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National curriculum in England

Years 3 and 4 spelling words: the shared statutory list

In short: England's national curriculum provides one shared spelling list for Years 3 and 4. The Department for Education prints 100 statutory entries; Spellito separates grouped forms into 109 individual spellings so children can practise each one.

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Complete practice list

All 109 individual Years 3 and 4 spellings

These spellings preserve the official list while separating grouped forms such as accident and accidentally. That makes every form a distinct item a child can hear, spell and revisit.

  1. accident
  2. accidentally
  3. actual
  4. actually
  5. address
  6. answer
  7. appear
  8. arrive
  9. believe
  10. bicycle
  11. breath
  12. breathe
  13. build
  14. busy
  15. business
  16. calendar
  17. caught
  18. centre
  19. century
  20. certain
  21. circle
  22. complete
  23. consider
  24. continue
  25. decide
  26. describe
  27. different
  28. difficult
  29. disappear
  30. early
  31. earth
  32. eight
  33. eighth
  34. enough
  35. exercise
  36. experience
  37. experiment
  38. extreme
  39. famous
  40. favourite
  41. February
  42. forward
  43. forwards
  44. fruit
  45. grammar
  46. group
  47. guard
  48. guide
  49. heard
  50. heart
  51. height
  52. history
  53. imagine
  54. increase
  55. important
  56. interest
  57. island
  58. knowledge
  59. learn
  60. length
  61. library
  62. material
  63. medicine
  64. mention
  65. minute
  66. natural
  67. naughty
  68. notice
  69. occasion
  70. occasionally
  71. often
  72. opposite
  73. ordinary
  74. particular
  75. peculiar
  76. perhaps
  77. popular
  78. position
  79. possess
  80. possession
  81. possible
  82. potatoes
  83. pressure
  84. probably
  85. promise
  86. purpose
  87. quarter
  88. question
  89. recent
  90. regular
  91. reign
  92. remember
  93. sentence
  94. separate
  95. special
  96. straight
  97. strange
  98. strength
  99. suppose
  100. surprise
  101. therefore
  102. though
  103. although
  104. thought
  105. through
  106. various
  107. weight
  108. woman
  109. women

Free classroom resource

Free printable Years 3 and 4 spelling checklist

Record three different observations instead of turning one score into a permanent label. Use the starting check to plan, review the spelling after a gap, then look for it in ordinary independent writing.

How to print

Choose Print from your browser or device menu. Use landscape orientation if you want the widest writing boxes.

Starting check
Check a taught word independently.
Review after a gap
Revisit it later, not immediately.
Independent writing
Tick only when the word appears in ordinary writing.

Pupil or class code

Year group

Term or review period

On a smaller screen, swipe the table sideways to see every observation column.

