Welcome to a new school year! We hope you’ve had a restful summer. Over the break, we’ve been busy adding updates and resources to make Spellzone work even better for you. Many of these features were developed in response to your survey feedback – thank you again to everyone who took the time to share their ideas. Get Your Account Ready Start the term with your Spellzone account in order. Add new students, remove anyone who has left the school, and set up your classes so assigning work is quick and easy. Note that Microsoft SSO is now available! Next, reset the Spelling Ability Test to generate a tailored learning pathway for eac...
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, ...
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...
English is a language known for its quirks and irregularities, making it a challenging to learn. For ESL (English as a Second Language) learners, navigating the intricacies of English spelling can be particularly daunting. However, by understanding common pitfalls and employing effective strategies, ESL learners can overcome spelling challenges and enhance their language skills. Silent Letter Strategies Silent letters add an extra layer of complexity to English spelling. These letters appear in the spelling, but they are not pronounced. TIP: When you learn words with silent letters, use the Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check spelling activity. Click on the speaker to hear the word...
Understanding Homophones: Your Key to Confident Spelling Homophones, words that share similar sounds but differ in meanings and spellings, pose a challenge for many English learners. Whether you're a student striving for academic excellence, a professional aiming for clear communication, or simply someone eager to improve your language skills, mastering homophones is crucial. In this detailed guide, we'll delve into the intricacies of homophones, providing you with spelling strategies and practice word lists to become proficient in identifying and using homophones accurately. Exploring Spellzone's Homophone Guides Spellzone offers an extensive archive of homophone gui...
We know that involving parents and carers in their children's learning journey can be a game-changer - especially when it comes to remote learning! At Spellzone, we're here to help you make this as simple as possible. Here are 3 easy ways to get parents involved, complete with links to the necessary documents: Sample introductory letter and consent form If your school is new to Spellzone, this adaptable letter explains the benefits of Spellzone and how the students can participate. As each school uses Spellzone differently, make sure you edit the sample letter to suit your school’s specific purposes. You can also adapt and send home this cons...
What are Learn the Words activities? As students work through their Course Pathways, they are provided with Learn the Words activities for practice. These activities include: The Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check learning activity The Listen and Spell test Nineteen spelling games To get the best out of their Spellzone experience, we recommend students complete a range of Learn the Words activities before moving onto the course tests. You can choose which activities you want your students to complete via the Account tab on the blue bar. How do I see if a student is using Learn the Words activities? Click on a student&...
Reading allows you to travel to different worlds, experience new cultures, and walk in the shoes of fascinating characters. It’s also a great way to help you improve your spelling and vocabulary – even during the school holidays! Here are some reading suggestions for the summer. Click on the title of any book to find the word list that goes with it. Don’t forget to try our Summer Spelling game! Year 7: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne: An emotional tale set during World War II that explores the unlikely friendship between two boys on opposite sides of a concentration camp fence. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman: A th...
Our Word for Wednesday theme for 2023 is tricky spelling words. This year, as well as 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 February, we've looked at the words receive, necessary, and separate. Our fourth word of the month is extremely. Extremely is used to emphasise the description that comes after it. Here is extremely used in some example sentences: I am extremely good at spelling. The weather is going to be extremely wet tomorrow. We’ve known each other for an extremely long time. The word ext...
Our 3 Word Lists for January 2023 were words ending in 'dle', bird vocabulary words, and 10 Words for … HARDWORKING. You can adapt any Spellzone word list to your classroom needs and use it in a variety of online and offline activities. It’s not too late to take a look at our start-of-2023 checklist. In this post, we share 5 quick ways you can ensure you’re making the most out of your Spellzone subscription. Want to use Spellzone in your classroom but not sure where to begin? This month’s post on how to build a lesson plan with Spellzone is a great place to start. Spellzone cover...
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 and believe. This week's word is friend. A friend is someone you like and know well. Here is friend used in some example sentences: They had been friends for a long time. We invited just family to our party, no friends. She spoke to her friend on the phone once a month. The word comes from the Old English ‘freond’, from Proto-Germanic ‘frijōjands&rs...
OurWord 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. Last week we looked at the word beginning and this week's word is believe. If you believe something, it means you regard it to be true. If you believe in someone it means you are confident in their ability to do a specific thing. Here is believe used in some example sentences: The teacher didn’t believe that the dog ate my homework. I believe you will reach your goal. She believed in god. Believe comes from the Middl...
This month's English vocabulary lists were words ending in 'cle', -ey words, and 10 Words for … COLD. Have you tried our new COOL SPELLING game? Listen to the words and collect the icicles to spell them. Beware of enemies! Are some of your students making slower progress than you’d hoped? Or being reassigned units they’ve completed before? To get the best out of the Spellzone experience, we recommend that students complete a range of Learn the Words activities before moving onto course tests. How many of these 5 classroom ideas have you tried at your school? If you use Spellz...
Work on Course Pathways When your students log into Spellzone for the first time, the Spelling Ability Test will identify any gaps in their knowledge. Spellzone will then build a tailored Course Pathway for each student to work on at their own pace. You can cross-reference all pathways with the National Curriculum and reset the Spelling Ability Test at any time to obtain comparative scores for evaluation purposes. Work on My Difficult Words Each time one of your students makes an error on a spelling test, Spellzone will add the word to the My Difficult Words section on their profile. Your students can now practise the words they struggle with ...
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...
3 Word Lists for September 2022 This month's English vocabulary lists were ‘al’ as a suffix, Key Stage 3: Science, and 10 Words for … SURPISED. Have you tried our new Monkey Business game? New Term Admin To help you get ready for the new school year, we shared blog posts on how to add new students to your account and how to remove old ones. Are you making the most of these Spellzone features? Commonly Confused Words This month we shared two Commonly Confused Words blog posts. Do you know the difference between the words rite, right, and write? What about pair, pare, and pear? Wor...
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 ...
There are four ways to add students to Spellzone: 1) If you would like to add one or two students Log into Spellzone Click on ‘Students’ in the blue toolbar Click on ‘Create students' Under the ‘Manually add a student’ heading, click on ‘Add a student’ Fill in the student’s first name and surname. Choose between manual login or Google login If using manual login, fill in the username, password, and email address if you would like to If using Google login, fill in the student’s Google email address Choose whether you would like to enable the Course Pathway Click ‘Save&r...
‘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...
3 Word Lists for August This month's English vocabulary lists were words ending in ‘ory’, compound words, and 10 Words for … HOT. Have you tried our Summer Spelling game? New Term Admin To help you get ready for the new school year, we shared blog posts on how to add new students to your account and how to remove old ones. Are you making the most of these eight Spellzone features? Commonly Confused Words: Sea vs. See We returned to our Commonly Confused Words series this month with these two words – do you know when to use each one? Word for Wednesday: Condiments A&nbs...
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...
With the new school year fast approaching, it’s time to make sure your Spellzone account is ready for your students and staff to start work. Students At the start of the year, it is likely that you will have students who no longer need to use Spellzone. To delete a whole class of students from your school’s account: Log into Spellzone Click on the blue ‘Classes’ tab Click on the class of students you would like to delete Click on the ‘Select all’ button at the end of the top row on the student roll table Scroll to the bottom of the student roll Click on ‘Delete’ Confirm that you have chosen the correct student/s Cli...
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...
The best way to see evaluate how a Spellzone subscription might be used within your school is to trial it with as many student as possible. A free trial allows you to add 1200 students to your Spellzone account. The resource is suitable for students aged six to adult. Once you have signed up for a free trial, there are four ways to add students to Spellzone: 1) If you would like to add one or two students Log into Spellzone Click on ‘Students’ in the blue toolbar Click on ‘Create students' Under the ‘Manually add a student’ heading, click on ‘Add a student’ Fill in the student’s first name...
