Our Word for Wednesday theme for 2023 is tricky spelling words. This year, after sharing the definition and etymology of each week’s word, we will end every blog post with some tips and tricks to help you spell it. So far in May, we've looked at the words embarrass and minute. Our third word of the month is neighbour (or neighbor in American English!). Neighbour or neighbor is the term given to someone who lives next-door-to or near you. Here is neighbour/neighbor used in some example sentences: My neighbour/neighbor feeds my cat when I go away. Our neighbours/neighbors play loud music late at night. ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for 2023 is tricky spelling words. This year, after sharing the definition and etymology of each week’s word, we will end every blog post with some tips and tricks to help you spell it. In March, we looked at the words beautiful, because, business, definitely, and disappear. Our first tricky spelling word for April is immediately. If something happens immediately, it means it happens straight away without delay or hesitation. Here is immediately used in some example sentences: Please reply to me immediately. It started to rain and we left the park immediately. ‘Stop talking immediately...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for 2023 is tricky spelling words. This year, after sharing the definition and etymology of each week’s word, we will end every blog post with some tips and tricks to help you spell it. So far we've looked at the words beginning, believe, and friend. Our final tricky spelling word for January is quiet Quiet is the absence of sound. The word is often used to describe things that are calm, still, or silent. Here is quiet used in some example sentences: The teacher asked the class to be quiet. We heard the hum of quiet talking. There was a quiet stillness after the storm. The word dates to ...
Personalise your profile by adding an avatar. Collect achievement points by working on test activities and effort points by working on learning activities. Work your way from a Spelling Newbie to a Spelling Grandmaster by collecting achievement points. Check out your current level on your Spellzone profile. Up for a little competition? Our league tables are updated weekly. Finished a unit? Rate how confident your feel about your new learning on the end-of-unit-summary page. Made a mistake? Practise spellings as many times as you need to in the My Difficult Words section. Create word lists for y...
The Dirty 30 (part 1 and part 2) Many people struggle with spelling these 30 words, and because they are so often spelt wrong, it is likely that examiners will be watching out for them while marking papers. Make sure you don’t get caught out – you might find these mnemonics helpful too. Prefixes: per or pre? In this month’s spelling pattern word list, you can practise per and pre prefixes. A prefix is a group of letters put on the front of a word to change its meaning – per means ‘by or through’ and pre means ‘before’. Learn more about them in Unit 23. Flowers This month’s ...
What does each word mean? A cent is a fractional monetary unit used in several countries, worth one-hundredth of the value of the basic unit. For example, a euro is made up of a hundred cents. The plural of cent can be cent or cents. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is cent used in some example sentences: The toy cost two euros and ninety nine cents or €2.99. A euro is made up of a hundred cents. A dollar is made up of a hundred cent. A scent is a distinctive but pleasant smell. The word is also sometimes used to mean perfume. Click here for the full Spellzone dic...
What does each word mean? The palate is the upper surface of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities. The word is also used to describe the ability to distinguish between different flavours. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is palate used in some example sentences: The palate is sometimes called the roof of the mouth. She loved wine and had a sophisticated palate. A palette is a group of colours used for a particular project or by a particular artist or school of art. The word also describes a board on which artists mix paints. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary defi...
What does each word mean? An allusion is a passing and indirect reference to something. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is allusion used in some example sentences: The film was full of allusions to Shakespeare’s plays. The teacher made allusions to other works of poetry in his lesson. An illusion is an erroneous mental representation—when someone misinterprets something that they’ve seen or believes they have seen something that is not there. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is illusion used in some example sente...
What does each word mean? A loan is something that is lent to someone with the expectation that it will be paid back with interest. The word can also be used to describe the act of lending. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is loan used in some example sentences: She applied for a student loan. The bank loaned them money for a mortgage. Lone is an adjective used to describe someone or something that is solitary or single. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is lone used in some example sentences: The lone cloud m...
Do you always give up on your New Year’s resolutions? When we set ourselves goals at the beginning of the year, we often don’t create a plan of action for how we’re going to achieve them. As the weeks and months go by, abstract goals can start to feel more and more overwhelming and unachievable. If one of your goals for 2020 is to improve your spelling, we’re here to help. Last week we shared the first part of our list of 20 tangible steps you can take to help you improve your spelling. Here’s part two: 11) Print off resources In part one, we talked about the value of getting away from your screen. As well printing...
