KS2 spelling guide for 2027
Year 6 SATs spelling practice 2027
Year 6 SATs spelling practice for 2027 can start with the Years 5–6 curriculum words. KS2 tests run from 10–13 May 2027. English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1: questions and Paper 2: spelling are both on Monday 10 May 2027. Schools can view results from Tuesday 6 July 2027.
Dates follow the official 2027 parent guide. Follow your school’s teaching sequence. The 2027 paper words are not yet published; released past papers show previous questions, and cannot predict the next paper.
Free ten-word curriculum practice needs no name, account or payment. Released-paper practice and formal 20-word tests require Family Pass: £9 for 12 months, up to five children, no automatic renewal. Updated .
Test format
What is in the Year 6 SATs spelling test?
Year 6 spelling is Paper 2 of the KS2 grammar, punctuation and spelling test. A test administrator reads each target word, places it inside a sentence and repeats the word. The child writes the missing spelling in an answer booklet. Each correct word earns one mark.
Children listen to the word in context and write the complete spelling themselves. Spellito follows that one-word-at-a-time rhythm: the teacher voice reads the word and sentence, the child types the answer, and the session moves through all 20 words before showing the result.
| Paper | What it covers | Marks | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1: questions | Grammar, punctuation and vocabulary | 50 | 45 min |
| Paper 2: spelling | 20 words read aloud in sentences | 20 | Approx. 15 min |
Released materials
Which past SATs spelling papers can children practise?
Spellito includes the KS2 spelling words and test sentences from nine released paper years. Choose one year for a paper-shaped session, or use the mixed 20-word challenge for a fresh selection across Year 6 content.
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
- 2026
The past-paper collection runs from 2016 to 2026 where a released paper is available. There were no national papers in 2020 or 2021, so those years do not appear in the selector.
Official 2026 past paper
What were the 2026 Year 6 SATs spelling words?
The officially released 2026 Paper 2 words were rough, confusion, flour, impossible, pleasure, crystal, machines, confidently, knitting, differed, session, antique, probably, suspicious, elegant, potential, examiner, registration, hazardous and fascinating. They appear below in test order.
rough
‘ough’ representing the short ‘u’ sound
confusion
the ending pronounced ‘zhun’
flour
choosing a homophone from the sentence meaning
impossible
a prefix and an ending from the -able/-ible family
pleasure
the ending pronounced ‘zhuh’
crystal
the short ‘i’ sound represented by y
machines
the ‘sh’ sound represented by ch
confidently
adding -ly to a word ending in -ent
knitting
a silent initial letter
differed
adding a suffix to a word ending in -fer
session
choosing -ssion for the ‘shun’ ending
antique
the ‘k’ sound represented by -que
probably
changing -able to -ably
suspicious
the -cious/-tious ending
elegant
choosing an -ant/-ent ending
potential
the ending pronounced ‘shul’
examiner
adding a suffix to a multisyllable word
registration
adding the suffix -ation
hazardous
adding the suffix -ous
fascinating
the ‘s’ sound represented by sc and adding -ing
How can these words guide the next practice session?
The Standards and Testing Agency content domain for every spelling comes from the official mark scheme. The four blocks below are Spellito’s original teaching groups, not official categories. They simply turn the mark-scheme detail into manageable follow-up practice; a child should still meet the words in sentences.
Sound-to-letter patterns
rough, pleasure, crystal, machines, antique and fascinating
Say the target sound, underline the letters that represent it, then compare another word using the same pattern.
Tricky endings
confusion, session, suspicious and potential
Sort the words by their ending and connect each one to a related word where the ending is easier to hear.
Roots and suffixes
impossible, confidently, differed, probably, elegant, examiner, registration and hazardous
Find the root word first, then show exactly what changes when the prefix or suffix is added.
Meaning and remembered letters
flour and knitting
Use the sentence to choose flour rather than flower, and make the silent k in knitting visually memorable.
Curriculum coverage
Which Year 6 spelling patterns are worth revising?
The Year 5 and 6 statutory word list is useful, but it is only part of upper-KS2 spelling. Children are also expected to use what they know about word roots, prefixes, suffixes, sound-letter patterns, morphology and etymology when spelling unfamiliar words. The 2026 paper sampled several of these areas, but no one SATs paper represents the whole Year 5 and 6 curriculum.
Prefixes and suffixes
Build longer words accurately from a known root word.
Homophones
Choose the spelling that matches the meaning inside the sentence.
