Spelling and vocabulary are more closely linked than we might realise. While spelling is often viewed as a set of rules for writing words correctly, it also plays a key role in helping students build and expand their vocabulary. In this blog, we’ll explore how strong spelling skills can enhance vocabulary growth, boost reading comprehension, and build confidence when it comes to using new words. Understanding Word Patterns Spelling helps us see patterns in words. By learning to spell, we become more familiar with common letter combinations, suffixes, prefixes, and word roots. This awareness of patterns makes it easier to recognise and understand new words. For example, ...
Learning doesn't have to stop when the school day ends. In fact, some of the best learning takes place outside of the classroom. Spelling games are a fantastic way to combine education with entertainment and a regular family game night is a great opportunity to reinforce spelling skills. Here’s how you can create a fun, educational experience that everyone will enjoy. Why Spelling Games? Spelling games are more than just a fun activity – they’re an effective way to improve vocabulary, reinforce learning, and build confidence in a relaxed setting. When learning is enjoyable, students are more likely to retain information and stay motivated. Word Games: From S...
Starting the day with a focused spelling activity can set a positive tone for your students and significantly enhance their spelling skills. A morning spelling warm-up is a simple yet effective way to reinforce learning and make spelling a natural part of their daily routine. Here are five morning spelling warm-up ideas to help your students kickstart their day with spelling success. 1. Spelling Flashcards Flashcards are a classic and versatile tool for spelling practice. Here’s how you can use them in the morning: Preparation: Create a set of flashcards with challenging words tailored to your students' level. Activity: Each morning, instruct your students pick a f...
With the right words, you can choose what you want to guide your reader’s attention to. Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at sentence starters for different purposes: introducing, expanding, and illustrating ideas, demonstrating cause and effect, and linking contrasting ideas. Here are 24 sentence starters to help you emphasise a point: Above all Above all, mastering grammar is essential for effective communication. All things considered All things considered, a strong foundation in literacy skills is important for academic success. As a rule As a rule, regular practice is the key to improving one's English proficiency. Assu...
Want to make your writing more energetic? From a leaf trembling in the wind to an adventurer clambering up a mountain, our collection of 150 verbs includes movements big and small, fast and slow, animated and languid. These doing words will give you the tools to describe actions in a detailed way and make your storytelling more interesting. Let’s begin… accelerate: to increase in speed or velocity ascend: to move upward, typically in a steady manner amble: to walk slowly and casually bike: to ride a bicycle bolt: to move suddenly and rapidly bounce: to spring back after hitting a surface bound: to move forward with big leaps brake: to apply ...
With back-to-school action words, rule-breaking el endings, and a variety of ways to say something is nice, our September spelling lists will keep you on your toes! Back-to-School verbs The summer holidays have come to an end and it's time to sharpen those spelling skills! From answering questions to erasing mistakes, the verbs in this list describe actions that might take place at school. How many can you spell? Rulebreakers - the el ending The /Əl/ sound at the end of a word is usually spelt with the letters le, but this month’s rulebreakers use the letters el instead. Make sure you’re up to speed with this spellin...
Boost your spelling skills and immerse yourself in a world of words with our 3 Word Lists for August 2023. Our spelling activities and games will have you tackling this month's tricky rulebreakers, fruity flavours, and, lightning-fast vocabulary in no time. Why not try our Summer Spelling game? English can be confusing, especially with homophones like meat and meet. Don't worry, our latest Commonly Confused Words blog post is here to help! We provide a straightforward breakdown of the distinctions between these two words and offer practical tips to help you confidently choose the right one. Fed up with using the same words over and over again? ...
From deciphering tricky spellings to embracing the fruity flavours of summer, our August word lists will take you on a high-speed language adventure! Are you ready? Rulebreakers - the al ending While most words use the letters ‘le’ to spell the /Əl/ sound at the end of a word, this month’s tricksy rulebreakers use 'al' instead. Brush up on spelling the 'al' ending in Unit 26 - Word endings: -le, and exceptions e.g. -al, -el, -ol. Fruity Words From the juicy sweetness of peaches and strawberries to the zesty tang of lemons and limes, this month’s fruity words will no ...
calm – quiet and peaceful (often after a state of agitation) Now that the storm was over, it was a calm night. hushed – softened or muted in tone We heard the sound of hushed voices. muffled – soft in tone and unclear, difficult to hear There came the muffled sound of footsteps. muted – softened in tone The sound of their voices was muted by the wall between us and them. noiseless – marked by the absence of sound She expected the room to be noiseless. peaceful – quiet and calm (often after a state of agitation) After a day of meetings, she spent a peaceful hour walking in the woods. &n...
Words ending in 'ble' Our spelling pattern for October is words ending in ‘ble’. Practise this spelling pattern in Unit 26. Trick-or-Treat With October comes the countdown to Halloween! One of the most fun Halloween traditions is trick-or-treating. This is when children dress up in costumes and visit houses in the neighbourhood. Those who answer their doors are given the option of giving the children treat (like candy or an apple) or facing a trick. If you want to learn about costumes and candy, this is the list for you. Scary Words The English language is full of weird and wonderful w...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for September is Latin expressions used in English. Over September we've looked at the terms et cetera, de facto, and ad hoc. Our final Latin expression for the month is the E.g. is commonly used in English as an abbreviation for exempli gratia and means ‘for the sake of example’. Here is e.g. used in some example sentences: The Spellzone course includes a range of spelling activities, e.g. word lists, spelling tests, word games. There is likely to be a range of extreme weathers, e.g. rain, snow, and heavy wind. We will be serving light snacks (e.g. sandwiches, crisps, and fruit) at the party...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for September is Latin expressions used in English. So far we’ve looked at the phrases et cetera and de facto. Today’s Latin expression is ad hoc. Ad hoc translates to ‘for this’, and describes something that is created or done for a specific and immediate purpose. Something that is created ad hoc, by definition, usually cannot be planned for in advance, because it responds to unexpected needs Here is ad hoc used in some example sentences: The company hires new staff on an ad hoc basis. Normally I work from home, but I do go into the office for ad hoc meetings. They formed an ad hoc committee to ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for September is Latin expressions used in English. Last week we looked at the term et cetera and today we are looking at the term de facto. De facto is a Latin term with legal roots. The expression means ‘in fact’ or ‘in reality’ and it refers to something that exists but may not necessarily be legally ordained. Here is de facto used in some example sentences: She was the de facto leader of the group. The de facto official language was English. They are not legally married, but they’ve been together so long they are de facto spouses. De facto is often used to contrast ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for September is Latin expressions used in English. Our first Latin expression of the month is et cetera. Et cetera, often abbreviated to etc., is commonly used at the end of a list as a way of saying ‘and other similar things’ or ‘and so on’. Here is et cetera used in some example sentences: The Spellzone course uses a range of spelling techniques: word lists, spelling tests, word games, et cetera. Please pack for a range of weathers: rain, snow, wind, et cetera. We will be serving light snacks (sandwiches, crisps, fruit, et cetera) at the party. If you are abbreviating et cetera to etc., you will need a full stop ...