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...
3 Word Lists for July This month's English vocabulary lists were words ending in ‘ary’, portmanteau words to celebrate Alice’s Day, and summer-holiday spellings. Have you tried our Summer Spelling game? Word for Wednesday July 2 marked Alice’s Day: a festival of all things Alice in Wonderland. To celebrate, we also chose portmanteau words as our Word for Wednesday theme for July. 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. Learn more about the words ...
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. ...
Have you signed up for a free trial? Here’s what to do next… Free training? Yes please! To help you get the most out of your Spellzone experience, we offer free training sessions for all teachers. Choose a: - 20 minute whistle-stop tour of the main Spellzone features - 50 minute in-depth tour of all the Spellzone features, including how to track your students’ progress. Each session can be tailored specifically for your school’s needs. Book a session for your team today. Add your people Now that you’re familiar with what Spellzone h...
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...
3 Word Lists for June This month's English vocabulary lists were words ending in ‘ery’, Platinum Jubilee spelling words, and under-the-sea spelling words for UN World Oceans Day. 10 Words for … Surprised From flabbergasted to stunned, we’re looking at alternatives to surprised in this month’s 10 Words… blog post. Commonly Confused Words: Real vs. Reel In this month’s Commonly Confused Words blog post, we looked at the words real and reel. Do you know when to use which word? Learn more about the words real and reel in Unit 7. Word for Wed...
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...
3 Word Lists for May This month we looked at words ending in ‘er’, ballroom-dancing spelling words, and 10 Words for ... Said. Word for Wednesday: Star Wars May the force be with you! To celebrate Star Wars Day, we chose Star Wars as May’s Word for Wednesday theme. Learn more about the words force, Jedi, droid, and lightsaber. 10 Words for … Good This month we returned to our 10 Words blog feature with 10 Words for … Good. From brilliant to marvellous, find the right word for what you're trying to say. Commonly Confused Words: Knight vs. Night Not only do these words so...
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 – ...
May the 4th be with you! Today is Star Wars Day and to celebrate we’ve chosen Star Wars as this month’s Word for Wednesday theme. The date of this commemorative celebration comes from the pun on the Star Wars catchphrase ‘May the Force be with you’. Though the first recorded use of ‘May the 4th be with you’ dates to 1979, the first organised commemorative event for Star Wars Day wasn’t until 2011 when an event was hosted at the Toronto Underground Cinema. Today, Star Wars Day is observed by fans all over the world. Our first Star Wars word for May is force. In English, a force is an influence that produces...
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...
3 Word Lists for April This month we looked at words ending in ‘re’, characters from Much Ado About Nothing for Shakespeare Day, and Easter vocabulary. How do you like your eggs in the morning? We continued our Easter celebrations in a 10 Words blog post with a twist. Do you prefer you eggs boiled or fried? Word for Wednesday: 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. Learn about the words spaghetti, pappardelle, farfalle, and orecchiette. Commonly Confused Words: Fair vs. Fare Finally,...
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 ...
3 Word Lists for March This month we looked at words ending in ‘or’, Key Stage 3 maths words for World Maths Day , and poetry words for World Poetry Day. Word for Wednesday: Poetry To celebrate Word Poetry Day, we also chose poetry as this month’s Word for Wednesday theme. Learn about the words sonnet, limerick, villanelle, haiku, and acrostic. 10 Ways to Monitor Your Class’s Activity and Results on Spellzone From the most popular activities to a list of every time a student has logged in, find out how your class has been using Spellzone. How Many Points Have Your Stud...
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 ...
What are Spellzone points? While working on Spellzone, students collect effort points and achievement points. These rewards are displayed as medals and medallions. Effort Points Effort points represent effort made and one point is awarded for every learning activity the student attempts. Learning activities include: course pages; the Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check activity; pattern-recognition games; and problem-solving games. These activities are found throughout the course and in the Word Lists section. Students are also rewarded a certificate upon completing a course unit. Achievement Points Achievement points represent student achievement and up to ...
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...
Here are 7 ways to monitor your class's activity and results on Spellzone: Click on the blue ‘Classes’ tab. Choose your class, filtering by ‘My Classes’ if necessary. Use the dropdown menu above the table to change the time period you want to look at. Click on the green ‘points’ heading to see which student scored the most points over that time period. Click on the green ‘activities’ heading to see which student completed the most activities over that time period. Scroll down and click on ‘View course tests for this class' to see an overview of which units your students have comp...
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...
3 Word Lists for February This month we looked at words ending in ‘our’, characters from Great Expectations, and Lunar New Year vocabulary. 13 Ways to Monitor a Student’s Activity and Results on Spellzone On Spellzone, you can click on any student’s name to find out more about how they have been using the resource. Click on the blue ‘Students’ tab or choose a class from the blue ‘Classes’ tab to find a list of your students. 10 Ways to Monitor Your School’s Activity and Results on Spellzone From the most popular activities to a list of every time a student has logged ...
Last week we looked at 13 ways to monitor an individual student’s results and activity. Here are 10 ways you can monitor your whole school's activity and results: Log into Spellzone and scroll down to see an Activity Split for your whole school. Hover over each segment of the pie chart to see how often your students in your school have used each type of spelling activity over the last year. Look at number of times the students in your school have logged into Spellzone over the last 7 days, 30 days, and 90 days. Look at how much your students have improved on average. This figure is calculated using the difference between each s...
On Spellzone, you can click on any student’s name to find out more about how they have been using the resource. Click on the blue ‘Students’ tab or choose a class from the blue ‘Classes’ tab to find a list of your students. Here are 13 ways to monitor a student’s activity and results: Click on the green ‘Results’ tab. Hover over each segment of the pie chart to see how often your student has used each type of activity. Look at the table to see what activities your student completed each time they logged into Spellzone. Use the dropdown menu above the table to change the time period you want to look at. Each r...
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...
3 Word Lists for January This month we looked at words ending in ‘lar’, characters from Twelfth Night, and Burns night vocabulary. UN International Day of Education January 24 marked the UN International Day of Education which celebrated "the role of education for peace and development". Learn more. 22 Ways to Make the Most of your Spellzone Subscription in 2022 New year, new start! Are you using all the resources Spellzone has to offer? 3 Spelling Tasks to Set Your Students on Spellzone Have you set a task for your students yet? Tasks can be set alongside or instead of the ...
January 24 marks the UN International Day of Education which celebrates "the role of education for peace and development". The UNESCO website says of the day: “Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth and adults behind. Today, 258 million children and youth still do not attend school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are...
There are 3 types of task on Spellzone: the Spelling Ability Test, a Spellzone course unit, and a word list task. Teachers can set classroom and homework tasks for individual students, for a class, or for the whole school. Tasks can be set alongside or instead of the Course Pathway. How to set the Spelling Ability Test as a task If your student is working on their Course Pathway regularly, it is likely that their Spellzone Score will be up-to-date. However, in some instances, you might want to reset the test: If you would like to give your students a fresh start, for example, at the beginning of a new school year If you want a score for ...
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...
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...
Seasons Greetings! Joyeux Noel! Bah humbug! Find a holiday greeting for every mood. Writing some last-minute cards? Here are 10 writing mistakes to avoid this Christmas. Have you tried our relaxing Spelling Snowball game yet? Here are five wintry word lists to practise with. Play against a friend using the multiplayer option. Spending time away from the computer? Here are five more games to try. Christmas is a time for stories. Have you heard of these three Christmas characters? How about these three? How did Charles Dickens, author of A Christmas Carol, influence the English language? Of cour...
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-...
