Ages 9 to 10 · P6 in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Year 5 spellings: what your child is learning, and how to help
Year 5 starts the Year 5 and 6 programme: endings such as -cious and -tious, -cial and -tial, and -ant and -ent, words with silent letters, and the many sounds of ough. Children start on the Year 5 and 6 statutory list of 100 words. Here's the year, with sets to practise.
What Year 5 children learn in spelling
In Year 5, many words are long and some letters are there for history rather than sound, as in "doubt" and "island". Children learn the patterns behind similar endings and how to check a word in a dictionary. The statutory list is taught across Years 5 and 6.
Each pattern below has its words, and a page to play them and download their worksheets.
Endings which sound like shus spelt -cious or -tious
11 wordsIf the root word ends in -ce, the shus ending is usually -cious (vice, vicious); otherwise it's often -tious.
- vicious
- precious
- conscious
- delicious
- malicious
- suspicious
- ambitious
- cautious
- fictitious
- infectious
- nutritious
Endings which sound like shul
6 wordsThe shul ending is usually -cial after a vowel and -tial after a consonant, with a few exceptions such as initial.
- official
- special
- artificial
- partial
- confidential
- essential
Words ending in -ant, -ance/-ancy, -ent, -ence/-ency
22 wordsA related word ending in -ation often points to -ant or -ance; after a soft c, soft g or qu it's usually -ent or -ence.
Set 1
10 words- observant
- observance
- expectant
- hesitant
- hesitancy
- tolerant
- tolerance
- substance
- assistant
- assistance
Set 2
12 words- innocent
- innocence
- decent
- decency
- frequent
- frequency
- confident
- confidence
- obedient
- obedience
- independent
- independence
Words with the ee sound spelt ei after c
5 words‘i before e except after c’ works when the sound is ee, as in receive and ceiling.
- deceive
- conceive
- receive
- perceive
- ceiling
Words containing the letter-string ough
18 wordsThe letters ough can spell several different sounds, as in bought, rough, though and through.
Set 1
10 words- ought
- bought
- thought
- nought
- brought
- fought
- rough
- tough
- enough
- cough
Words with silent letters
6 wordsSome letters aren't sounded any more but are still written, as in lamb, doubt and knight.
- doubt
- island
- lamb
- solemn
- thistle
- knight
The Year 5 and 6 programme also covers Words ending in -able, -ible, -ably and -ibly, Adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words ending in -fer, Use of the hyphen, Homophones and other words that are often confused . They're on the Year 6 spellings page.
The Year 5 and 6 statutory list
Across Years 5 and 6, children learn the statutory word list. Here are the first ten words.
- accommodate
- accompany
- according
- achieve
- aggressive
- amateur
- ancient
- apparent
- appreciate
- attached
See every word on the Year 5 and 6 statutory list, in weekly sets
How to help your Year 5 child with spellings
- For silent letters, say the word as it's written ("is-land", "dou-b-t") when you practise.
- Group similar endings: practise the -cious words together, then the -tious words.
- Keep sessions short. Long words are tiring, and ten minutes is plenty.
- Let your child find their own memory trick for the hardest word each week.
Are there tests in Year 5?
There's no national test in Year 5. In areas with grammar schools, some children sit the 11-plus at the start of Year 6, and spelling can be part of its English paper.
Year 5 in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Year 5 is P6 in Scotland and Northern Ireland. The lists here are from the curriculum in England; Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland don't have a statutory list. If your child's school sends words home, you can make a game from those instead.
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