‘al’ as a suffix Our spelling pattern for September is ‘al’ as a suffix. As -al is a vowel suffix, any vowel at the end of a root word is removed before the suffix is added. Practise this spelling pattern in Unit 26. Key Stage 3: Science The new school term is the perfect time to refamiliarise yourself will Spellzone's features. Don’t forget Spellzone doesn’t need to be limited to the English department: our word lists are the perfect tool for learning new topic words in primary schools and new subject-specific vocabulary at KS3 and GCSE level. Why...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is condiments. A condiment is added to food to enhance its flavour. The word has been used in English since the mid-fifteenth century and comes from the Latin ‘condire’ meaning ‘to pickle’. Over August we’ve looked at the words mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, and sriracha. Our final condiment for the month is chutney. Chutney is a spicy condiment of Indian origin that has been eaten since 500 BCE. It is made from fruits or vegetables cooked in vinegar, spices, and sugar. Unlike pickles – known in India as ‘achar’ – chutneys are often freshly prepared. C...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is condiments. A condiment is added to food to enhance its flavour. The word has been used in English since the mid-fifteenth century and comes from the Latin ‘condire’ meaning ‘to pickle’. Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the condiments mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise. This week’s word is sriracha. Sriracha is a spicy red sauce made from red chilli peppers and garlic that is popular in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. In Thailand, sriracha is often used for dipping and is especially eaten with omelette and seafood. In Vietnam, it is commonly eaten with pho, fried noodles, ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is condiments. A condiment is added to food to enhance its flavour. The word has been used in English since the mid-fifteenth century and comes from the Latin ‘condire’ meaning ‘to pickle’. So far we’ve looked at the words mustard and ketchup. Today’s word is mayonnaise. Mayonnaise – also often called by its nickname mayo – is a thick creamy sauce made with egg yolks, oil, and either vinegar or lemon juice. This French word (which dates to 1806) has been used in English since 1815. It is probably a corruption of ‘mahonnaise’ and likely got its name fro...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is condiments. A condiment is added to food to enhance its flavour. The word has been used in English since the mid-fifteenth century and comes from the Latin ‘condire’ meaning ‘to pickle’. Last week, we looked at the word mustard and today’s condiment is ketchup. Ketchup is a red sauce made from tomatoes and vinegar. It is often used as a relish in burgers or eaten with chips (or French fries if you speak American English!). This condiment was first known in English as 'catchup' and later as 'catsup' (the latter of which is still sometimes used in American Engish)....
Our Word for Wednesday theme for August is condiments. A condiment is added to food to enhance its flavour. The word has been used in English since the mid-fifteenth century and comes from the Latin ‘condire’ meaning ‘to pickle’. As Saturday August 5th marks National Mustard Day – a celebration of all things mustard that started in Wisconsin in 1991 – we couldn’t resist choosing the spicy condiment for our first word of the week. Mustard is a pungent yellow or brown paste made from ground mustard seeds. It has a strong hot taste and is often eaten with meat. Though mustard was likely eaten by ancient civilisations, the word firs...
Words ending in 'ory' Our spelling pattern for August is words ending in 'ory'. In these words, the weak vowel sound before a 'y' is spelled with the letters 'or'. Practise this spelling pattern in Unit 25. Compound Words A compound word is a word that is made up of two or more other words. While the compound words in this list do not require hyphens, other compound words do. Test yourself on these words and then learn more. 10 Words for... HOT Who’s feeling the heat? Our 10 Words series is designed to help you expand your vocabulary. In this li...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is portmanteau words. A portmanteau word is made up of two or more existing words that have been blended together. The term was coined by Lewis Carrol in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. A portmanteau is a type of suitcase which had two compartments and so Carroll used it as a metaphor for a term that made of two separate words merged together. In the novel, the character Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice: “You see it’s like a portmanteau – there are two meanings packed up into one word.” Over July we’ve looked at the words blog, brunch, a...
A free trial allows you to add unlimited members of staff to your Spellzone account. Staff can have teacher or administrator accounts: Teachers have full access to student details and their results. Administrators have the same access as teachers, but they can also manage the account. We recommend having more than one administrator per school There are two ways to add staff members to Spellzone. 1) If you would like to add a single member of staff: Log into Spellzone Click on ‘Staff’ in the blue toolbar Click on ‘Create teacher(s) and administrator(s)' Fill in the staff member’s first name/title, surname, and em...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is portmanteau words. A portmanteau word is made up of two or more existing words that have been blended together. The term was coined by Lewis Carrol in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. A portmanteau is a type of suitcase which had two compartments and so Carroll used it as a metaphor for a term that made of two separate words merged together. In the novel, the character Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice: “You see it’s like a portmanteau – there are two meanings packed up into one word.” So far, we’ve looked at the words blog and brunch. ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is portmanteau words. A portmanteau word is made up of two or more existing words that have been blended together. The term was coined by Lewis Carrol in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. A portmanteau is a type of suitcase which had two compartments and so Carroll used it as a metaphor for a term that made of two separate words merged together. In the novel, the character Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice: “You see it’s like a portmanteau – there are two meanings packed up into one word.” Last week, we looked at the word blog. Today’s word...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for July is portmanteau words. A portmanteau word is made up of two or more existing words that have been blended together. The term was coined by Lewis Carrol in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There. A portmanteau is a type of suitcase which had two compartments and so Carroll used it as a metaphor for a term that made of two separate words merged together. In the novel, the character Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice: “You see it’s like a portmanteau – there are two meanings packed up into one word.” The prominence of technology and the internet in our lives has led to many portmanteau words...
