Ages 9 to 10 · grade 4 · UK Year 5
4th grade spelling words
Grade 4 spelling is about endings that sound alike and are spelled differently (-tion, -sion, -ture), and about borrowed spellings like ph. Knowing a word’s ending usually tells a child what kind of word it is, too.
Follow the whole grade 4 year: a new list every Monday →
Practise this week’s grade 4 list now, out loud, free →
Week 1
-ation
The most common ending of all: -ation, as in nation and location.
- nation
- location
- creation
- donation
- vacation
- relation
- situation
- population
- ancient
- apparent
Stretch: information, celebration, imagination, conversation
At home: Turn verbs into -ation words: create, creation; relate, relation.
Week 2
-sion after d and de
-sion often follows a word ending in d or de: decide, decision.
- decision
- division
- confusion
- conclusion
- invasion
- collision
- revision
- persuasion
- appreciate
- attached
Stretch: comprehension, apprehension, supervision, provision
At home: Find the base word: decision (decide), division (divide).
Week 3
-ssion
-ssion follows a word ending in ss or mit: discuss, discussion; admit, admission.
- permission
- admission
- discussion
- expression
- impression
- profession
- possession
- confession
- average
- awkward
Stretch: compassion, obsession, succession, transmission
At home: Find the base word: permission (permit), discussion (discuss).
Week 4
-cian (people)
-cian names a person with a skill, from a word ending in c: music, musician.
- magician
- musician
- electrician
- physician
- politician
- optician
- technician
- mathematician
- bargain
- bruise
Stretch: beautician, logician, statistician, pediatrician
At home: Find the base word: magician (magic), electrician (electric).
Week 5
ph says f
Words from Greek spell the f sound ph.
- phone
- photo
- phrase
- sphere
- trophy
- phantom
- physical
- pharmacy
- correspond
- curiosity
Stretch: phenomenal, philosophy, hemisphere, atmosphere
At home: Spot ph on a walk or in a shop: pharmacy, photo, phone.
Week 6 · Review
creation, situation, decision, division, permission, discussion, magician, musician, phrase, physical
Week 7
-ive
-ive makes a describing word: act, active; create, creative.
- active
- creative
- massive
- expensive
- attractive
- positive
- negative
- relative
- definite
- desperate
Stretch: competitive, informative, productive, persuasive
At home: Describe a friend with an -ive word: creative, active, positive.
Week 8
-ous
The us sound at the end of a describing word, spelled ous.
- nervous
- dangerous
- enormous
- jealous
- generous
- curious
- mountainous
- poisonous
- determined
- develop
Stretch: courageous, ridiculous, tremendous, adventurous
At home: Find -ous words in a book: nervous, dangerous, enormous.
Week 9
-ant and -ent
They sound the same, so this is mostly memory, helped by a related word: patient, patience.
- distant
- elegant
- servant
- tenant
- absent
- silent
- patient
- frequent
- excellent
- familiar
Stretch: significant, magnificent, convenient, independent
At home: Match the pairs: distant and distance, silent and silence.
Week 10
tele-, auto-, micro- and bio-
Greek beginnings: tele- (far), auto- (self), micro- (small), bio- (life).
- telescope
- telegraph
- automatic
- automobile
- microscope
- microphone
- microwave
- biography
- foreign
- forty
Stretch: autobiography, microorganism, telecommunication, automation
At home: Guess the meaning from the parts: telescope (far + look).
Week 11
struct and spect
Latin roots: struct means build, spect means look.
- structure
- construct
- instruct
- obstruct
- inspect
- respect
- suspect
- prospect
- identity
- individual
Stretch: infrastructure, instruction, spectacular, perspective
At home: Find the root in each word: con-struct, in-spect.
Week 12 · Review
creative, expensive, nervous, jealous, distant, patient, telescope, microscope, structure, inspect
Week 13
-ify
-ify makes a verb that means to make: simple, simplify.
- simplify
- classify
- purify
- notify
- clarify
- solidify
- identify
- beautify
- interfere
- lightning
Stretch: intensify, exemplify, personify, electrify
At home: Turn describing words into -ify verbs: pure, purify; terror, terrify.
Week 14
-ery and -ory
Two endings that sound alike: bakery, factory.
- bakery
- bravery
- discovery
- delivery
- factory
- memory
- victory
- territory
- occupy
- opportunity
Stretch: laboratory, observatory, vocabulary, category
At home: Sort the words: -ery like bakery, or -ory like factory.
Week 15
-gue and -que
Endings from French: -gue says g (vague) and -que says k (unique).
- antique
- unique
- technique
- vague
- fatigue
- intrigue
- colleague
- boutique
- persuade
- queue
Stretch: picturesque, opaque, physique, critique
At home: Say "uni-k" and spell u-n-i-q-u-e. The que says k.
Week 16
ch that says sh
In words from French, ch says sh: brochure, parachute.