Silent letters
Remember letters that cannot be predicted from pronunciation alone.
The ‘ough’ letter string
Recognise that the same letters can represent different sounds.
Endings such as -cious and -tious
Use the word family and root to choose the ending.
Words containing ei after c
Apply the pattern while noticing the listed exceptions.
A calm practice plan
How should a child use Year 6 SATs spelling practice?
- 1
Follow the school’s sequence
Start with the words and patterns your school is teaching. Free ten-word curriculum practice gives a short session; Family Pass adds released 20-word past-paper sessions.
- 2
Review the result
At the end, compare each mistake with the correct spelling. Look for the exact letter group or ending that changed.
- 3
Practise the pattern
Use Year 6 mixed practice for the underlying pattern, then return to another released paper on a different day.
Short, focused sessions make it easier to notice why a word was wrong. One paper provides a useful snapshot; repeated practice with the spelling pattern is what turns that result into progress. Family Pass lets parents keep separate profiles and see each child’s recent practice in the Spellito parent dashboard.
Check the source
Where do the Year 6 SATs spelling facts and words come from?
Test format and released-paper details come from the Standards and Testing Agency. Curriculum-pattern guidance comes from the national curriculum for English and English Appendix 1. These sources let parents and teachers check the original material directly.
Contains material developed by the Standards and Testing Agency for 2026 national curriculum assessments and licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Read the licence.
- 2027 KS2 tests: official information for parents
Test dates and when schools can view results.
- 2026 KS2 test administration guidance
Paper format, timing, marks and administration.
- 2026 KS2 grammar, punctuation and spelling materials
The released 2026 past paper, answer booklet and mark scheme.
- National curriculum in England: English
The programmes of study and spelling appendix.
Questions parents ask
Year 6 SATs spelling practice FAQs
When is the Year 6 SATs spelling test in 2027?
KS2 tests run from 10–13 May 2027. English grammar, punctuation and spelling Paper 1: questions and Paper 2: spelling are both on Monday 10 May 2027.
When will schools receive the 2027 SATs results?
Schools can view results online from Tuesday 6 July 2027. Your school decides how to share them with families, who should receive them by the end of the summer term.
What were the 2026 Year 6 SATs spelling words?
The 20 words were rough, confusion, flour, impossible, pleasure, crystal, machines, confidently, knitting, differed, session, antique, probably, suspicious, elegant, potential, examiner, registration, hazardous and fascinating.
How many words are in the Year 6 SATs spelling test?
Paper 2 contains 20 spellings. Each word is read by the test administrator in a sentence, and the pupil writes the missing word in the answer booklet. The paper is worth 20 marks.
How long is the Year 6 SATs spelling paper?
The official guidance allows approximately 15 minutes for Paper 2, although it is not strictly timed. Spellito keeps a released-paper practice session moving through the same 20-word shape.
Is spelling a separate Year 6 SATs paper?
Yes. The KS2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test has two papers. Paper 1 covers grammar, punctuation and vocabulary questions; Paper 2 is the 20-word spelling paper.
Does Spellito use official past SATs spelling papers?
Yes. Spellito's past-paper sessions use spelling words from test materials released by the Standards and Testing Agency, with the word read clearly inside its test sentence.
Which Year 6 SATs spelling papers can I practise?
Spellito includes released KS2 spelling-paper practice from 2016 to 2026 where a paper is available. Each available paper contains 20 spellings.
Is Year 6 SATs spelling practice free?
Ten-word practice from the Years 5–6 statutory curriculum list is free without a child name, account or payment. Released-paper practice and formal 20-word tests require Family Pass: £9 per family for 12 months, for up to five children, with no automatic renewal. The free activity uses curriculum words; the 2027 paper words are not yet published.
Should children only memorise the Year 5 and 6 word list?
No. The statutory word list matters, but upper-KS2 spelling also covers patterns and word families, including prefixes, suffixes, homophones, silent letters and the different sounds made by letter groups such as 'ough'.
Clear annual pricing
Start free. Pay only when the family extras help.
A child can practise ten built-in words without entering their name, making an account or paying. Family Pass is the optional complete home product.
Basic practice
FREE
No child name or account needed
- Ten-word curriculum practice
- Hear each word in a sentence
- Clear correction and another try
Complete home tools
£9
per family per year
- Up to five child profiles
- Buddies, hints and private progress
- Parent-entered home lists, SATs papers and cross-device sync
- Paper spelling tests and family duels
12 months. No automatic renewal.