Words ending in 'ary' This month's spelling pattern is words ending in 'ary'. In these words, the weak vowel sound before a 'y' is spelled with the letters 'ar'. Practise this spelling pattern in Unit 25. Portmanteau Words July 2 marks Alice’s Day: a festival of all things Alice in Wonderland. To celebrate, we’ve chosen portmanteau words as our second vocabulary list of the month. A portmanteau word is made up of two or more existing words that have been blended together. The term was coined by Lewis Carrol in his 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is words that derive from Greek mythology. So far we’ve looked at the words atlas, chaos, mentor, and narcissist; our final word for June is tantalise. If you tantalise someone, it means you torment or tease them with something they want but can’t get. Here is tantalise used in some example sentences: The blue skies tantalised us, but it was still very cold outside. She held the treat just out of reach to tantalise the puppy before finally giving it to him. We were tantalised by the computer in the shop window but we knew we couldn’t afford it. The word gets its name from Tantalus who, as ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is words that derive from Greek mythology. Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the words atlas, chaos, and mentor. Today’s word is narcissist. A narcissist is someone who has an exceptional interest in or admiration for themself. Here is narcissist used in some example sentences: If you are a narcissist, it means you are self-centred. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde is about a narcissistic young man. Could you stop being such a narcissist and talk about someone except yourself? The word is named for Narcissus who, known for his arrogance, was tempted to a pool by the spirit Nemesis. There he fel...
astonished – excited and overwhelmed by surprise or shock We were astonished when the magician disappeared. astounded – overwhelmed by surprise or shock The teacher was astounded by her student’s excellent spelling score. flabbergasted – extremely surprised or astonished I was flabbergasted when she told me she loved me. flummoxed – surprised and confused to the point of not knowing how to react We were flummoxed by the mysterious phone call. nonplussed – surprised and confused to the point of not knowing how to react He was nonplussed by the question. shocked – extrem...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is words that derive from Greek mythology. So far, we’ve looked at the words atlas and chaos. Today’s word is mentor. A mentor is a wise and trusted guide and advisor who may serve as a teacher or counsellor. Here is mentor used in some example sentences: Yoda is Luke Skywalker’s Jedi mentor. She mentored young artists in her free time. I am looking for a mentor to learn from as I grow my business. In Greek mythology, Mentor was the advisor to Telemachus (the son of Odysseus and Penelope who are the central characters in Homer’s Odyssey). In many versions of the myth, the goddess Athena ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is words that derive from Greek mythology. Last week we looked at the word atlas and today’s word is chaos. The word chaos is used to describe a state of extreme confusion or disorder. Here is chaos used in some example sentences: The performance was utter chaos – no one knew what they were supposed to do! My bedroom may seem like chaos to you, but I find it a very relaxing space. The school predicted that the snow would cause chaos on the roads and so decided to close for the day. In Greek mythology, the god Chaos personifies the void that preceded the creation of the universe. Today the wor...
Words ending in 'ery' This month's spelling pattern is words ending in 'ery'. In these words, the weak vowel sound before a 'y' is spelled with the letters 'er'. Practise this spelling pattern in Unit 25. Platinum Jubilee Spelling Words June marks the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. This means seventy years have passed since her coronation in 1953. How many of these royal words can you spell? Under the Sea June 8 marks UN World Oceans Day. The event is ‘an opportunity to raise global awareness of the benefits humankind derives from the ocean and our individual and coll...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is words that derive from Greek mythology. Our first word of the month is atlas. An atlas is a book that contains a collection of maps. Here is atlas used in some example sentences: The Geography teacher gave each student an atlas. The shelves were filled with globes and atlases. An atlas was published to accompany the fantasy series so that readers could see maps of the different magical lands. The word gets his name from the story of Atlas who, with his brother Menoetius, fought alongside the Titans in in a war against the Olympians. When they were defeated, Zeus, the King of the Gods, condemne...
brilliant – very good, beyond what is usual or expected We had a brilliant time at the beach. excellent – very good, extremely high in quality The teacher said my homework was excellent. exceptional – very good, beyond what is usual or expected The restaurant serves exceptional food. fabulous – extremely pleasing The teacher was wearing a fabulous green jacket. fantastic – extremely or extravagantly good He was fantastic in the school play. marvellous – extremely good, like a miracle George concocted a marvellous medicine. outstanding – ...
Words ending in 'er' In American English, the weak vowel ending is sometimes spelt with the letters 'er'. Learn more about the differences between British English and American English in Unit 36. Ballroom Dancing Is your spelling better than your samba? Can you remember how to spell rumba? We hope you enjoy practising these ballroom-themed words. Why not add an extra spring to your step and test yourself in our Bouncing Anagrams game? 10 Words for...Said Are you trying to find the perfect way of saying something? Perhaps the word you’re looking for is… …Croaked? &he...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for April is pasta. Made from a durum wheat dough which is shaped and boiled, pasta dishes originate in Italy and are now enjoyed all over the world. Though the word pasta has been used in English since 1874, it didn't become common until after the second world war. The literal translation of the Italian word pasta is ‘paste’. Over April, we’ve looked at the words spaghetti, pappardelle and farfalle. Our final word of the month is orecchiette. Orecchiette come from Apulia in Southern Italy. Made from durum wheat and water, this type of pasta is dome-shaped with a thin centre and t...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for April is pasta. Made from a durum wheat dough which is shaped and boiled, pasta dishes originate in Italy and are now enjoyed all over the world. Though the word pasta has been used in English since 1874, it didn't become common until after the second world war. The literal translation of the Italian word pasta is ‘paste’. So far we’ve looked at the words spaghetti and pappardelle. This week’s word is farfalle. Farfalle are pinched in the middle, have scalloped edges, and come in a variety of sizes and colours. Larger farfalle are known as farfalloni and smaller farfalle are ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for April is pasta. Made from a durum wheat dough which is shaped and boiled, pasta dishes originate in Italy and are now enjoyed all over the world. Though the word pasta has been used in English since 1874, it didn't become common until after the second world war. The literal translation of the Italian word pasta is ‘paste’. Last week, we looked at the word spaghetti. Today’s word is pappardelle. Pappardelle are a ribbon-shaped pasta, similar to fettucine, which we mentioned in last week’s post, but broader. Each ribbon is two or three centimetres wide. Fresh pappardelle often have ...
To celebrate Easter week, we’ve got a 10 Words… blog post with a twist. How do you like your eggs in the morning? fried - a fried egg is cooked by cracking an egg into hot oil or butter in frying pan On Sundays I have fried egg and bacon for breakfast. sunny-side-up - a sunny-side-up egg is only fried on one side so the yolk remains a deep yellow colour and is runny She preferred her eggs sunny-side-up to over-easy. over-easy - an over-easy fried egg is flipped over so that the top is also cooked lightly She preferred over-easy eggs to sunny-side-up. soft-boiled - soft-boiled egg is boiled while still in its...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for April is pasta. Made from a durum wheat dough which is shaped and boiled, pasta dishes originate in Italy and are now enjoyed all over the world. Though the word pasta has been used in English since 1874, it didn't become common until after the second world war. The literal translation of the Italian word pasta is ‘paste’. Our first pasta-themed word of the month is spaghetti. Spaghetti are long solid strings of pasta, often served with sauce. Spaghetti is the plural of the Italian word ‘spaghetto’ which means ‘thin string’ or ‘twine’. The first known recording of the word in English is ...
There are over a million word lists on Spellzone. Each one can be used in a variety of online and offline activities. Words ending in 're' In British English, the weak vowel ending is sometimes spelt with the letters 're'. Learn more about the differences between British English and American English in Unit 36. Easter Vocabulary Easter falls on April 17 this year. If you need a break from all the chocolate, why not spend some time testing yourself on these Easter vocabulary words? You can even practise them in our Easter Egg Hunt spelling game. Characters from Much Ado About Nothing April 23 marks ...
