Spelling, Vocabulary and Word Families: Year 4 Study Guide
Knowing how words are built helps with both spelling and meaning.
Many English words are built from a base word plus a prefix (at the front) or a suffix (at the end). Knowing the parts helps students spell and work out unfamiliar words. Disappear = dis- (not) + appear. Happiness = happy + -ness. When adding a suffix, spelling rules apply: drop the silent e (hope → hoping), change y to i (happy → happiness) and double the final consonant after a short vowel (run → running).
Students also learn homophones, words that sound the same but are spelt differently and mean different things.
Common prefixes and suffixes
| Part | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| un- | not | unkind, unfair |
| re- | again | rewrite, reuse |
| dis- | not, opposite | disagree, dislike |
| -ful | full of | careful, helpful |
| -less | without | careless, hopeless |
| -ment | state or result | enjoyment, movement |
Homophones
Tricky pairs include there/their/they're, to/two/too, hear/here, wear/where and sea/see. Use memory tricks: 'You hear with your ear', and 'here' and 'there' both contain 'here' to show place.
Decide the meaning.
Place, ownership or action?
Write it.
Read it again.
Dictionary and thesaurus
A dictionary gives the spelling, the part of speech and meaning. Guide words at the top of a page show the first and last words on it. A thesaurus lists synonyms (big: large, huge, enormous), which helps writers avoid repeating words. Check that the synonym fits the sentence: a huge mistake is fine, but an enormous idea may not carry the same meaning.
Worked example and common mistakes
Example: Add -ing to skate: skating (drop the e). Add -ness to lazy: laziness. Common mistakes: mixing up their and there, forgetting to double a consonant (runing) and choosing a synonym with the wrong tone. Keep a personal word list of tricky words.
Check your understanding: model answers
1. Unhappy. 2. Swimming (double the m). 3. Hear.
✨ Key Takeaways
- Words have base words, prefixes and suffixes.
- Spelling rules change base words before suffixes.
- Homophones sound the same but differ in meaning.
- A thesaurus gives options; check they fit.
💬 Questions for Discussion & Reflection
- Add 'un-' to make the opposite of 'happy'.
- Add -ing to 'swim'.
- Choose: They (hear/here) the bell.
Print a spelling test template →