Year 5 spelling words and practice
In Years 5 and 6 the NSW English syllabus asks children to spell longer words by their parts: endings such as tion, sion and ous, prefixes that change to match the word, Greek and Latin roots such as port and graph, and the quiet syllable that makes words like separate hard. A child is expected to say why a word is spelt the way it is, not only to copy it.
48 Year 5 words below, grouped by pattern, each from Learnest's own Stage 3 questions. The device reads a word aloud, then the sentence it comes from, your child types it, and the slip shows the right spelling with the tricky part marked.
Practise the words
Pick a pattern, or ten mixed words.
Turn the sound up. The first word plays when you press Start.
Words to practise
Every word right. Pick another pattern, or try the mixed ten again.
Email me this for later
We email you this score and the words to practise, so you can come back to them. Your email address only: nothing about your child.
Ten words can show a pattern that slips, not fix it. On English days Learnest sets spelling by pattern, names the slip under a wrong answer and brings the pattern back until it holds.
14 days free, then A$10 a month for one child and A$5 for each extra child. You add a card today and pay A$0. Cancel online before day 14 and you pay nothing.
This browser cannot read words aloud. Ask a grown-up to read the words: say the word, then its sentence, then the word again, while your child writes it down. The list is the answer sheet.
The Year 5 words, by pattern
Ask a grown-up to read the words: say the word, then its sentence, then the word again, while your child writes it down. The list is the answer sheet.
Endings tion, sion and cian
- direction Which direction is the library from here?
- action The movie was full of action.
- decision It was a hard decision to make.
- musician The musician played the violin at assembly.
- electrician
- permission Ask Mum for permission to go to the park.
- extension
Endings ous, ance and ence
- famous The famous singer waved to the crowd.
- dangerous Swimming between the flags keeps you away from dangerous rips.
- poisonous
- importance
- confidence
- adventurous
- courageous The courageous firefighter carried the puppy to safety.
- humorous
- independence Many countries celebrate the day they gained independence.
- patience Fixing the bike chain took a lot of patience.
Prefixes in, im, il and ir
- impossible It is impossible to finish the puzzle in one minute.
- incorrect Two of my answers were incorrect.
- incomplete
- imbalance
- independent
- illegal It is illegal to park across a driveway.
- irregular The shape had irregular sides of different lengths.
- immobile
- immature
- illegible
Long words, one syllable at a time
- adventure Hana read an adventure story about a lost dog.
- remember Did you remember to bring your hat?
- hospital The ambulance drove to the hospital in Auburn.
- yesterday It rained all day yesterday.
- family
- wonderful We had a wonderful day at the zoo.
- vegetable Mum grew a vegetable patch behind the house.
- interesting Leila found an interesting shell at the beach.
- calculator Theo used a calculator to check his answer.
- library We borrowed three books from the library.
- chocolate
- celebration Our class had a celebration on the last day of term.
Words that sound the same, or nearly
- where Can you tell me where you left your school bag?
- wear You must wear a hat at lunch in summer.
- aloud Please read the poem aloud to the class.
- passed We passed the park on the way to school.
- piece Can I have a piece of the orange?
- knew Omar knew the answer straight away.
- were The shops were closed on Sunday morning.
- whose Whose jumper is left on the floor?
- board Write your name on the board.
Questions parents ask
What spelling should a Year 5 child be able to do?
Stage 3 of the NSW English syllabus, which Year 5 follows, works on the endings tion, sion and cian, ous, ance and ence, the prefixes in, im, il and ir, long words one syllable at a time, and homophones such as passed and past. The syllabus sets patterns, not a list of words, so schools choose their own words. The words on this page come from Learnest's own Stage 3 questions and show those patterns.
How does the practice work?
Pick a pattern, or ten mixed words, and press Start. The device reads a word aloud, then the sentence it comes from, and your child types the word and presses Check. A right answer gets a tick. A wrong one shows the right spelling with the letters that differ marked, and the pattern it follows. At the end you see the score and the words to practise, and can try those again or print them.
What if the device cannot read the words aloud?
Some browsers have no voice, and a tablet with the sound off says nothing. Then a grown-up reads the words from the list on this page: say the word, the sentence, then the word again, and let your child write it. The list is the answer sheet, and it prints on a few pages, with a sheet of lines for your child at the end.
Spelling by pattern, every English day.
Ten words can show a pattern that slips, not fix it. On English days Learnest sets spelling by pattern, names the slip under a wrong answer and brings the pattern back until it holds.
14 days free, then A$10 a month for one child and A$5 for each extra child. You add a card today and pay A$0. Cancel online before day 14 and you pay nothing.
Learnest is not affiliated with ACARA, NESA, the NSW Department of Education or the Australian Maths Trust. Every word and sentence on this page is Learnest's own, from the questions it sets. None comes from a school list or a past paper.