March 21 marked World Poetry Day and to celebrate we’ve chosen poetry for this month’s Word for Wednesday theme. The word poetry dates to the late-fourteenth century and comes from the Old French ‘poetrie’, from the Latin ‘poeta’. Over March, we’ve looked at the words sonnet, limerick, villanelle, and haiku. Our final word of the month is acrostic. An acrostic is a poem in which the first letters of each line form a word. The word acrostic dates to the 1580s and comes from the medieval Latin ‘acrostichis’, from the Greek ‘akrostikhis&rsq...
March 21 marked World Poetry Day and to celebrate we’ve chosen poetry for this month’s Word for Wednesday theme. The word poetry dates to the late-fourteenth century and comes from the Old French ‘poetrie’, from the Latin ‘poeta’. Over the past few weeks we’ve looked at the words sonnet, limerick, and villanelle. Today’s word is haiku. A haiku is a three-lined Japanese poem made up of seventeen syllables, with five syllables in the first and final lines and seven syllables in the middle line. Haiku often describe the natural world. The word haiku was first used...
March 21 marks World Poetry Day and to celebrate we’ve chosen poetry for this month’s Word for Wednesday theme. The word poetry dates to the late-fourteenth century and comes from the Old French ‘poetrie’, from the Latin ‘poeta’. So far we’ve looked at the words sonnet and limerick. This week’s word is villanelle. A villanelle is a nineteen-lined lyrical or pastoral poem made up of five three-lined stanzas (tercets) followed by one four-lined stanza (a quatrain). This type of poem uses a pattern of two repeated lines (refrains). The first line of a villanelle is ...
March 21 marks World Poetry Day and to celebrate we’ve chosen poetry for this month’s Word for Wednesday theme. The word poetry dates to the late-fourteenth century and comes from the Old French ‘poetrie’, from the Latin ‘poeta’. Last week, we looked at the word sonnet, today’s word is limerick. A limerick is a humorous poem made up of five lines that follows the AABBA rhyme scheme. It is also the name of a port city in southwestern Ireland. The word, in reference to the poem, dates to 1896, but it is unclear if it is linked to Limerick in Ireland. One theory suggests that the name...
March 21 marks World Poetry Day and to celebrate we’ve chosen poetry for this month’s Word for Wednesday theme. The word poetry dates to the late-fourteenth century and comes from the Old French ‘poetrie’, from the Latin ‘poeta’. Our first poetry-themed word for March is sonnet. A sonnet is a poem made up of fourteen lines with a fixed rhyming structure. There are two popular types of sonnet: the Petrarchan (or Italian) sonnet and the Shakespearean (or English) sonnet. The Petrarchan sonnet is made up of an eight-lined stanza (an octet) and a six-lined stanza (a sestet). The rhyme scheme is ABBAABBA CDECDE or ABBAABBA CDC...
There are over a million word lists on Spellzone. Each one can be used in a variety of online and offline activities. Words ending in ‘or’ In American English, the weak vowel ending is sometimes spelt with the letters ‘or’. Learn more about ‘or’ word endings in Unit 25 and more about the differences between British English and American English in Unit 36. Key Stage 3 Maths March 14 marks National Pi Day and March 23 marks World Maths Day. How many of these Key Stage 3 Maths words can you spell? Poetry Words March 21 is World Poetry Day and to celebrate we’ve made poetry our Word fo...
There are over a million word lists on Spellzone. Each one can be used in a variety of online and offline activities. Words ending in ‘our’ In British English, the weak vowel ending is sometimes spelt with the letters 'our'. Learn more about ‘our’ word endings in Unit 25. Lunar New Year Vocabulary February 1st is Lunar New Year and marks the beginning of the Year of the Tiger. Celebrations will finish on February 15th with the Lantern Festival. How many of these Lunar New Year vocabulary words can you spell? Characters from Great Expectations Charles Dickens was a nineteenth-century En...
There are over a million word lists on Spellzone. Each one can be used in a variety of online and offline activities. Words ending in 'lar' After the letter ‘l’, many words use ‘ar’ to spell the weak vowel ending. Learn more about ‘lar’ word endings in Unit 25. Characters in Twelfth Night Twelfth Night, also known as the Eve of the Epiphany, is the final night of the Twelve Days of Christmas. In some countries, there is a superstition that it is bad luck to leave decorations up after Twelfth Night. Shakespeare’s play of the same name is thought to have been written for Twelfth Night f...
Words ending in ssor and rror In this month’s spelling pattern word list, we’re looking at words ending in 'ssor' and 'rror'. After the letters 'ss' and 'rr', many words use 'or' to spell the weak vowel ending. Learn about 'ssor' and 'rror' word endings in Unit 25 and practise spelling them in this word list. Winter Words Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Whether or not the snow sticks to the ground this year, here in the UK we are sure to get plenty of wind and rain. From blizzard, to flurries, to icicle; this list will teach you how to spell a variety cold-...
bellowed – uttered loudly (like the sound of an animal) ‘Stop!’ she bellowed. croaked – uttered in a harsh and hoarse way (like a frog) ‘My throat hurts,’ he croaked. groaned – uttered in a way that expresses pain or disapproval ‘We don’t want to,’ the children groaned when their father told them to brush their teeth. grunted – uttered in a way that sounds like the short low gruff noise made by hogs ‘I suppose so,’ she grunted. mumbled – uttered in a soft and indistinct tone ‘I don’t want to,’ the ch...
Words ending in 'ator' In this month’s spelling pattern word list, we’re looking at words ending in 'ator'. After the letters 'at', many words use 'or' to spell the weak vowel ending. Learn about 'ator' word endings in Unit 25 and practise spelling them in this word list. Fireworks To celebrate Diwali and Bonfire Night, we’ve chosen fireworks as our Word for Wednesday theme for November. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be looking at the words: sparkler, fountain, Catherine wheel, and rocket. Practise these words and more firework-themed spellings here. National Tre...
There are over 1.5 million Word Lists on Spellzone which can all be used in a variety of spelling activities including spelling games. Spellzone games fall into three main categories and many of them can be played in multiplayer mode: 1) Pattern recognition games Crack the eggs in the correct order to spell the words in Egg Hunt Click on the balls in the correct order to spell the words in Bouncing Anagram and Bouncing Anagram Extreme Collect the rain drops in the correct order to spell the words in Rain Drops 2) Problem solving games Find the words in our small, medium, and large Word Searches 3) Voice and vocabulary games ...
