KS2 SATs English: Spelling Rules Revision Guide

Prefixes

A prefix is added to the start of a word to change its meaning, e.g. un- (unhappy), dis- (disagree), re- (rewrite), mis- (misunderstand).

Suffixes

A suffix is added to the end of a word. Adding -ly to most adjectives makes an adverb (quick → quickly). Words ending in a consonant and y usually change the y to i before adding a suffix (happy → happiness).

Doubling the final consonant

When a short word ends in a single vowel and consonant, double the consonant before adding -ing or -ed: stop → stopping, run → running.

Homophones and exception words

Homophones sound the same but are spelled differently and mean different things, e.g. there/their/they're, to/too/two. Learn the Year 5/6 statutory word list, which includes tricky exception words like "necessary" and "definitely".

Common mistakes

• Forgetting to double the consonant before adding -ing to short words.
• Mixing up homophones — check which one makes sense in the sentence.
• Missing the silent letters in exception words.