3 Word Lists for November This month we looked at words ending in ‘ator’, tree words for National Tree Week, and fireworks words for Bonfire Night. Word for Wednesday: Fireworks We also chose fireworks for November’s Word for Wednesday theme. Follow the links to learn more about the words: sparkler, fountain, Catherine wheel, and rocket. Commonly Confused Words: Been vs. Gone In November, we returned to our Commonly Confused Words series with the words been and gone. One of these words is the past participle form for ‘be’ and the other is the past participle form for go ...
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...
3 Word Lists for October For October’s, spelling pattern word list, we looked at words ending in 'itor'. Practise this weak vowel ending here. Since Halloween is this month, we also chose two spooky spelling lists. Learn how to spell words for scary creatures here and how to spell body horror words here. Find more spooky spelling lists here. Word for Wednesday: Halloween To continue our celebration of spooky season, we also chose Halloween for October’s Word for Wednesday theme. Follow the links to learn more about the words: pumpkin, monster, skeleton, and trick-or-treat. Which ...
Spellzone is a dynamic resource that allows students to work on tailored Course Pathways at their own pace. Each time a student makes an error on a spelling test, Spellzone will add the word to the My Difficult Words section on their profile. The My Difficult Words section is tailored to each student and is updated every time the student takes a spelling test. To find the My Difficult Words section, students should: Click on My Spellzone (this is also the page that appears when a student logs in) Choose My Word Lists from the red tool bar Choose My Difficult Words from the list. They can then practise the words in various spelling activ...
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....
What is a Course Pathway? Spellzone is a dynamic resource that allows students to work on tailored Course Pathways at their own pace. When a student logs into Spellzone for the first time, they will be prompted to sit the Spelling Ability Test. The test will take approximately five minutes (depending on the student) and will identify any gaps in the student’s knowledge. Upon completing the test, each student will receive a Spellzone Score and a learning pathway that will indicate where they should begin the course and which units they should study. A typical Course Pathway is eight units long. Each subsequent time the student logs i...
Spellzone has over 1.5 million word lists which can be used in a variety of spelling activities. As a teacher, you can adapt any word list to suit your specific needs and save time when creating resources. Where do I find relevant Word Lists? All our lists can be found on the Word Lists section of the site: See which word lists are popular with users on Spellzone and within your school by scrolling to the bottom of the page. Use the search bar to find word lists that are relevant to a key word. For example, ‘homophones’ or ‘poetry’. Click on the tabs at the top of the page to explore our banks of ‘Course Lists’, &lsq...
What is a Spellzone Score? Spellzone is a dynamic resource that allows students to work on tailored Course Pathways at their own pace. When a student logs into Spellzone for the first time, they will be prompted to sit the Spelling Ability Test. The test will take approximately five minutes (depending on the student) and will identify any gaps in the student’s knowledge. Upon completing the test, each student will receive a Spellzone Score and a learning pathway that will indicate where they should begin the course and which units they should study. A typical Course Pathway is eight units long. Each subsequent time the student logs in they will 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 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...
3 Word Lists for August This month we looked at Words ending in ‘er’, Eponymous Words, and, in celebration of National Honey Bee Day, Insects. There are lots of different ways you can use a Spellzone word list to help you practise your spelling – learn more about them here. Commonly Confused Words: Shore vs. Sure For this month’s Commonly Confused Words blog post, we looked at the words shore and sure. Do you know which word refers to certainty? What about the seaside? Click here for tips and tricks to help you tell them apart. 10 Words for … SAD In our ...
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...
"Covid: Home-education numbers rise by 75%" New BBC research shows the number of children registering for home education has risen by 75% in the first part of the school year. In north-west England this is a 92% increase on the previous two-year average. While some parents made this decision for health reasons, others felt that pandemic simply gave them the final push they needed. Read the BBC article here. Do you home-school your children? Sign up for a free Spellzone home trial here. 3 Word Lists for July For this month’s word lists, we looked at The Dirty 30 (part 1 and part 2), Prefixes: p...
New BBC research shows the number of children registering for home education has risen by 75% in the first part of the school year. In north-west England this is a 92% increase on the previous two-year average. While some parents made this decision for health reasons, others felt that pandemic simply gave them the final push they needed. Read the BBC article here. Do you home-school your children? Sign up for a free Spellzone home trial here. ...
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 ...
Work your way from a Spelling Newbie to a Spelling Grandmaster by earning achievement points! New Student Titles are now live on Spellzone. Click here to learn how many points you need for each level. If you are a teacher, you can find out a student’s current level by clicking on the star on their profile picture. We have also added Student Titles to the results overview spreadsheet. You can download this at the bottom of your student roll and class pages. 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 compre...
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...
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...
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...
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...
New Class League Tables! Is your class in the top hundred on Spellzone? Find our new Class League Table, as well as the School League Table and the Student League Table on your Admin Homepage if you’re a teacher or on the My Spellzone page if you’re a student. Read more about league tables here. Closed Leagues Now Available Would you like to organise a closed league for the schools in your LEA or Academy Trust? Contact us and we will set one up for you. Once set up, your new league table will appear on your Admin Homepage if you’re a teacher or on the My Spellzone page if you’re a student. Have you added an Avatar to your...
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...
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...
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 in 2021, we will highlight 3 word lists for you to use when practising your spelling. We’ve chosen to theme February’s word lists around festivities that are taking place this month. Do you celebrate any of these holidays? Zodiac Animal Signs February 12th 2021 is Lunar New Year and the start of a period of celebrations that end with the Lantern Festival on February 26th. The Zodiac is a 12-year cycle of animal signs that is based on the lunar cal...
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...
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 in 2021, we will highlight 3 word lists for you to use when practising your spelling. Here are January’s: Words from Scotland As it is Burns Night later this month, we’ve chosen to highlight a list of words that originate in Scotland for our first word list this month. Learn more about these words here and practise spelling them here. Burns Night is an event celebrating the life and work of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns. It has been marked on the poet&r...
2020 is almost over and it has been like no other. With school closures across the world, we have all had to adapt to new ways of teaching and learning. So from us, here’s a big well done to every teacher, student, parent, and carer. You have been brilliant. Here is a round-up of our year: Students from around the world sent in their rainbow artwork. View their amazing creations here. We shared advice on how to use Spellzone if your school was closed, how to use Spellzone to keep up with your learning while at home, and how to use Spellzone to help you stay connected. We enhanced our Spelling Ability Test to allow students to get started o...
One week until Christmas Eve! Watch out for these 10 common writing mistakes this festive season: Bough Make sure you’re decking your halls with boughs of holly and not bows. Deer If you’re writing about the animals that pull Santa’s sleigh, use deer not dear. Frankincense What a tricky word to spell! Pay attention to the ‘i’, the ‘c’, and the ‘s’. Mistletoe Don’t get caught out by silent letters – watch out for the sneaky ‘t’ in the word mistletoe. Myrrh Do you find frankincense or myrrh harder to spell? Watch out for the ...
Did you know there are over a million word lists on Spellzone? You can find them on our Word Lists homepage by using the search bar or following the links on the green toolbar at the top of the page. Today we are sharing 10 things you can do with any of the word lists on Spellzone: What does the word mean? Click on a word to see its dictionary definition. Scroll down for synonyms, scrabble scores, and other lists the word appears in. How do you pronounce the word? Click on the speaker icon to hear the word and the example sentence spoken. What does the word mean in my language? Did you know Spellz...
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 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 ...