What does each word mean? If you allude to something, it means you are making a disguised reference to it. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is allude used in some example sentences: She alluded to who she was talking about without mentioning a name. The novel alludes to current politics. If you elude something, you avoid, evade, or escape from it. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is elude used in some example sentences: She managed to elude capture. Sleep had eluded him for some nights now. Where does each word come from? Both of t...
Although this week's pair of words have slightly different meanings, many people use them interchangebly. Scroll down to find out more. What does each word mean? If you assume something, you suppose it to be true without having proof or you take control of it. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is assume used in some example sentences: He’d always assumed her hair was naturally blonde. You shouldn’t assume you will enjoy a book just because you like the cover. The supply teacher assumed responsibility of the classroom. Here are all the Spellzone study lists related to the word assume....
Here at Spellzone, we encourage our students to learn spelling using as many senses as they can. By learning in this way, we are able to connect as many associations as possible with the spelling of a particular word. These associations should help trigger our memories when we are trying to remember spellings. So how we can be aware of the five senses when learning spelling? SIGHT When learning a word, LOOK closely at it. Then cover it up and try to remember how the letters are positioned on the page. Picture your own handwriting and the way the letters look beside each other. Sometimes if you spell a word in a few different ways, one of the spellings will LOOK more familiar than...
A few weeks ago we shared an article on how to use our word list feature. Now that you’ve had a bit of a practise, here are ten word lists to test yourself on. Don’t forget: click on the ‘eye’ icon at the top of each list to take a ‘Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check’ test; click on the ‘ear’ icon to take a ‘Listen and Spell’ test; and click on the soccer ball icon to play games using your words. 50 Words Britons Struggle to Spell (part one, part two, and part three) This list features commonly misspelled words. If you struggle to spell any of them, why not come up with a mnemonic before testing yourself? The Di...
Click here for part one. Mentor Definition: Noun 1: a wise and trusted guide and advisor Verb 1: serve as a teacher or trusted counsellor Mentor was the advisor to Telemachus (the son of Odysseus and Penelope – the central characters in Homer’s Odyssey). In many versions of the myth, the goddess Athena disguised herself as Mentor and convinced Telemachus to stand up to his mother’s suitors and search for his missing father who had not returned from the Trojan War. Morphine Definition: Noun 1: an alkaloid narcotic drug extracted from opium; a powerful, habit-forming narcotic used to relieve pain Remember Morpheus, the god of dreams, from...
Have you ever wondered where the months got their names from? In the Western world, the most widely used calendar is the Gregorian calendar, but some of the names of the months come from the calendars used by the ancient Romans. The calendar of Romulus had ten months, beginning with the spring equinox in March and ending in December. After many calendar reforms since Romulus’s calendar, the following mnemonic rhyme sums up the features of the calendar we use today: “Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone, And that has twenty-eight days clear, And twenty-nine in each leap year.” We love a go...
Do you remember our competition to look or clever devices to help remember how to spell the word ‘mnemonic’? The winner would receive a free annual subscription to Spellzone. We had a go amongst ourselves, but not with very much success. Here is one of our attempts: Must Neither Eat Mouldy Oranges Nor Infested Cheese Or how about: Mum’s Nice Eggs Make Omelettes Not Including Cheese? We seem to have a theme to our mnemonics… Anyway – that’s enough from us. Without further ado, we are pleased to present our winning entry: Using a mnemonic Means Never Ever Missing Odd Naughty & Incredible Chances to spell words correctly. ...
Last week we blogged about why, despite being difficult, learning to spell is really worth the effort. The Spellzone course will help you get to grips with English spelling rules and their exceptions, but there will always be individual spellings that each of us will find hard to remember. In these situations it can sometimes help to come up with mnemonic. A mnemonic is a memory device. It comes from the ancient Greek word mnemonikos which means ‘mindful’. The ‘m’ at the beginning of the word is silent. Mnemonics can take a variety of shapes, such as rhymes, visual cues, and word associations, but they work best if they are personal to the individual using them....
American vs. British English
Common Mistakes
Commonly Confused Words
English Idioms Explained
English Literature
Exams & Tests
Grammar & Punctuation
Mindful Spelling
Spelling at School
Spelling Games
Spelling Homework
Spelling Tips
Spellzone Tips & Tools
Supporting Adult Learners
Supporting Dyslexic Learners
Supporting EAL Learners
Word Origins & Stories
Writing & Vocabulary
"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."
Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's HillConnect with us at: 
