Key learning points

1. In polysyllabic words, some vowels can be unstressed and hard to hear and spell.
2. Saying the word how it is spelt can help to learn the spelling.
3. Thinking of the root word and identifying prefixes and suffixes can help to learn the spelling.
4. How to spell the curriculum words: variety, various, imagine and definite.

Keywords

• Polysyllabic - describes a word that has more than one syllable

• Vowel letters - the letters ‘a’, ‘e’, ‘i’, ‘o’, ‘u’ (and sometimes ‘y’) that represent vowel sounds

• Unstressed - an unstressed sound is not emphasised or pronounced with much force

Common misconception