October is here—the leaves are beginning to change colour, the days are getting shorter, and Halloween is just around the corner. This time of year also means the return of our Autumn Anagrams and Spooky Spelling games! Collect autumn leaves or catch creepy spiders to spell the words. You can even use our Autumn and Halloween spelling lists. Spelling games are great for warming up at the start of a lesson, or taking a break with when you’re beginning to lose focus. Here are some other games for helping you practise your spellings without making it seem like a chore: ⦁ Help a shark find his catch of the day in Fishy Business. Click here to pract...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
If your school has been closed due to the Covid-19 virus, we are here to help. As we go through this uncertain time together, we will do our very best to continue working as normal. While we do expect a higher demand, our servers have plenty of capacity. We aim to continue to respond quickly to any requests for information or support. Whether you are a long-time user or new to our site, we hope some of these ideas will help you stay focused and beat boredom: New to the site and not sure where to start? Logging back in after a long time? The first thing to do is work out your base spelling level using the Spelling Ability Test. Once you have your score, start work...
Spellzone is an online resource so there is nothing to download or install. Schools Spellzone enables students to study independently on any platform in school and at home. Schools can set up logins for their students individually, by spreadsheet upload, or by generating a unique code to enable them to create their own. We can help you get setup and using Spellzone with your students quickly. Teachers can monitor all student activity and results in real-time, set tasks and message students from within Spellzone - no student email addresses are required. There are 1000s of word lists available and you can also create your own. All word lists can be used with spelling ac...
What does each word mean? Threw is the past tense formation of the word throw, which describes the act of propelling something into the air. Throw is also used figuratively to refer to the act of entering an emotional state (like a tantrum) and the act of planning and hosting a celebration. It is also the verb used to describe the action of creating ceramics on a pottery wheel. Here is threw used in some example sentences: The girls threw the ball back and forth. The child threw a tantrum. The ventriloquist threw her voice and made everyone think the puppet was talking. We threw my dad a party for his seventieth birthday. The first pot I threw was ...
Last week we looked at the origins of the word language and today we’re going to continue on that theme with the word idiom. Idioms are an expressive way of using language. They are combinations of word which have a figurative meaning that is separate for the actual definitions of the words used. Here are some examples of idioms and what they mean: 1) fly on the wall an unnoticed witness I’d love to be a fly on the wall when she finally tells them the truth. 2) storm in a teacup a small occurrence exaggerated out of proportion All this outrage seems like a storm in a teacu...
There are an estimated 6000 languages spoken around the world and 43% are endangered. In February 2000, the first International Mother Language Day was marked and it has been observed every year since. This year the event takes place on February 21. Here is what the UN writes about the day on their website: ‘Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. All moves to promote the dissemination of mother tongues will serve not only to 'encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education but also to develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire so...
Tomorrow – February 13 – marks World Radio Day and this year’s theme is diversity. Here is what UNESCO writes about this day on their website: “Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity in all its diversity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. This unique ability to reach out the widest audience means radio can shape a society’s experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard. Radio stations should serve diverse communities, offering a wide variety of programs, viewpoints and content, and reflect the div...
A salary is a regular payment made by an employer to an employee. Though a salary is usually paid in monthly instalments, it is referred to as an annual sum. Here is salary used in some example sentences: Her first job after university had a salary of £18000. She used a calculator to work out her take-home salary. Her pension contributions came straight out of her salary. She was looking for a salaried role. Salary dates to the late-thirteenth century and entered English via the Old French ‘salaire’. The word comes from the Latin ‘salarium’ which means ‘allowance’ or ‘stipend’ – ...
What does each word mean? A complement is something that is added to another thing in order to complete it or make it perfect. The word can also be used as a verb to describe the act of completing or perfecting one thing by adding something else to it. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of complement. Here is complement used in some example sentences: Do you think the colours green and pink complement each other? My new handbag will complement my shoes nicely. This wine is the perfect complement for our dinner. A compliment is a remark or action that expresses praise and admiration. The word can also be used to desc...
For today’s Word for Wednesday, we’re going to look at one of the English language’s weird and wonderful discrepancies. The word in question: noon. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, noon refers to twelve o’clock in the middle of the day. Noon comes from the Old English ‘non’ which has been used in English since the mid-twelfth century. But the word ‘non’ – and here’s where it gets strange – comes from the Latin ‘nona hora’ meaning ‘ninth hour’ (in reference to the ninth hour after sunrise). Before the twelfth century, the word was used in reference to middle of the afternoon –&...
Friday January 24th January marks International Day of Education. The word education is used to describe the activities of imparting or acquiring knowledge or skill, usually in a formal setting like school or university. International Day of Education honours ‘education and its centrality to human well-being and sustainable development.’ Education is a human right that offers children ‘a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future’. Despite this, ‘about 265 million children and adolescents around the world do not have the opportunity to enter or complete school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40%...
What does each word mean? Peace is the absence of stress or freedom from dispute. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is peace used in some example sentences: Mum wanted was to drink her tea in peace. A short period of peace was followed by further battle. The world leaders tried to negotiate peace. A piece a segment or part of an object. The word might also be used to describe an artistic creation, a coin of a specific value, a firearm, or a counter in a boardgame. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is piece used in some example sentences: Would you like a piece of pie?...
Do you know the term ‘star-crossed’? You may have come across it in the opening of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet: Chorus: Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; Whose misadventur'd piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents' strife. Romeo And Juliet Prologue, 1–8 If you are 'star-crossed' it means you are doomed. In Romeo and Juliet, you find out how the story ends right in the...
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...
New year, new you – a phrase that you hear used a lot at this time of year. Many companies – including us – have shared articles about goal setting. Your friends and family members might be setting resolutions of their own. Perhaps you have one or two ideas about what you want to achieve this year. The word declutter is something else you hear quite a lot during the first part of the year. While it’s usually used around spring cleaning season, many people like to get ahead of the game. Decluttering describes the act of getting rid of unnecessary items from a (usually messy or overcrowded) space. Last year, on National Clean Off Your Desk Day, we...
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. Over the next two posts, we’ll share twenty tangible steps you can take to help you achieve: 1) Sign up for a free trial to Spellzone If you aren’t already subscribed to our courses, start here. A free trial will give you time to navigate y...
Cava? Prosecco? Champagne? Or maybe just a cup of tea? What did you ring in the new year with? Champagne is a white sparkling wine that is exclusively produced in the French region with the same name. The word dates to the 1660s and is short for ‘vin de Champagne’ which translates to ‘wine made in Champagne’. While officially only wine from this region can be labelled Champagne, people have been using the word to refer to all sparkling wines since the late eighteenth century. Prosecco is a sparkling white wine made in the Veneto region of north-eastern Italy, and cava refers to sparking wines made in Spain. Champagne literally means ‘open co...
So here we are… the last few day of 2019. Some of you will be wondering where the year went, while others will be looking forward to wiping the slate clean and setting some goals for the new year. We’ll share some ideas for New Year’s spelling goals next week – for now, here’s what we got up to in 2019: We began the year by sharing five challenges for 2019. Did you have a go at any of them? As usual, we expanded our Commonly Confused Words series. This year we looked at: allude vs. elude, assume vs. presume, bath vs. bathe, biannual vs biennial, biweekly vs. fortnightly vs. semi-weekly, click vs. clique, discreet vs. discrete, enqu...
Merry Christmas to all our course subscribers and blog readers! Whatever you are doing, we hope you are having a lovely day. Here is a list of the Christmassy Words for Wednesday we’ve shared over the years: December 'Decem' is Latin for 'ten', so why is it the twelfth month of the year that’s called December? Advent Is advent a period of anticipation or a period of reflection? Pudding Christmas puddings may be delicious, but the origins of this word are less appealing... Reindeer How long have these creatures been a part of Christmas mythology? Trim Trim is a Janus word, which me...