Did you know there are over a million word lists on Spellzone? Every word list can be used in a variety of online and offline activities – learn more about them here. Here are 3 Word Lists for October: Words ending in 'itor' In this month’s spelling pattern word list, you can practise words ending in 'itor'. After the letters 'it', many words use 'or' to spell the weak vowel ending. Learn about 'itor' word endings in Unit 25 and practise spelling them in this word list. Witches, Ghosts, and Monsters October means Halloween and Halloween wouldn’t be Halloween without a...
3 Word Lists for September This month we looked at words ending in ‘ctor’, education vocabulary, and, in celebration of Roald Dahl Story Day, words invented by the author Roald Dahl. There are lots of different ways you can use a Spellzone word list to help you practise your spelling – learn more about them here. How to Adapt Any Spellzone Word List for Your Lesson Plan Spellzone has over 1.5 million word lists which can be used in a variety of spelling activities. Did you know teachers can adapt any word list to suit their specific needs and save time when creating resources? Learn how here....
Did you know there are over a million word lists on Spellzone? Every word list can be used in a variety of online and offline activities – learn more about them here. Here are 3 word lists to try in September: Words ending in ctor This month’s spelling pattern is 'ctor' endings After the letters 'ct', many words use 'or' to spell the weak vowel ending. Learn about ctor words in Unit 25 and practise spelling them in this word list. Education - Places September means back to school and to celebrate we’ve chosen education as this month’s Word for Wednesday theme. Over the next few week...
depressed – in a state of severe unhappiness or despondancy She was depressed so sought help from her doctor. downhearted – in low spirits I feel downhearted about my chances of winning. gloomy – filled with melancholy and despondency Eeyore is a gloomy character. glum – moody and melancholic The rain made me feel glum. heartbroken – full of sorrow He was heartbroken when his husband left him. inconsolable – sad beyond comforting, incapable of being consoled The mourners were inconsolable at the funeral. ...
Did you know there are over a million word lists on Spellzone? Every word list can be used in a variety of online and offline activities – learn more about them here. Here are 3 Word Lists for August: Words ending in er In this month’s spelling pattern word list, you can practise words ending in /er/. The letters ‘er’ are the most common way to spell the /er/ sound at the end of the word. Learn about /er/ word endings in Unit 25 and practise spelling them in this word list. Eponymous Words Did you know the month of August was named after a Roman emperor? An eponymous word is a word that is name...
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 ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. So far we’ve looked at the words espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, and latte. Our final word of the month is Americano. An Americano is made by adding hot water to espresso, and the word is simply Italian for ‘American coffee’. One popular theory behind the origin of the Americano ...
In our 10 Words blog feature we help you expand your vocabulary by choosing a word and offering 10 other words that that you can use instead. Here is a list of all our 10 Words articles: 10 Words for… ANGRY 10 Words for ... BIG 10 Words for … COLD 10 Words for … FAST 10 Words for … FUNNY 10 Words for … GOOD 10 Words for... HAPPY 10 Words for … HARDWORKING 10 Words for… HELLO 10 Words for … HOT 10 Words for... LOVE 10 Words for … NICE 10 Words for … SAD 10 Words for ... SAID 10 Words for...SCARY 10 Words for … SMALL 10 Words for … SU...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. So far we’ve looked at the words espresso, cappuccino, and macchiato. Today’s word is latte. Latte literally means ‘milk coffee’ and refers to an espresso served with hot milk. The word comes from the Latin ‘lac’ meaning ‘milk’. ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. So far we’ve looked at the words espresso and cappuccino. Today’s word is macchiato. A macchiato is an espresso with a small amount of milk added to it. In Italian, the word means ‘stained’ or ‘spotted’ and it was first used in reference to coffee when baristas needed to differentiate between esp...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. Last week we looked at the word espresso and today’s word is cappuccino. A cappuccino is made by topping an espresso with hot frothed milk. In Italian, the word cappuccino is the diminutive of ‘cappuccio’ meaning ‘hood’ (from the Latin ‘caputium’ – where we also get the word ‘cap&rsqu...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for June is coffee. Coffee is made by roasting and grinding coffee beans and creating an infusion. The word coffee entered English around 1600 via the Dutch ‘koffie’, which comes from the Turkish ‘kahveh', from the Arabic ‘qahwah’. Our first coffee-themed word this month is espresso. An espresso is a shot of coffee made by forcing steam through finely ground coffee beans. It is served in a small (2-3 oz) cup. The word comes from the Latin ‘exprimere’ meaning ‘press out' or 'squeeze out’. ...
Did you know there are over a million word lists on Spellzone? Every word list can be used in a variety of online and offline activities – learn more about them here. Here are 3 Word Lists for June: Tier 2 Words (abandon - adults) We have recently added a bank of Tier 2 words to our Curriculum Word Lists page. Tier 2 words are less common than high frequency words (Tier 1) and are often integral to the comprehension of exam questions or core subject knowledge. Find these lists here. The long /oo/ sound For our spelling pattern word list this month, we’ve chosen to look at the long oo sound. You can hear the long oo sound i...
3 Word Lists for May For this month’s word lists, we looked at synonyms of funny, exceptions to the ‘i before e except after c’ spelling rule, and colours. There are lots of different ways you can use a Spellzone word list to help you practise your spelling – learn more about them here. 10 Words for…Fast In our 10 Words blog post. we shared alternatives for the word for fast. From breakneck, to hasty, to swift – we’ve got the word for you! American English vs. British English: The School Edition Semester or Term? Student or pupil? Math or Maths? Some ...
