Reading a word over and over rarely makes it stick. Good spellers don't memorise every word letter by letter — they use a handful of strategies that turn spelling into something you can work out and check. Here are the ones that make the biggest difference.
1. Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check
This classic method works because it makes you recall the word rather than copy it:
- Look at the word carefully and notice any tricky part.
- Say it out loud, clearly.
- Cover it so you can't see it.
- Write it from memory.
- Check it against the original, letter by letter. If it's wrong, repeat.
2. Split Long Words Into Syllables
Long words are much easier in chunks: re-mem-ber, hel-i-cop-ter, but-ter-fly. Clap or tap each part as you say it, then spell one part at a time.
3. Say It the Way It's Spelled
Some words have silent or blurred letters. Saying them "wrongly" on purpose helps you remember the letters: Wed-nes-day, Feb-ru-ary, k-nife, lis-ten.
4. Learn Word Families
Words that share a pattern can be learned together: light, night, bright, fight; cake, make, lake, bake. Once you know one, you know the whole group. The same works for endings such as -tion (station, nation) and -ing.
5. Use Memory Tricks for the Hard Ones
- necessary — one Collar, two Sleeves (one c, two s).
- separate — there's "a rat" in sepa rate.
- dessert has two s's because you'd always want seconds; a desert has just one.
- friend — you'll be friends to the end.
Commonly Misspelled Words
| Correct | Common mistake |
|---|---|
| definitely | definately |
| separate | seperate |
| necessary | neccessary |
| receive | recieve |
| accommodate | accomodate |
| beginning | begining |
| tomorrow | tommorow |
About the famous rule "i before e except after c": it helps with words like receive and ceiling, but there are many exceptions (weird, their, science), so treat it as a hint, not a law.
Words That Sound the Same
Many spelling mistakes are really word-choice mistakes: their / there / they're, your / you're, its / it's. A quick test for the apostrophe versions: if you can replace the word with "they are", "you are" or "it is", use they're, you're or it's.
Make Practice Short and Regular
Ten minutes a day beats an hour once a week. Keep a list of the words you get wrong, practise them with Look–Say–Cover–Write–Check, and come back to them a few days later — spelling a word correctly after a gap is the best sign it has stuck.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does reading more improve spelling?
Yes — regular reading exposes you to correct spellings again and again. It works best alongside active practice such as writing words from memory.
Should I rely on spell-check?
Spell-check is useful, but it misses correctly spelled wrong words (their/there) and can't help in handwritten work or exams, so it's worth building the skill as well.
Want to practise? Our Spelling Bee game shows a picture, says the word, and lets you spell it with letter tiles.