'On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me: Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing, Eight maids a-milking, Seven swans a-swimming, Six geese a-laying, Five golden rings, Four calling birds, Three French hens, Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree!' Although this bird takes centre stage in the famous Twelve Days of Christmas song, partridge is not a word you hear very often during the rest of the year. The twelve days in the song begin on Christmas Day and end on Twelfth Night (the evening of the fifth of January and the eve of Epiphany). While the song’s origins are unknown, the E...
With the Christmas holidays approaching, you might not be feeling as focused on your spelling studies as usual. We don’t blame you – there’s nothing like a cozy evening in on a cold day. Why not try out our relaxing Spelling Snowball game to keep your spelling in shape? In the game, you click on snowflakes in the right order to spell out a word. While Spelling Snowball can be used with any word list (click on the football above the list to play), we’ve created five season-appropriate spelling lists for you to practise with. After all, if you have to work on your spelling, you might as feel festive while you’re doing it. Here are our 5 wintry wo...
Have you noticed a Christmas theme in our Word for Wednesday posts? Last week we looked at the word trim, and today’s word is something you might use when trimming your tree: tinsel. Tinsel is a type of Christmas decoration made up of strips of shiny metal foil attached to a thread. Used during the Christmas season to adorn everything from trees, to picture frames, to ponytails; tinsel is often a divisive subject. While some love it, others deem it gaudy. In fact, the word is sometimes used figuratively to describe something that is superficially glamorous but ultimately cheap. Here is the word used in some example sentences: Every Christmas th...
Do you celebrate Christmas? Have you trimmed your Christmas tree yet? Today’s Word for Wednesday is a Janus word (also known as a contranym or auto antonym). This means it has two contradictory meanings. The term is named for the god of beginnings Janus, whose image – usually depicted with two heads, one looking back into the past and the other looking forward into the future – is often found carved over doorways and gates. In the context of Christmas, trim means ‘to decorate’ or ‘to adorn’. For example: Each year the family gathers to trim the Christmas tree. For Christmas dinner, we had turkey with all the trimmi...
Thanksgiving and similarly-named festivals are celebrated in various countries to give thanks for the harvest and the blessings of the previous year. The date of the celebration changes from country to country and from year to year, and tomorrow – as the fourth Thursday of November – marks the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States of America. In America, Thanksgiving celebrations are the beginning of the festive period leading up to Christmas. Thanksgiving is usually celebrated by sharing a large turkey dinner with friends or family, with each person reflecting in turn on what they are thankful for. There are often parades in large cities. The phrase thank y...
Nice. It’s probably one of the most-used words in the English language. Chances are you’ve been advised not to use it by a teacher. I wouldn’t be surprised if we feature it for one of our 10 Words blog posts in the future. If something is nice, it is ‘pleasant’. You can read the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word here. Here is nice used in some example sentences: The weather is supposed be nice this weekend. He wasn’t very nice to his parents. Last week we looked at the word 'kind', which originally meant ‘treating someone like family’, and it's quite easy to im...
November 13th marks World Kindness Day, which was introduced by the World Kindness Movement in 1998. The World Kindness Movement is a ‘legally registered not-for-profit organization with no political, commercial or religious affiliations’. Members of the World Kindness Movement span 27 different countries and their mission is to ‘inspire individuals towards greater kindness by connecting nations to create a kinder world’. World Kindness Day aims to celebrate and promote kindness in the many different forms it comes in. Click here for ideas for how you can celebrate World Kindness Day in your communities. The Spellzone dictionary defines kin...
What does each word mean? Your waist is where your body narrows slightly between your ribs and hips. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is waist used in some example sentences: He loved the jeans but they were the wrong waist size. She tied a belt around her waist. Waste refers to an activity that is useless or profitless, the careless use of goods, or materials that are unused or worthless. The word is used as a verb to describe becoming physically weaker or using something inappropriately. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is waste used in ...
Friday is National Cappuccino Day. Every year, on November 8th, people join to celebrate the creamy drink they love so much. After all, what’s better on a cold November morning that a hot cup of coffee to help you warm up? A cappuccino is equal parts of espresso and hot milk. Sometimes the drink might be topped with cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, or whipped cream. Although versions of coffee and milk have been enjoyed since the 1700s, the cappuccino as we know it became widespread after the second world war as espresso machines became more common. The drink – first called 'Kapuziner' – comes from Viennese coffee houses where it was sold alongsid...
Have you had a chance to play our new Spooky Spelling game? If not – make sure you have a go. The game is here for the spooky season only. In Spooky Spelling, you have to catch creepy spiders in order to spell words. Spelling games are great way to warm up at the start of a lesson, or to take a break with when you’re beginning to lose focus. They can be used with any of our thousands of spelling lists, or you can create your own spelling list of words you would like to practise. Once you have the words you want to learn, simply click on the football icon above the list and choose the game you want play, What’s better than a spooky s...
Those of you who’ve been reading our blog for a long time will know that, here at Spellzone, we're huge Halloween fans. From exploring the gruesome origins of common English phrases to sharing frightful Words for Wednesday – if it’s scary, we’re there. This year to celebrate, we’ve launched an extra special spelling game! It’s only available until October 31st, so make sure you have a go while you can. In Spooky Spelling, you have to catch creepy spiders in order to spell words. You can even choose a Halloween vocabulary list to practise with! Spelling games are great way to warm up at the start of a lesson, or to take a break with...
The recent bad weather in England has got us thinking about the word flood. A flood is when water overflows and submerges land that is normally dry. While the word is normally used in reference to the weather, it can also be used to describe an overwhelming amount of something fluid or intangible (for example, memories, information, or tears). Flood comes from the Old English ‘flōd’ which in turn comes from the Proto-Germanic ‘floduz’ meaning ‘flowing water or deluge’. The word has been used metaphorically to mean ‘sudden abundance’ since the mid-fourteenth century. From floods of tears, to being flooded with memories, to o...
Here at Spellzone, we’re partial to a good quiz. Be it spelling or trivia, in the classroom or at the pub, we can certainly get behind an activity that helps people develop their knowledge. What's interesting about this word is that its origin story is unclear. One rumour is that the word came into use after a Dublin theatre owner bet he could add a new word to the English language in just a few days. Supposedly he had the word written on city walls across Dublin and the next day the mysterious word was the talk of the town. Soon after the word quiz was incorporated into English as a synonym for ‘test’ which is what the people of the city though the word was meant to...
Depending on the type of English you speak, you may not have heard of this word. Even if you have come across it written down, you may be wondering how on earth it’s pronounced. Queue is the British English word for a line of people or vehicles and is pronounced like the letter ‘q’. In American English, you would describe someone or something as ‘waiting in line’ instead. You can find the Spellzone dictionary definition of the word the word queue plus a recording of how to pronounce it here. In the sixteenth century the word was a heraldic term for the ‘tail of a beast’. The word was also a Middle English metaphor for a ‘line of dan...
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...
Ahoy, me hearties! As you may know, tomorrow is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. The celebration was founded over twenty years ago in 1995 and is a fun way to raise money for charities by dressing up and talking like pirates. While participants are certainly not advised to take part in any of the gruesome aspects of piracy (no pillaging or plundering, please!), toy sword fights and elaborate costumes are widely encouraged. As well as, of course, showing off your best pirate lingo. While historically, there have been many different pirate dialects, children’s’ stories and franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean have promoted certain words and stereotypes – ...
How strange that, in all our years of writing Word for Wednesday posts, we’ve never featured the word spelling. A few years ago, we discovered that the word grammar has links to magic – and of course the word spelling does too (magic spell, anyone?). The word dates to the 1660s when it meant ‘manner of forming words with letters’ and came from the Old English spell- and the suffix -ing. The word evolved to mean 'the way a word has been spelled' by the 1730s. In Old English, spell meant ‘story’ and came from the Proto Germanic ‘spellam’. Around 1200 the word spell took on the meaning ‘utterance’ and late...