A really good way to practise your spelling is by writing as often as you can. Over the years, we have shared a variety of blog posts about writing—from top tips, to how to get ideas, to expressing yourself in interesting ways. Feeling creative? Why not have a browse? Not sure where to begin? Whether you’re writing for school, university, work, or fun – these 5 tips will help you improve your writing. Wondering what you should write? Here are 5 ideas to help you write in your free time and 5 writing prompts to get you started. Often, good writing begins with good planning. Here are our top planning tips. ...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for May is onomatopoeia. An onomatopoeic word imitates the sound of the action or thing it describes. Onomatopoeic words are often used to describe animal sounds (chirp, hiss, meow, oink, squeak, etc), collisions (crash, bang, wallop, etc.); voice-related sounds (grunt, giggle, guffaw, rasp, wheeze, etc.); and water-related sounds (drip, gush, trickle, pitter-patter, etc.). So far we’ve looked at the words bumblebee, flip-flop, and hiccup. Today’s word is sizzle. Sizzle is a verb used to describe something that is making hissing a sound like that of frying fa...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for May is onomatopoeia. An onomatopoeic word imitates the sound of the action or thing it describes. Onomatopoeic words are often used to describe animal sounds (chirp, hiss, meow, oink, squeak, etc), collisions (crash, bang, wallop, etc.); voice-related sounds (grunt, giggle, guffaw, rasp, wheeze, etc.); and water-related sounds (drip, gush, trickle, pitter-patter, etc.). So far we’ve looked at the words bumblebee and flip-flop. This week's word is hiccup. The word hiccup imitates the chirping sound made by a spasm of the diaphragm and the sudden closure...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for May is onomatopoeia. An onomatopoeic word imitates the sound of the action or thing it describes. Onomatopoeic words are often used to describe animal sounds (chirp, hiss, meow, oink, squeak, etc), collisions (crash, bang, wallop, etc.); voice-related sounds (grunt, giggle, guffaw, rasp, wheeze, etc.); and water-related sounds (drip, gush, trickle, pitter-patter, etc.). Last week we looked at the word bumblebee and today’s onomatopoeic word is flip-flop. A flip-flop is a casual backless sandal which is held in place with a y-shaped strap between the big toe and...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for May is onomatopoeia. An onomatopoeic word imitates the sound of the action or thing it describes. Onomatopoeic words are often used to describe animal sounds (chirp, hiss, meow, oink, squeak, etc), collisions (crash, bang, wallop, etc.); voice-related sounds (grunt, giggle, guffaw, rasp, wheeze, etc.); and water-related sounds (drip, gush, trickle, pitter-patter, etc.). Our first word of the month is bumblebee. While the obvious onomatopoeic word associated with a bumblebee is ‘buzz’, the name of the creature itself is onomatopoeic too. Bumblebee dates back to the 1520s and replaced the Middle English ‘humbul-be&...
Did you know there are over a million word lists on Spellzone? Every word list can be used in a variety of online and offline activities – learn more about them here. Here are 3 word lists to try in May: 10 Words for Funny Are you trying to find the perfect word? Perhaps the word you’re looking for is… …Amusing? …Hilarious? …Witty? In our 10 Words blog posts, we share 10 alternatives to a common word to help you expand your vocabulary. Did you know each blog post also includes a word list so that you can practise using the words in context? Click here to learn 10 alterna...
New Learn the Words Activities Prompt We have now added an on-page prompt to encourage students to use the Learn the Words activities while working on their Course Pathways. Teachers can monitor whether these activities are being used on each student’s Course Test results overview page. New Unit Summary Section Students are now provided with a summary of things they have learnt while completing a course unit. They can now also give feedback on how confident they feel at the end of each unit. Teachers can view each student’s confidence ratings on their Course Test results overview page. 3 Word Lists for April This month we looked ...
Did you know there are over a million word lists on Spellzone? Every word list can be used in a variety of online and offline activities – learn more about them here. Here are 3 word lists to try in April: Easter Vocabulary April this year means Easter holidays! If you need a break from all the chocolate, why not spend some time testing yourself on these Easter vocabulary words? You can even practise them in our Easter Egg Hunt spelling game. Learn some eggy idioms for Easter here and about the words ‘chicken’ and ‘egg’ here. Words with Doubled Letters Our second word list this month is based around a spe...
We hope you’ve had a spelltastic March! Here’s everything we shared this month: Have you tried our new spelling games? Help decode an enemy message in Codebreaker. Enter the temple and test your spelling skill in Mayan Temple. March’s Word for Wednesday theme was clothing. Learn more about where shirts, trousers, dresses, coats, and shoes got their names from. Did you know there are over a million word lists on Spellzone? Every word list can be used in a variety of online and offline activities – learn more about them here. Each month, we share 3 word lists for you to use when practising your spelling. Our March lists we...
Our March Word for Wednesday theme is clothes. The word clothes comes from the Old English ‘claðas’ meaning ‘garments’. ‘Claðas’ is also the plural of ‘clað’ meaning ‘cloth’. So far, we’ve looked at the words shirt, trousers, dress, and coat. Today’s word is shoe. Shoes are worn below the ankle and over the foot. A shoe usually has a flexible upper of leather or plastic, as well as a sturdy sole and heel. The word comes from the Old English ‘scoh’, from the Proto-Germanic ‘skokhaz’. A boot is a shoe that covers both the fo...
Our March Word for Wednesday theme is clothes. The word clothes comes from the Old English ‘claðas’ meaning ‘garments’. ‘Claðas’ is also the plural of ‘clað’ meaning ‘cloth’. So far, we’ve looked at the words shirt, trousers, and dress. Today’s word is coat. A coat is an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from the shoulder down. It is worn outdoors in the cooler months to keep warm. A short coat is called a jacket. Coat dates to the early-fourteenth century and comes from the Old French ‘cote’ meaning ‘robe’ or &lsqu...
Our March Word for Wednesday theme is clothes. The word clothes comes from the Old English ‘claðas’ meaning ‘garments’. ‘Claðas’ is also the plural of ‘clað’ meaning ‘cloth’. So far we’ve looked at the words shirt and trousers. Today’s word is dress. A dress is a one-piece garment made from an attached top and skirt. A skirt is a garment that hangs from the waist. The word dress dates to around 1600 and was originally used to refer to any type of clothing, but specifically clothing that was suitable for a particular rank or ceremony. It has...
Our March Word for Wednesday theme is clothes. The word clothes comes from the Old English ‘claðas’ meaning ‘garments’. ‘Claðas’ is also the plural of ‘clað’ meaning ‘cloth’. Last week, we looked at the word shirt. Today’s word is trousers. Trousers are a garment which extend from the waist to the knees or ankles, and which cover each leg separately. The word is usually used a plural due to the separate leg parts, though one might refer to a ‘trouser leg’ in the singular form. The word trousers dates to the 1610s, and before that this item of clothi...
Did you know there are over a million word lists on Spellzone? Every word list can be used in a variety of online and offline activities – learn more about them here. Here are 3 word lists to try in March: Clothes Those of you who visited our blog yesterday, will know that this month’s Word for Wednesday theme is clothes. Each Wednesday in March, we’ll be sharing clothing-related words and having at looking into their origins. Why not practise spelling words for different items of clothing too? We also have word lists for accessories, footwear, and clothing-related verbs. 10 Words from Ireland Every year, on March 17th, Irish p...
Our March Word for Wednesday theme is clothes. The word clothes comes from the Old English ‘claðas’ meaning ‘garments’. ‘Claðas’ is also the plural of ‘clað’ meaning ‘cloth’. Our first word of the month is shirt. A shirt is a garment worn on the upper half of the body, typically with a collar and buttons down the front. Shirts—especially those worn by women—are sometimes also called blouses. Shirt comes from the Old English ‘scyrte’ which means ‘skirt’ or ‘tunic’. ‘Scyrte’ comes from the Proto-Germanic ‘skuryjon’ meaning...
In February, we are continuing with the Word for Wednesday theme of colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth...
In February, we are continuing with the Word for Wednesday theme of colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth...