- brochure
- parachute
- chalet
- chandelier
- chute
- charade
- avalanche
- niche
- relevant
- rhyme
Stretch: chauffeur, chivalry, chiffon, machinery
At home: Say each word slowly and listen for the sh sound spelled ch.
Week 17
Silent letters: b, n, l and h
Silent b (doubt), n (autumn), l (calm) and more, left over from older spellings.
- doubt
- debt
- subtle
- column
- autumn
- solemn
- calm
- salmon
- secretary
- shoulder
Stretch: condemn, receipt, rhythm, yacht
At home: Say the silent letter out loud as a reminder: dou-b-t, autum-n.
Week 18 · Review
classify, identify, bakery, factory, unique, vague, parachute, avalanche, doubt, column
Week 19
Homophones: accept and except
Pairs that sound alike and mean different things: accept and except, affect and effect.
- accept
- except
- affect
- effect
- whether
- brake
- grate
- steal
- soldier
- stomach
Stretch: principal, principle, stationary, stationery
At home: Make up a sentence for each pair and act out the difference.
Week 20
-cial and -tial
The shul sound at the end of a word: special, partial.
- special
- official
- social
- crucial
- facial
- partial
- initial
- potential
- sufficient
- suggest
Stretch: artificial, confidential, influential, residential
At home: Use the base word: office, official; part, partial.
Week 21
fore- and post-
fore- means before and post- means after: forecast, postpone.
- forecast
- foresee
- forehead
- foreground
- postpone
- postcard
- precaution
- prehistoric
- thorough
- twelfth
Stretch: foreshadow, postscript, forefather, posterior
At home: Watch the weather forecast and spell forecast.
Week 22
-en
-en makes a verb that means to make: bright, brighten.
- brighten
- lengthen
- strengthen
- widen
- shorten
- sharpen
- loosen
- harden
- variety
- achieve
Stretch: straighten, moisten, threaten, enlighten
At home: Turn describing words into -en verbs: wide, widen; short, shorten.
Week 23
semi-, multi- and poly-
Number beginnings: semi- is half, multi- is many, poly- is many.
- semicircle
- semifinal
- semicolon
- multiply
- multitask
- multimedia
- polygon
- polyester
- amateur
- accompany
Stretch: multinational, polyhedron, semiconductor, multicultural
At home: Draw a semicircle and a polygon, and label them.
Week 24 · Review
accept, effect, special, partial, forecast, postpone, lengthen, sharpen, semicircle, multiply
Week 25
French -et and -ette
In words from French, -et says ay (ballet) and -ette says et (cassette).
- ballet
- buffet
- bouquet
- gourmet
- croquet
- beret
- cassette
- baguette
- community
- competition
Stretch: silhouette, etiquette, crochet, palette
At home: Listen: bal-lay is spelled ballet. The t is silent.
Week 26
Doubling in longer words
Double the last letter when the end of the word is stressed: begin, beginning; prefer, preferred.
- beginning
- forgotten
- preferred
- referred
- permitted
- regretted
- controlled
- equipped
- explanation
- pronunciation
Stretch: transferring, propelled, compelled, rebelled
At home: Say the word and find the loud part: be-GIN. Stressed at the end? Double it.
Week 27
aqua and audi
Latin roots: aqua means water, audi means hear.
- audio
- audience
- audition
- audible
- aquarium
- aquatic
- aqueduct
- auditorium
- signature
- symbol
Stretch: aquamarine, aqualung, inaudible, auditory
At home: Find the root: aquarium (water), audience (hear).
Week 28
-ate
-ate makes a verb: decorate, celebrate. Drop the e before -ion: celebration.
- educate
- celebrate
- decorate
- operate
- imitate
- estimate
- calculate
- illustrate
- system
- vegetable
Stretch: concentrate, accumulate, exaggerate, originate
At home: Turn -ate verbs into -ation words: decorate, decoration.
Week 29
Tricky words for grade 4
Words that older writers use often and misspell often.
- business
- mischief
- nuisance
- privilege
- exaggeration
- conscience
- sincerely
- guarantee
- recommend
- controversy
Stretch: mischievous, hygiene, rehearse, sincere
At home: Look for the tricky part of each word and say it as spelled: bus-i-ness.
Week 30 · Review
ballet, bouquet, beginning, forgotten, audience, aquarium, celebrate, calculate, business, guarantee
How to practise a list like this
- Say the word, then a sentence, then the word. Your child writes it from memory, not by copying it.
- Check each word straight away. Show the right spelling, point to the letters that differ, and have them write it again.
- A few words a day beats the whole list the night before. Start on Monday with a quick check, so the practice goes on the words they don’t know yet.
Other grades
The lists are Cub Climb’s own, by spelling pattern. Every word is spelled the same in American and Canadian English. Spell Cub reads them in American or Canadian English, as the class chooses.