Whether you’re a teacher, student, or parent, we hope you’ve had a restful summer and are rejuvenated for the term ahead. If you’re looking to change up your lesson plans or get to grips with spelling this year, Spellzone is the course for you. What better time to try it out than the start of a new academic year? Spellzone is an online English spelling resource used by students aged seven to adult. It unlocks the mystery of English spelling and is adaptable for all abilities including students learning English as a foreign language and those with dyslexia. Want to find out more about how to integrate the course into your studies? Here are some back-to-school...
What does each word mean? Historically, the distinction between the verbs enquire and inquire is that enquire is used to mean ‘ask’ in the wider sense, while inquire is reserved for formal investigations. In modern usage, however, enquire (and the noun enquiry) are more commonly found in British English and inquire (and the noun inquiry) are more commonly found in in American English. Click here to see the Spellzone dictionary definition of enquire and here for the vocabulary lists related to the word. Click here to see the Spellzone dictionary definition of inquire and here for the vocabulary lists related to the word. Here are both words used in some exa...
What does each word mean? Bath is a noun used to describe the process of washing by immersing oneself in hot water, as well as the vessel used to contain the water. In British English the word may also be used to refer to a building that contains public swimming or spa facilities, while in American English the word is sometimes used as a shorthand for a bathroom. In British English, the word is also used as a verb to describe the act of washing oneself or someone else by immersion in a tub of water. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is bath used in some example sentences: He preferred baths to showers. The bat...
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....
What does each word mean? For is a preposition used to describe one thing in relation to another thing. It means ‘in support of’, ‘with regard to’, ‘on behalf of’, ‘with benefit to’ and more. Here is for used in some example sentences: She voted for the Green Party. After the way the teacher dealt with the bullying at school, the parents and children found they had a renewed sense of respect for her. She was a delivery driver for the new pizza joint in town. The Spellzone course is a powerful tool for leaning. He was grateful to his family for their continued support. We leave for Spain to...
1) Sign up for a free trial The best way to find out if Spellzone is right for your school is by signing up for a free 30-day trial. The free trial will give you access to all our resources. Find out more here. 2) Talk to your colleagues If your school is subscribed to Spellzone, it’s a great idea to get as many of your colleagues involved as possible. We offer site licenses covering up to 1200 learners and the more students you sign up, the cheaper the course is per head. Learn more about developing a whole-school spelling policy here. 3) Sign up for a free online demo Once you’ve got yo...
What does each word mean? Biweekly means both ‘every two weeks’ and ‘twice a week’. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is biweekly used in some example sentences: The club meets biweekly on Mondays and Thursdays. The paper is distributed biweekly, usually in the second and fourth week of the month. Fortnightly is a British English word meaning ‘every two weeks’. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is fortnightly used in an example sentence: The paper is distributed fortnightly, usually in the second and fourth week ...
This week’s pair of words often cause confusion in the world of business. Read on to find out what each word means and to learn tricks to help you tell them apart. What does each word mean? The adjective biannual describes something that occurs or is payable twice each year. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is biannual used in some example sentences: The theatre company performs a biannual show in the community garden which is free for members of the public to attend. The payment will be due biannually at the discussed rate. The senior staff members met biannually to discuss progress and make plans f...
What does each word mean? If you are discreet it means you are prudent or unobtrusive with your speech and actions in order to keep something confidential or to avoid embarrassment. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is discreet used in some example sentences: He tried to cough discreetly so that he didn’t disturb other library users. The actor tried to be discreet about her personal life. His mother always embarrassed him with her inability to be discreet. If something is discrete it means it is separate or distinct. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is discrete...
Have you ever thought about how the space you work in might affect your productivity? While some people thrive in chaos, others find mess or clutter distracting. Tidying can sometimes become a form of procrastination. The second Monday of January marks National Clean Off Your Desk Day in America and this year it falls on January 14th. Wherever in the world you live, here are our three top tips for making sure your workspace is utilised for productivity! Work in the Same Space Every Day While we don't expect you to add an extra study room to your home, you might find it productive to work in the same place every day. Whether that's at a desk, at the dining table, or on the ...
Happy Father’s Day! Make sure you spell ‘father’ correctly on your card this year. What does father mean? Father is the word used to describe a male parent. In Christianity, God is also sometimes referred to as the Father (usually as the first person in the Holy Trinity) and in some churches (particularly within Roman Catholicism), Father is a term of address for priests. As a verb, the word refers to a man creating a child. Click here for the full Spellzone dictionary definition of the word. Here is father used in some example sentences: My father’s favourite colour is yellow. The boy didn’t know his father. ‘In the name of the Fath...
Is your New Year’s resolution to improve your spelling? Here are three tips to help you make the most of your Spellzone subscription: Take the Spellzone Spelling Ability Test Our Spelling Ability Test will help you work out a base spelling level and provide you with a tailored version of the course depending on your results and any gaps in your knowledge - your personal Course Pathway. You will be tested on the spellings of a series of words which will get progressively more difficult. Each word that appears in the test relates to a course unit and the test will finish once you spell a set percentage of words incorrectly. You will then be given a baseline Spellzone Score ...
A hyphen is a short dash which is used to link words together. Last week, we learned how to use hyphens in compound words. Today, we will look at how to use hyphens when adding a prefix to another word, how to use hyphens to denote word breaks, and how to use hyphens to stand in for repeated parts of words in lists. Using Hyphens to Join Prefixes to Other Words What is a prefix? A prefix is a collection of letters that is added to the beginning of a word in order to modify its meaning. Prefixes are not usually words in their own right. Here are some examples of prefixes: un- pre- multi- post- super- Do I need to use a hyphen every time I add a prefix to a word?...
What is a hyphen? A hyphen is a short dash which is used to link words together. There are three main situations in which hyphens are used: in compound words, when adding a prefix to another word, and to denote word breaks. This week, we will look at how to use hyphens in compound words. What is a compound word? A compound word is a word that is made up of two or more other words. Hyphens are often used in compound words either to show that when the included words are together they have a combined meaning, or to show the relationship between the included words. There are different types of compound words and you don’t need to use hyphens in all of them. Compound Adjectives...
A few years ago, we looked at 20 words that are often mispronounced. One of the reasons English is such a difficult language to learn is because you can neither rely on the pronunciation of a word to work out its spelling, nor can you rely on the spelling to work out the pronunciation. This is because English has evolved from a variety of different languages. Take a look at the following ‘ch’ words: cheese, champagne, chaos. While they’re all spelt with the same first two letters, the start of each word is pronounced differently: ‘ch’, ‘sh’, and ‘k’. This week we are going to look at 20 more hard-to-pronounce words, but it’s i...
If you have logged into Spellzone recently, you may have noticed a link to the Spelling Ability Test – a new resource we’ve added to make Spellzone even easier to use. What is the Spelling Ability Test? After many requests from both teachers and students, we have a developed the Spelling Ability Test to help students ascertain the best point for them to begin the Spellzone course. The site will provide a tailored version of the course for each student depending on their results and the gaps in their knowledge. A starting spelling score will also help to document the student’s progress and achievements. Who can use the Spelling Ability Test? The Spelling Abi...
Today we’re looking at nine mistakes that people often make when speaking/writing. The correct version of each word – what you should be saying/writing instead – is italicised. Alot Don’t forget the space! To help you remember, think of the opposite to ‘a lot’. We rarely accidentally write ‘alittle’ instead of ‘a little’, so why do we write ‘alot’? Watch out that you don’t mix up ‘a lot’ with the verb ‘allot’ which means ‘to give out’. Alright People have used the spelling ‘alright’ since at least the 1600s, but it’s still considered i...