It’s not long until Valentine’s Day and this month we’ve got a 10 Words blog post with a twist for you. How many of these pet names for loved ones do you know? babe/baby – a pet name for a loved one, implies intimacy ‘I love you, babe,’ he said. I love you, baby,’ he said. love – an affectionate way of addressing someone, from the verb ‘to love’ ‘Are you okay, love?’ she asked. beautiful – a pet name for a loved one, from the adjective ‘beautiful’ ‘Good morning, beautiful,’ she whispered to me. cutie – a pet na...
In February, we are continuing with the Word for Wednesday theme of colours. The word colour entered English via Old French and comes from the Latin ‘color’, from the Old Latin ‘colos’ meaning ‘a covering’, from the PIE root ‘kel-’ meaning ‘to conceal’. The word has been used in reference to skin colour since the early-thirteenth century and in reference to pigments and dye since the fourteenth century. The spelling colour became the common English spelling from the fourteenth century, but a classical correction made color an alternative from the fifteenth...
How has your first month of 2021 been? We hope you've had a chance to explore our website. Perhaps you've worked on your course pathway? Or practised your spelling using a word list? Here’s everything we shared in January: For our first Commonly Confused Words blog post of the year, we looked at the words new and knew. Do you know when to use each word? Learn tips and tricks to help you tell them apart here. This year, we’re starting a new monthly blog feature called 3 Word Lists. Our 3 word lists for January were Words from Scotland, Silent K Words, and Wh- Question Words. Read more about this month’s lists here. We returne...
dinky – sweetly small and neat in British English, small and insignificant in American English We ate at that dinky café on the corner. He lives in a dinky apartment on the other side of town. diminutive – extremely or unusually small She saw a diminutive figure in the distance. little – small in size (used both affectionately and condescendingly) They live in an adorable little cottage in the country. Their cottage is so little. mini, miniature – a small version of something I’m wearing a mini skirt tonight. Do you like my miniature doll’s house? miniscule &n...
What does each word mean? If something is new it has only just been acquired, made, or discovered. The word also describes things that have only just come into being. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is new used in some example sentences: I got a new book for Christmas. The painter stepped back and took in his new creation. I’ve learned a new way to practise my spelling. Happy New Year! Knew is the past tense of know. If you know something, it means you are aware of or familiar with it. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word know.&...
One more day until December! Here’s a round-up of the blog posts we shared in November: Is it beginning to get cold in your part of the world? Here in England, the days are getting shorter and many of us have found ourselves reaching for our hats, scarves, and gloves. In our first blog post in November, we shared 10 alternatives for the world cold. From bitter, to chilly, to nippy; you’ll never struggle to describe the cold weather again. The fact that it gets dark early lends itself well to many of our celebrations for this time of year, many of which include sparkling lights. Our Halloween, Bonfire Night, and Diwali celebrations may have lo...
Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers in the USA! Today, we are sharing a 10 Words blog post with a twist. Here are ten ways to express gratitude in English: Thanks – a shortening of ‘thank you’ Thanks for you help. Cheers – an informal way of expressing gratitude or well wishes in British English ‘Cheers mate,’ she said when her friend lent her a book. Ta – an informal way of saying ‘thank you’ in British English ‘Ta,’ said the shopkeeper when the woman handed over her payment. Thank you very much – a more formal and more effusive way of expre...
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...
arctic – extremely cold, like in arctic regions The weather channel says we can expect arctic conditions next week. biting – causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold The wind was biting. bitter – causing a sharply painful or stinging sensation; used especially of cold We walked through a bitter storm. chilly – lacking warmth of feeling I look forward to the chilly Autumn weather because I love wearing cosy jumpers. cool – neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat The cool breeze was extremely welcome on the hot day. crisp – pleasantly ...
Happy Halloween to all our subscribers! This month we’ve been looking at all things spooky and scary in our Word for Wednesday blog posts. Have you ever seen a ghost? How about a were-hyena? Where does the word vampire come from? Who was Victor Frankenstein? We also stayed on theme in our 10 Words blog post where we shared alternatives for the word scary. Whether your Halloween plans are alarming, chilling, or eerie, we’ve got the right word for you. Maybe it’s because we’ve got handwashing on the brain, but this month we decided to base our Idioms blog post on hands. From lending a hand to having your hands tied, there are plenty of idioms to learn in ...
Not long until Halloween! Here are 10 different ways to say something is scary: bloodcurdling – extremely alarming The banshee gave a bloodcurdling shriek. chilling – terror provoking There was a chilling scream and then silence returned to the graveyard. creepy – causing the sensation that there are things crawling on your skin We heard creepy music coming from the basement, but when we checked there was no one there. eerie – suggestive of the supernatural, strange and frightening An eerie silence descended over the house. frightening – causing t...
We’ve been working hard on some updates which we hope will improve Spellzone for you. Here is a round-up of the changes we’ve made and everything we shared in September: We’ve enhanced our Spelling Ability Test so your student’s can get started on their Course Pathways as soon as possible. Click here to learn more about how the test works. Google login is now available! Too many usernames and passwords? Use your students’ Google Classroom email addresses when adding them to Spellzone or updating their current logins and they will be able to log in using their Google credentials straight away. Choose the units you’d like ...
drained – very tired, emptied of energy We were drained after our first week back at school. drowsy – half asleep My medication makes me drowsy. exhausted – extremely tired, depleted of energy We were exhausted after our day at the beach. fatigued – extremely tired, drained of energy I was fatigued after our long drive. jet-lagged – extremely tired due to flying from one time zone to another It took me a week to stop feeling jet-lagged after our holiday to America. knackered – very tired I don’t know about you, but I’m knackered after that ...
We kicked off August by returning to our 10 Words feature where we looked at alternatives for the word hot. Whether you love or hate summer weather, this blog post will help you describe it. In this month’s Commonly Confused Words post we looked at the words flower and flour. Do you know when to use which word? In our Idioms article we looked at figurative expressions about flowers. We also shared a list of all our Idioms articles from over the years. We continued with the flower theme in July’s Word for Wednesday posts. We looked at a flower that opens at dawn and closes at dusk, flowers named for their resembl...
What does each word mean? Flour is a fine powdery foodstuff obtained by grinding and sifting the meal of a cereal grain. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is flour used in some example sentences: We need to buy flour if we want to make pancakes. He can only eat cakes made with gluten-free flour. A flower is a plant that is cultivated for its blooms or blossoms. It is the reproductive part of the plant, typically where seeds are found. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is flower used in some example sentences: ...
Whether you love or hate this August heat, here are 10 words to help you describe it. blistering – (figuratively) hot enough to raise blisters I can’t work in this blistering heat. boiling (figuratively) hot enough to change something from a liquid to a gas I was boiling so I took off my cardigan. humid – containing or characterised by a great deal of water vapour It was a humid day and she was dripping with sweat. piping – extremely hot Despite the piping hot weather, he stayed indoors. roasting – (figuratively) hot enough to cook You must be roasting with that c...
