words which use ph to spell the sound /f/ : atmosphere
Logos to look out for
These logos will guide you through the course:
Hear the Sound:
Click on the ear to hear the sound for that Unit.
If you cannot hear anything click here for help.
New Teaching Point:
Next to this logo you will see:
1. The most common ways of spelling the sound you have heard
2. Any rules to help you decide which spelling to use
Homophones:
Here you will find the words which the computer spellchecker will
not spot: the words which sound the same but have different spelling
for different meanings.
Rule Breakers:
This logo shows you words that break the spelling rules covered
earlier in the Unit.
Learning Tips:
Next to this logo you will find tips on how to learn and remember
difficult words.
British or US spelling:
These logos draw your attention to spellings which are different
in Britain and the USA. You can choose which spelling you wish to
study.
Think back:
Sometimes the teaching section will refer back to a teaching point
in an earlier Unit. You will also find a direct link to this earlier
Unit, in case you wish to review that point.
Off-line activities:
Sometimes you are advised to get some extra practice by working
off-line. This can take three forms:
1. Print the page, and study the list of words; you might be asked
to make up your own 'Learning Tips' for some words.
2. A pile of books may mean you are asked to use a dictionary.
3. Sometimes you will be asked to write some words or to make up
sentences for words you are learning.
Practice exercises and tests
Throughout the course you can check your progress by completing
practice exercises and tests. To do these exercises:
click in the first answer box and type your answer
move to the next box either by clicking in it - or use the tab
key
to alter an answer, click in that box and use the delete key.
click on 'See how well you've done' to get your work marked.
Again, we suggest you look at each test and decide if you need
the practice at this level. You have these options:
complete the test
skip the test and go on to the next section
after the test has been marked for you, you can go back and
repeat it if you wish. If you go back to start the test again,
this will delete any answers entered so far.
Special markings for words and letters
Sometimes letters or words are in colour to make them stand out.
For example:
manage village
hostage
These symbols are used to help with the understanding of sound:
Obliques are used to signify the sound letters make rather than
the name: /er/.
Short vowels are shown by a breve: ăĕĭŏŭ.
Long vowels are shown by a macron: āēīōū.
The glossary at the end of the 'Help' section has more information
on these symbols.
Changing the colour and fonts
The combination of colours for background and font was chosen as
one that many people find easy to work with. However, some users
may prefer different colours and you can change your browser settings
to suit yourself by using the accessibility settings to the right of the page.
Text to Speech
Text to Speech services are also available within the accessibility settings.
Translation services
If your first language is not English we recommend using google which translate the site for you.
For help with meanings, and how to pronounce words go to our dictionary which is available on most pages.
Check that your speakers are plugged in and switched on.
Click on the volume control (normally on the bottom right of
the taskbar). The slider should be set to at least half-way.
Make sure the 'Mute' box on the volume control is unchecked.
From Internet Explorer, select Tools, then Internet options.
Click the Advanced tab and make sure the 'Play sounds' box is
checked.
3. Glossary of spelling terms
All the terms used in Spellzone are fully explained at each stage
of the course, when they are first used. For a quick reference they
are also listed here, in alphabetical order:
Definitions of terms in bold print can be found elsewhere in the
table
Term
Definition
Breve
A mark often used to show a short vowel sound e.g.
ăĕĭŏŭ
Compound word
Two words joined together to form a new word e.g.
seasick topspin hotspot lighthouse
paperwork
Consonants
Consonant blend
Consonant digraph
The letters: b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x y z
Note: the letter y can be a vowel or
a consonant, depending on its sound:
y in yellow is a consonant
When two consonants blend together e.g.
spit stop snap list sand sent
When two consonants together make a different sound e.g.
shop check think phone
Contraction
A word formed by shortening (contracting) two other words
e.g.
did not > didn’t they are > they’re it
is > it’s
Homophones
Words which sound the same but have different meanings and
different spellings e.g.
meet - meat piece - peace current - currant
These words are called homophones from the Greek words: homo: the same and phonos: sound.
Macron
A mark often used to show a long vowel sound e.g.
āēīōū
Mnemonic
A device to help the memory: inventing mnemonics can help
you remenber difficult spellings e.g. a piece of pie.
(The word mnemonic starts with a silent m. It comes
from an ancient Greek word mnemonikos, meaning 'mindful').
Prefix
Letters added at the start of a word to affect the meaning
e.g.
disagree incorrect preview
Root word (or base word)
The main part of a word, without a prefix or suffixÂ
e.g.
landed camping hopeless
return unhappy misprint
Schwa sound
The very weak vowel sound often found in an unstressed
syllable e.g.
dis - tant pa - per station
com - pan - y
(The word schwa is pronounced ‘shwar’, to rhyme with
‘car’. It’s a Hebrew word meaning ‘empty’.)
Suffix
Vowel suffix
Consonant suffix
Letters added on the end of a word to affect the meaning
e.g.
hand + ed = handed camp + ing
= camping hope + less = topless
A suffix that begins
with a vowel e.g. -ed -er -est -ing -able -y
A suffix that begins
with a consonant e.g. -less -ful -ment -ly
In longer words, the syllables are not all pronounced with
the same strength. Usually one syllable will be stronger
than the rest; this is the stressed syllable e.g.
ladder pilot hospital dictionary
assist attract collect
Atlantic computer independent
Unstressed syllables
A syllable which is not stressed e.g.
Si - mon dis - tant pa - per pi - lot
Often this syllable will have a very weak vowel sound, called
the schwa.
Vowels
Long vowels
Short vowels
Vowel digraphs
The letters a e i o u
Note: the letter y can be a vowel or a consonant,
depending on its sound:
y in spy is a vowel
y in happy is a vowel
The long sound of a vowel is the same as the name of the
letter e.g
 age even icon oval
uniform
These are examples of short vowel sounds:
ash egg insect office
upset
Where two vowels, or a vowel and a consonant are used together
to make one vowel sound e.g.