All 109 Years 3 and 4 individual practice spellings with starting-check, later-review and independent-writing columns.
WordStarting checkReview after a gapIndependent writingWordStarting checkReview after a gapIndependent writing
accidentstarting check for accidentreview after a gap for accidentindependent writing for accidentintereststarting check for interestreview after a gap for interestindependent writing for interest
accidentallystarting check for accidentallyreview after a gap for accidentallyindependent writing for accidentallyislandstarting check for islandreview after a gap for islandindependent writing for island
actualstarting check for actualreview after a gap for actualindependent writing for actualknowledgestarting check for knowledgereview after a gap for knowledgeindependent writing for knowledge
actuallystarting check for actuallyreview after a gap for actuallyindependent writing for actuallylearnstarting check for learnreview after a gap for learnindependent writing for learn
addressstarting check for addressreview after a gap for addressindependent writing for addresslengthstarting check for lengthreview after a gap for lengthindependent writing for length
answerstarting check for answerreview after a gap for answerindependent writing for answerlibrarystarting check for libraryreview after a gap for libraryindependent writing for library
appearstarting check for appearreview after a gap for appearindependent writing for appearmaterialstarting check for materialreview after a gap for materialindependent writing for material
arrivestarting check for arrivereview after a gap for arriveindependent writing for arrivemedicinestarting check for medicinereview after a gap for medicineindependent writing for medicine
believestarting check for believereview after a gap for believeindependent writing for believementionstarting check for mentionreview after a gap for mentionindependent writing for mention
bicyclestarting check for bicyclereview after a gap for bicycleindependent writing for bicycleminutestarting check for minutereview after a gap for minuteindependent writing for minute
breathstarting check for breathreview after a gap for breathindependent writing for breathnaturalstarting check for naturalreview after a gap for naturalindependent writing for natural
breathestarting check for breathereview after a gap for breatheindependent writing for breathenaughtystarting check for naughtyreview after a gap for naughtyindependent writing for naughty
buildstarting check for buildreview after a gap for buildindependent writing for buildnoticestarting check for noticereview after a gap for noticeindependent writing for notice
busystarting check for busyreview after a gap for busyindependent writing for busyoccasionstarting check for occasionreview after a gap for occasionindependent writing for occasion
businessstarting check for businessreview after a gap for businessindependent writing for businessoccasionallystarting check for occasionallyreview after a gap for occasionallyindependent writing for occasionally
calendarstarting check for calendarreview after a gap for calendarindependent writing for calendaroftenstarting check for oftenreview after a gap for oftenindependent writing for often
caughtstarting check for caughtreview after a gap for caughtindependent writing for caughtoppositestarting check for oppositereview after a gap for oppositeindependent writing for opposite
centrestarting check for centrereview after a gap for centreindependent writing for centreordinarystarting check for ordinaryreview after a gap for ordinaryindependent writing for ordinary
centurystarting check for centuryreview after a gap for centuryindependent writing for centuryparticularstarting check for particularreview after a gap for particularindependent writing for particular
certainstarting check for certainreview after a gap for certainindependent writing for certainpeculiarstarting check for peculiarreview after a gap for peculiarindependent writing for peculiar
circlestarting check for circlereview after a gap for circleindependent writing for circleperhapsstarting check for perhapsreview after a gap for perhapsindependent writing for perhaps
completestarting check for completereview after a gap for completeindependent writing for completepopularstarting check for popularreview after a gap for popularindependent writing for popular
considerstarting check for considerreview after a gap for considerindependent writing for considerpositionstarting check for positionreview after a gap for positionindependent writing for position
continuestarting check for continuereview after a gap for continueindependent writing for continuepossessstarting check for possessreview after a gap for possessindependent writing for possess
decidestarting check for decidereview after a gap for decideindependent writing for decidepossessionstarting check for possessionreview after a gap for possessionindependent writing for possession
describestarting check for describereview after a gap for describeindependent writing for describepossiblestarting check for possiblereview after a gap for possibleindependent writing for possible
differentstarting check for differentreview after a gap for differentindependent writing for differentpotatoesstarting check for potatoesreview after a gap for potatoesindependent writing for potatoes
difficultstarting check for difficultreview after a gap for difficultindependent writing for difficultpressurestarting check for pressurereview after a gap for pressureindependent writing for pressure
disappearstarting check for disappearreview after a gap for disappearindependent writing for disappearprobablystarting check for probablyreview after a gap for probablyindependent writing for probably
earlystarting check for earlyreview after a gap for earlyindependent writing for earlypromisestarting check for promisereview after a gap for promiseindependent writing for promise
earthstarting check for earthreview after a gap for earthindependent writing for earthpurposestarting check for purposereview after a gap for purposeindependent writing for purpose
eightstarting check for eightreview after a gap for eightindependent writing for eightquarterstarting check for quarterreview after a gap for quarterindependent writing for quarter
eighthstarting check for eighthreview after a gap for eighthindependent writing for eighthquestionstarting check for questionreview after a gap for questionindependent writing for question
enoughstarting check for enoughreview after a gap for enoughindependent writing for enoughrecentstarting check for recentreview after a gap for recentindependent writing for recent
exercisestarting check for exercisereview after a gap for exerciseindependent writing for exerciseregularstarting check for regularreview after a gap for regularindependent writing for regular
experiencestarting check for experiencereview after a gap for experienceindependent writing for experiencereignstarting check for reignreview after a gap for reignindependent writing for reign
experimentstarting check for experimentreview after a gap for experimentindependent writing for experimentrememberstarting check for rememberreview after a gap for rememberindependent writing for remember
extremestarting check for extremereview after a gap for extremeindependent writing for extremesentencestarting check for sentencereview after a gap for sentenceindependent writing for sentence
famousstarting check for famousreview after a gap for famousindependent writing for famousseparatestarting check for separatereview after a gap for separateindependent writing for separate
favouritestarting check for favouritereview after a gap for favouriteindependent writing for favouritespecialstarting check for specialreview after a gap for specialindependent writing for special
Februarystarting check for Februaryreview after a gap for Februaryindependent writing for Februarystraightstarting check for straightreview after a gap for straightindependent writing for straight
forwardstarting check for forwardreview after a gap for forwardindependent writing for forwardstrangestarting check for strangereview after a gap for strangeindependent writing for strange
forwardsstarting check for forwardsreview after a gap for forwardsindependent writing for forwardsstrengthstarting check for strengthreview after a gap for strengthindependent writing for strength
fruitstarting check for fruitreview after a gap for fruitindependent writing for fruitsupposestarting check for supposereview after a gap for supposeindependent writing for suppose
grammarstarting check for grammarreview after a gap for grammarindependent writing for grammarsurprisestarting check for surprisereview after a gap for surpriseindependent writing for surprise
groupstarting check for groupreview after a gap for groupindependent writing for groupthereforestarting check for thereforereview after a gap for thereforeindependent writing for therefore
guardstarting check for guardreview after a gap for guardindependent writing for guardthoughstarting check for thoughreview after a gap for thoughindependent writing for though
guidestarting check for guidereview after a gap for guideindependent writing for guidealthoughstarting check for althoughreview after a gap for althoughindependent writing for although
heardstarting check for heardreview after a gap for heardindependent writing for heardthoughtstarting check for thoughtreview after a gap for thoughtindependent writing for thought
heartstarting check for heartreview after a gap for heartindependent writing for heartthroughstarting check for throughreview after a gap for throughindependent writing for through
heightstarting check for heightreview after a gap for heightindependent writing for heightvariousstarting check for variousreview after a gap for variousindependent writing for various
historystarting check for historyreview after a gap for historyindependent writing for historyweightstarting check for weightreview after a gap for weightindependent writing for weight
imaginestarting check for imaginereview after a gap for imagineindependent writing for imaginewomanstarting check for womanreview after a gap for womanindependent writing for woman
increasestarting check for increasereview after a gap for increaseindependent writing for increasewomenstarting check for womenreview after a gap for womenindependent writing for women
importantstarting check for importantreview after a gap for importantindependent writing for important