Last November, with four years of blogging under our belt, we decided to enter the UK Blog Awards and asked you all to spend a second or two voting for us. We spread the word on Facebook and Twitter, as well as over here on the blog, and you really came through for us. In December, we received an email telling us that we’d been selected as one of the ten blogs on the education company shortlist. Thank you! The award ceremony took place last Friday. We dressed up in our fanciest clothes and headed to the Montcalm Hotel in London to await our fate. The event was Alice and Wonderland themed, and upon arrival we were led down the rabbit hole and into a Wonderland-ballroom with teapots, ...
Before you tuck in to your Christmas dinner tomorrow, let's look at the not-so-appetizing origins of the word ‘pudding’. It’s worth noting first the difference in meanings between the American English and British English word ‘pudding’. In the US, ‘pudding’ now almost exclusively refers to a sweet, soft milk-based dessert usually eaten cold. In the UK, you can usually take the word ‘pudding’ to mean ‘dessert’ unless referring to a specific savoury dish such as ‘black-pudding’ or ‘Yorkshire pudding’… The beginnings of the word arose at the turn of the 14th century and the word &lsq...
Depending on your accent, you might find yourself confused between two of these words, or all three of them. What does each word mean? The word are is the present tense second person singular (as in ‘you are’) and the present tense first, second, and third person plural (as in ‘we are’, ’you are’, ‘they are’) of the verb ‘to be’. Here is are used in some example sentences: You are very good at spelling. We are very good at spelling. You are both very good at spelling. They are very good at spelling. TOP TIP: remember that ‘you are’ can also be shortened to ‘you’re’. The word...
Many people struggle with spelling these thirty words, and because they are so often spelt wrong, it is likely that examiners will be watching out for them while marking papers. Over the next two blog posts, we’re going to take a look at these words and share tips and tricks to help you remember how to spell them. Read on for the first fifteen words! accommodation Imagine two people with the initials CC and MM sharing accommodation to help you remember that this word is spelt with two Cs and two Ms. Here at Spellzone we imagine Cheerful Charlie and Mad Mick, but it’s useful to come up with your own characters to make them easier for you to remember. beautifu...
Recently a Spellzone user got in touch with us to ask for information on the words device and devise. Naturally we thought these words would make a great subject for our Commonly Confused Words series. In British English, when two words look similar but one is spelt with a ‘c’ and the other is spelt with an ‘s’, it is often the case that the former is a noun and the latter is a verb. For example, when spelt with a ‘c’, the word ‘practice’ refers to application of an idea or the carrying out of a profession: He tried to put his new maths skills into practice, but still needed a calculator to work out the final sum. Dr Smi...
We have a confession to make, here in the Spellzone office we’ve been addicted to Scrabble for the last few months. The intensely addictive blend of chance and skill combined with our love for words has led to plenty of office rivalry. Scrabble is one of the best selling board games ever with a whopping 150 million units sold worldwide. If word games really are that popular perhaps we’re in the right business! Playing Scrabble is a great way to discover new words, recall words readily, and learn or reinforce spellings. In fact we were surprised at the amount of new words we discovered purely by fooling around with our tiles including the terribly lazy (but high scoring!) ab...
As English is spoken in many countries worldwide, it’s moot to argue that there is only one way to pronounce a word. Take the word ‘route’ for example – here in Britain, we pronounce it ‘root’, while in America it is pronounced ‘rowt’. Even within Britain, regional accents mean that the same word can be pronounced in many ways! Because English has evolved from a variety of different languages, you can’t consistently rely on the spelling of a word to figure out how it’s pronounced. As soon as you learn a pronunciation rule, you’re presented with all the exceptions – just take a look at the following ‘ch’ wo...
What does each word mean? The word desert has two meanings. It is defined by the Spellzone dictionary as either a noun which describes ‘arid land with little or no vegetation’, or a verb which describes the act of leaving someone ‘who needs or counts on you’ ‘in the lurch’ or ‘behind’. Here is desert used in some example sentences: The famous saguaro cactus only grows in the wild in the Sonoran desert. My friends and I are banned from going into the deserted old house at the edge of town. He deserted his wife and children. Dessert refers to ‘a dish served as the last course of a meal’. Here is dessert used in...
What does each word mean? To is a preposition. This means it shows the relation between the noun or pronoun and another part of the sentence. Some examples of pronouns are: at, after, between, on, through, and until. Click here to see the Oxford English Dictionary’s full definition of the word. Here is to used in some example sentences (the italics highlight the noun or pronoun): This afternoon I’m going to the hairdressers. The baked beans are kept in the cupboard to the left of the fridge. To her surprise, the film left her close to tears. My uncle, who is married to my aunt, is not a blood relative. The word too is used to express that either something i...
In today’s Commonly Confused Words post, we’re going to take a look at our first set of homophones: break and brake. To learn more about homophones click here, and to read the other posts in our Commonly Confused Words series, click on the following links: accept vs. except, bought vs. brought, and lose vs. loose. What does each word mean? The word break is usually used as a verb to describe the act of separating something into pieces (usually as the result of a blow, jolt, or shock of some kind), or as a noun to describe a pause or interval from usual ongoing activities. For the full Spellzone definition of the word, click here. Here is the word used in some example ...
What does each word mean? The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines ‘lose’ as to ‘be deprived of’ or to ‘cease to have or retain’ something. The past tense and past participle of the verb ‘lose’ is ‘lost’. Here is the word used in some example sentences: I think we’re going to lose the game. I have a special compartment in my handbag to make sure I don’t lose my car keys. I’ll need to lose weight if I want to wear that dress. The OED defines ‘loose’ as an adjective which describes something that is ‘not firmly or tightly fixed in place, detached or able to be detached’...
Over the year, a few of our blog posts have mentioned words that derive from people or fictional characters: ‘quixotic’ from Don Quixote, ‘malapropism’ from Mrs Malaprop, ‘puckish’ from Puck, ‘July and August’ from Julius and Augustus Caesar, and many more. This week I thought I’d take a look at Charles Dickens, the famous nineteenth-century author, after whom the word ‘Dickensian’ was coined. The Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘Dickensian’ as an adjective used to describe something that is ‘reminiscent of the novels of Charles Dickens, especially in suggesting the poor social conditions or comically re...
A blog on things to come… It’s almost that time of year again and whether love it or hate it, Christmas is an opportunity to spend some time with the people who mean the most – and likely eat far more than is good for you! What’s not to look forward to? The word ‘advent’ is derived from the Latin ‘ad’ meaning ‘to’ and ‘venire’ – ‘come’. It’s a word that seems fit to burst with promise and expectation. What do those two words mean to you? ‘To come…’ To me, it almost interrogative: ‘what is to come?’ There is an element of duality within the word too, advent not only anticipates the beginning of something but also brings the previous period to a reflective close – a word trapped in a limb...
For the last month or so I’ve been sharing my favourite spelling mnemonics over on Twitter. Today, especially for those of you who don’t use Twitter, I’ve decided to round up some of them to share with you all. The thing I struggle with most when it comes to spelling the word ‘necessary’ is keeping track of how many Cs and how many Ss the word has. To combat this (and I’m about to betray how English I am!), I think of how necessary a cup of tea is in ensuring I have a good day – and once I’ve got the image tea in my mind, I think the following: “The word 'ne[c]e[ss]ary' is spelt using one [c]up and two [s]ugars”. Some ...