The English language is constantly evolving in creative ways and this has always been the case. This month we started a new blog feature on slang words and their plain English meanings. Our first post in this new series looks at Cockney rhyming slang. We returned to our Commonly Confused Words series with a very similar-sounding pair of words—allusion and illusion. Do you know when to use which word? Visit the blog for memory devices to help you tell them apart. For our Idioms article we looked at figurative expressions about fruit. We continued with the fruit theme in July’s Word for Wednesday posts. Did you know the word ...
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...
This month one of our users wrote in and asked us to write an article about the difference between the words prophecy and prophesy. Do you know when to use each word? You can also learn about the difference between more ‘c’ vs. ‘s’ spellings here. For this month's 10 Words feature, we chose a word that we’ve occasionally heard teachers describe as their nemesis: nice. Click here to learn ten alternatives and here to practise spelling them. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language and many of them are about animals. In the past we’ve shared idioms about cats, do...
For this month's 10 Words feature, we’ve chosen a word that we’ve occasionally heard teachers describe as their nemesis: nice. Here are 10 alternatives you can use instead: affable – diffusing warmth and friendliness My sister was in an affable mood and agreed to lend me her bike. amusing – providing enjoyment, pleasantly entertaining, arousing or provoking laughter She was a friendly and amusing person. charming – pleasing or delighting Her friends adored her mother who was charming and always knew the right thing to say. delightful – greatly pleasing or ent...
We began the month with the part two of our post words that have evolved in meaning thanks to the internet and technology. Can you think of any more? For our Commonly Confused Words blog post, we looked at the difference between loan and lone. Do you know when to use which word? Click here for tips and tricks to help you tell them apart. There are an estimated 25,000 idioms in the English language and many of them are ways of talking about human emotion. In the past we’ve shared alternate words for happy, and this month we looked at idioms and expressions about joy. Our Word for Wednesday theme for May was musical instruments. Who was the saxophone named...
Recently we shared ten words that have evolved in meaning as technology has advanced, here are ten more: refresh Refresh is the verb used to describe the act of reloading the data on a webpage (usually to see if any new information has been added). We refreshed the page to check the score. spam Spam refers to unwanted email or messages. Have you checked your spam folder? stream A stream is a continuous flow of video or audio information that is transmitted over the internet. The word is also used as a verb to describe the act of watching or listening to something in this way. We streamed the show on Netflix. ...
Since many of our users have been using our e-learning resources more than usual over the last several weeks, we have been doing our best to help our community stay connected. We began this month by sharing three ways we have improved our site to help our users. We returned to our 10 Words series this month and put communication at the heart of our list. Here are 10 ways to talk about talking. In this post we looked at words that have evolved thanks to technology and the internet. Stay tuned for part 2. This month we tried something new with our Word for Wednesday posts and grouped them around the same theme. The theme we chose was animal...
Due to lockdown, more and more people are turning to the internet to find virtual alternatives for their usual entertainment. This week we are looking at twenty words that have evolved in meaning as technology has advanced. block This word for obstruct or prevent is used on the internet to describe the act of preventing someone from contacting you or seeing your information. She blocked anyone she didn’t know who tried to message her. bookmark This word for a paper or ribbon marker used to keep one’s place in a book now also describes the act of marking a webpage you want to refer to again. Make sure you bookmark Spe...
While we are on lockdown, it is important to get inventive with how we stay connected with our friends, families, and communities. We’ve heard wonderful stories about virtual lessons and games nights, neighbours exchanging phone numbers for the first time, and children putting artwork up in their windows to encourage others. Here are Spellzone we’ve been working hard to help our community stay in touch too – click here to learn more about some of the things we’ve been doing. This month, we’ve decided to put communication right at the heart of our 10 Words post. Here are ten different ways of saying talk: Chat – to talk socially in an ...
For this month's 10 Words feature, we’ve chosen the word very. We use the word very to emphasise the description that follows it. Don’t forget that the alternate words we share in these articles aren’t always direct swaps. Make sure you read the example sentences to see each word used in context. You can find links to previous 10 Words articles at the bottom of the page. Here are 10 alternatives for very: 1) Abundantly - in an abundant manner, with great quantity She made it abundantly clear that she hated his taste in music. 2) Disti...
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...
To celebrate World Hello Day, we chose hello for this month’s 10 Words blog post. What is World Hello Day? World Hello Day was started in response to the 1983 conflict between Egypt and Israel with the intention of promoting and encouraging communication as a vital tool for keeping peace. Over the years, World Hello Day has been observed in 180 different countries. How can I take part in World Hello Day? The goal of World Hello Day is for each participant to greet ten people over the course of the day. This can be in person, over the phone, or via written communication. Some people like to get in touch with world leaders using social media. To help...
For this week’s 10 Words feature, we’ve chosen the word angry. Don’t forget that the alternate words we share in these articles aren’t always direct swaps. Make sure you read the example sentences to see each word used in context. You can find links to previous 10 Words articles at the bottom of the page. Here are 10 alternatives for angry: 1. Cross – annoyed and irritable The girl had forgotten her homework and was afraid the teacher would be cross with her. 2. Enraged – marked by extreme anger She felt enraged by the state of current...
Back at school and looking for words to describe your rejuvenated approach to your studies? This is the article for you! Last month we launched a new 10 Words blog feature designed to help you expand your vocabulary. In each article we choose a word and give you ten other words that you might be able to use in its place. Our first article of the month looked at the word happy and this week our chosen word is hardworking. Here are ten alternate words and some example sentences: 1. Assiduous – marked by care and persistent effort She was assiduous in her search for primary sources while writing her history essay. 2.&n...
Welcome to our new 10 Words blog feature designed to help you expand your vocabulary. In each article we’ll choose a word and give you 10 other words that you might be able to use in its place. To kick off the series, we’ve chosen the word happy. Here are 10 words you could use instead and some example sentences: 1) Blissful – experiencing perfect happiness At the resort, she felt blissful and carefree. 2) Cheerful – visibly happy or optimistic, promoting happiness through its nature, appearance, or good spirits The roaring fire made it a cheerful space. He was extremely cheerfu...
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...
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. ...
You may have recently noticed that our word lists now sometimes have sentences appearing on them. We have started the process of adding sentences to all word lists associated with the Spellzone course. This will provide a database of around 5000 sentences. These sentences are available on the word list pages and will be used in the spelling activities and games. We believe the addition of sentences will help users with vocabulary and will add a feature that has previously been requested. We expect it will take a few months to add 5000 sentences. In early 2012 we then plan to add a new facility which will allow you to add your own sentences. ...
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