Important: This checklist records observations. It is not a diagnostic assessment. Current KS2 teacher-assessment guidance treats spelling in pupils' writing as important evidence and says tests may provide additional evidence. Read the 2026 Department for Education guidance.

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Turn the list into practice

Learn the relationship, then test the spelling

Keep families together

Compare forms such as actual and actually, or possess and possession, so the shared root is visible.

Use a sentence

Hear the word in context before spelling it from memory. That helps with pairs such as breath and breathe.

Revisit mistakes

Practise a short set, check it straight away and repeat the words that were difficult instead of restarting the whole list.

Source check

Department for Education curriculum source

Spellito is an independent practice app, not the official publication. The list comes from the Department for Education's statutory English programmes of study and English Appendix 1: Spelling for England.

Read the English programmes of studyOpen English Appendix 1

Last reviewed 28 August 2026.

Questions from parents

Years 3 and 4 spelling questions

Is there a separate statutory spelling list for Year 3?

No. England's national curriculum provides one statutory word list for Years 3 and 4. Schools decide how to organise those words across the two school years.

Why does Spellito show 109 spellings when the official list has 100 entries?

Some Department for Education entries group related forms, such as accident and accidentally, or eight and eighth. Spellito separates those forms so a child can practise each spelling individually: 100 statutory entries become 109 practice spellings.

Will every school teach these words in the same order?

No. The list is shared across Years 3 and 4, so schools can sequence it differently and teach the spelling patterns alongside their own curriculum.

Does free Years 3 and 4 practice require an account?

No. A child can start built-in Year 3 or Year 4 spelling practice as a guest. An adult account is only needed for saved family progress and custom school-word lists.

Can I print a Years 3 and 4 spelling checklist?

Yes. The free checklist on this page includes every individual spelling with columns for a starting check, a later review and evidence from independent writing. It records observations rather than assigning a diagnostic label.

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