Today we’re back with more Latin phrases. You may think of Latin as a dead language, but in actuality we still use many Latin phrases as part of modern English. If you would like to read Part 1 of this series (including terms like ‘et cetera’ and ‘in camera’), you can click here. Ad hoc is one of those terms that is thrown around in the workplace all the time. For years, I was too scared to ask anyone what it meant. When I finally did, the person who used it said: ‘You know, I actually have no idea…’ . The phrase translates to ‘for this’, and describes something that is created or done for a specific and immediate purpos...
Why is good spelling important in the workplace? Spelling mistakes can end up losing companies millions in revenue, both through reprinting costs and lost sales. Making a good impression is vital and Spellzone is the perfect course for catching up on the things you may have missed or forgotten from school. If you think poor spelling may be affecting your business, you can purchase a site license for your company, which will allow all of your staff members to access our resources. Here is what Rebecca Healy, the Learning Centre Coordinator at John Lewis Partners, has to say about Spellzone: “I believe this is a fantastic resource for Partners. Whether you found spelling ha...
Now that the summer holidays are well and truly over, we thought it might be worth sharing a few ideas for how you can use Spellzone both in the classroom and for setting homework. To find some general tips for teaching spelling click here and for a typical lesson plan click here. If your school doesn’t already have a school-wide spelling policy, it is really worth implementing one. Consistency is vital for learning spelling, so it is important that students are encouraged to spell correctly in all fields and subjects – rather than just in English lessons. With spelling feedback from all subjects, students will be able to create a more detailed record of their spelling erro...
In the spotlight this week is a word that many of us are all too familiar with, or guilty of having… snooze. I blame it on the recent, unusual heat but the snooze button on my alarm has been seeing more and more use of late. In my semi-conscious state this morning, I was thinking about a word to discuss for the blog when that shrill, complacent siren wailed its morning song. Not now. Snooze. Wait… Snooze? What kind of word is that? Let’s find out. As it happens, the origin of the word is unknown. However, it is thought to have surfaced around the 1780s. To me this suggests that snooze is a word that originates from a sound. In other words I think that snooze is an o...
In Word for Wednesday blog this week, we’ll be clearing up a pair of words, which, in my experience, many people struggle with. The words in question are ‘imply’ and ‘infer’. The difference is subtle but marked – leading to their easy confusion and misuse. To imply, is a communicative device whereby one suggests or indicates something without explicitly stating it – in words or speech. Here’s an example: ‘John, you need to lay off the hamburgers’ Here, the speaker implies that John should lose some weight. However, it is left as an open statement. This allows John or the other people in the conversation to draw their own...
This week’s 'Word for Wednesday' is‘spell’. The Oxford Dictionary gives a grand total of four different definitions for this word. A reminder of how important context is to the meaning of many words, and why the English language can be so confusing to learn. Since we’re a spelling website let’s start with the most obvious definition; Spell as a verb means to write or name the letters that form a word in the correct sequence. ‘I wish you would learn to spell’. The second definition is a little more archaic, one of spell’s noun definitions is a charm or incantation – a set of words, which supposedly have magical powers. Uses o...
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. ...
A little twist to the Word for Wednesday blog this week: we’ll be looking into the grammatical enigma that is the apostrophe. This week, the government has introduced a new spelling and grammar test for primary school children across the UK. Last year, Education Secretary, Michael Gove introduced a new policy which penalises students for poor spelling and grammar in their national examinations. This is the first time such emphasis has been put onto correct spelling and grammar in the education system. In my opinion, one of the biggest culprits for poor grammar is the misuse of the apostrophe. This is so widespread that one need’nt look far (did you spot it?) to find an i...
Make sure your student knows that they are not alone. Finding spelling difficult to get to grips with does not mean that someone is stupid. In fact, some of the world’s cleverest people have struggled with English spelling. Why not organise a research project on successful people and what they have accomplished despite finding spelling hard? Your students might be surprised at how many there are and the variety of fields that they have excelled in. Recommend that your student starts a SPELLING LOG. Whilst your student is certainly not alone in finding spelling difficult, it is important to remember that not everyone will find the same words hard. Students should cre...
English is full of tricky spellings and inconsistencies that make it especially hard to learn compared to some other more phonetic languages. Perhaps these complexities give the English language its character and expressive qualities in literature and but do they alienate people who would otherwise be more inclined to read and write? English spelling is already very firmly and widely established, is it too late to re-think the entire method of spelling? Perhaps rather than changing the way we spell it would be wiser to support the proper learning of spelling? Spellzone posted a blog yesterday about the late Edward Rondthaler who was a strong supporter of a spelling reform called &ls...
‘A mish-mash of colliding egos, conflicting claims and confused memories has led researchers down many false trails while searching for the origins of this American art form, not least where the name came from.’ – Posh and Other Language Myths, Michael Quinion. This unusual word has fascinated scholars and the public alike since its very gradual and shrouded inception sometime in early twentieth century America. Although its history has been rather well documented, its early use and actual origin is still shrouded in mystery. The word Jazz continues to be and always has been a very versatile word encompassing a plethora of different meanings and even spellings. Spelli...
One of the most alarmingly persistent grammatical errors in the English language is the incorrect use of the words there, their and they’re. We’ve all asked that age-old question: ‘Is it there, their or they’re?’ So why is it that this mistake is so commonly made and how can we learn to master these pesky spellings and help resolve this issue for good? There, their and there are a certain type of homophone known as heterographs. This means they sound the same but both their spellings and their meanings are different. Since their meanings are different, when one is used in the incorrect context, the sentence actually fails to make sense. Here is a commo...
In September 2012, the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced that UK secondary schools will receive £500 of additional ‘Catch-Up Premium’ funding for each Year 7 pupil (aged 11-12 years old) who did not achieve Level 4 or better at Key Stage 2 in reading and/or maths. The aim of this funding is to pay for additional support for these pupils in literacy and numeracy to help them to catch up and access the secondary curriculum more fully. This support is welcome. According to Department for Education figures (from the 2012 Key Stage 2 provisional data and the autumn 2012 School Census data), 13 per cent of UK Year 7 pupils did not achieve level 4 in reading in 2012...
Spellzone s aim is to help improve the spelling of English worldwide. The use of sound and speech technology is one of the keys to the functionality and effectiveness of our educational resource. Where would we be without this technology and more fundamentally, where would we be without the ability to speak? Sadly many people worldwide have to rely on assistive speech technology for their day-to-day communication needs, something which most of us take for granted. Spellzone have recently been involved in a research project called The Creative Speech Technology Network (CreST). CreST is an interdisciplinary network of contributors to the field of computer speech. It is led by Dr Alistai...
Being born and raised in York, England and looking forward to my holiday visiting friends in Sweden, I started to think about the words that connect our cultures. Many of these words are still used in Yorkshire and are of Old Norse origin. Here are a few examples: Barn (pronounced Bairn) - a young child Beck - a stream Berserk - going mad Brigg - a bridge Cleg - a horse fly Crake - a crow (my parents live in a village called Crayke) Dale - a valley Fell- a hill or mountain Flags - paving stones Flit - to move house ( Are you flitting? ) Foss - waterfalls or rapids - (there is a River Foss in York) Gat - got Gate - Street - Micklegate is a street in York Gawp - look Hey up (s...
When announcing the schools White Paper, The Importance of Teaching, the Education Secretary Michael Gove´s statement placed the focus firmly onto traditional school values. See: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11822208 https://www.education.gov.uk/schools/teachingandlearning/schoolswhitepaper/b0068570/the-importance-of-teaching/ No doubt there will be many who agree and probably more who will disagree with Mr. Gove´s statement and the contents of the White paper. Whatever the outcome, let´s not forget the one-in-ten pupils who have a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia. At secondary school one of the main ways in which dyslexia manifests itsel...
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