Change the numbers, layout and number of problems, then download a new PDF with its answer key.
These free 4th grade spelling words come in 5 weekly lists of 10 words, covering five patterns for grade 4: homophones, prefixes, suffixes, silent letters and tricky words. Each list has its own practice packet with rainbow writing, ABC order, missing letters, word scrambles, word shapes, sentences, word pyramids and a practice test, with an answer key. Choose a list and print the PDF.
4th grade spelling words to print (PDF)
These four pages show what the generator prints for the 4th grade spelling words. Click a picture for the PDF, or use the generator above to choose another list or type your own words.
Each list has ten words built around one spelling pattern, so children learn the pattern and not just the words. This 4th grade spelling list shows all 50 of the 4th grade spelling words:
List
Pattern
The 10 words
Average letters
1
Homophones
there, their, to, too, two, hear, here, write, right, knew
The 4th grade spelling words are between 2 and 9 letters long. The average word has 5.9 letters, and this table shows how the lengths divide:
Letters in the word
Words (out of 50)
Share of all the words
2
1
2%
3
2
4%
4
6
12%
5
11
22%
6
11
22%
7
11
22%
8
5
10%
9
3
6%
List 1 of the 4th grade spelling words: homophones: words that sound the same
Word
Meaning
Sounds like
there
a place, or the start of “there is”
their
their
belonging to them
there
to
toward, or part of a verb
too, two
too
also, or more than enough
to, two
two
the number 2
to, too
hear
to take in sound with your ears
here
here
in this place
hear
write
to put words on paper
right
right
correct, or the opposite of left
write
knew
past of know
new
Homophones have different meanings and spellings, so the meaning, not the sound, tells you which one to write. A memory trick helps with each pair: here contains he and re, so it is a place like there, which has the word here inside it. Hear contains ear. Write starts with the silent w, like wrist and wrong. The Common Core asks fourth graders to spell correctly and to consult references (L.4.2.D).
Model sentences: We hear them over there, and I know their names too. I knew that two and two are right.
List 2 of the 4th grade spelling words: prefixes un-, re- and dis-
like → dislike, agree → disagree, honest → dishonest
A prefix goes at the front of a word and changes its meaning, but it never changes the spelling of the base word. That is the point of this list: un plus kind is unkind, with one n each from the prefix and the base. The double letters in dissatisfy and unnecessary come from the same rule, and children can find more such words by looking for prefixes in their reading. Knowing prefixes also helps with word meaning: if you know what dis- means, you can work out disappear and disconnect.
Model sentences: I dislike the unfair rule, so I will rewrite it. He was unhappy, so he did not reread the note.
List 3 of the 4th grade spelling words: suffixes -ful, -less and -ly
Suffix
Meaning
Base word → new word
-ful
full of
help → helpful, care → careful, color → colorful, play → playful
-less
without
hope → hopeless, fear → fearless, use → useless
-ly
in a way
quick → quickly, slow → slowly, kind → kindly
Notice that the suffix -ful has only one l, although the word full has two. This is the most common spelling mistake with this suffix. Suffixes also change the part of speech: help is a verb, and helpful is an adjective. Adding -ly to an adjective makes an adverb, so quick becomes quickly. A pair such as careful and careless shows that the same base can have opposite meanings with the right suffix.
Model sentences: The careful boy walked slowly and kindly helped. A fearless, playful dog ran quickly.
List 4 of the 4th grade spelling words: silent letters: seen but not heard
Silent letter pattern
Words in the list
What to remember
kn (the k is silent)
knee, knife
Most kn words come from old English words that once pronounced the k
wr (the w is silent)
wrong, wrist
Many words about twisting begin with wr
mb (the b is silent)
lamb, thumb, climb
The b comes after m at the end of the word
gn (the g is silent)
gnome
Also in gnat and gnaw
st (the t is silent)
listen
Also in castle and whistle
The s is silent
island
It was added to the spelling by mistake, in the 1500s
Silent letters are left over from the history of English, when the letters were pronounced. Children cannot work them out by sound, so the best way to learn them is to notice the pattern. Say the word with an exaggerated sound, k-nee or lis-ten, to remember the letter that is silent. The word island comes from an old word with no s, and the s was added later because people wrongly connected it with isle.
Model sentences: She hurt her knee and her wrist on the island. We climb to listen for the lamb.
List 5 of the 4th grade spelling words: tricky words that do not follow the rules
Word
The tricky part
A way to remember
because
au and se
Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants
friend
ie, not ei
You are a friend to the end
people
eo says ee
Say it pee-oh-pull to hear every letter
again
ai says eh
Say it a-gain, to hear the a-g-a-i-n
through
ough says oo
Learn it as a chunk, th-rough
enough
ough says uff
Learn it as a chunk, e-nough
favorite
three syllables, fa-vor-ite
The or is in the middle
different
dif-fer-ent
Two f’s, and the middle e is part of the sound
special
ci says sh
Special is a spe-cial, not a spe-shal
beautiful
eau says u
Spell beauty first, then change the y to i and add -ful, with one l
These ten words are the ones that fourth graders most often misspell, because the spelling does not match the sound. Rather than sounding them out, children should learn the tricky part and use a memory trick. The silly sentences are strangely effective: for because, “big elephants can always understand small elephants” gives the first letter of every part of the word. Ask children to make up their own for the words they get wrong.
Model sentences: My friend gave special help againbecause it was a beautiful day. Differentpeople enjoy their favorite things, and one is enough.
4th grade spelling worksheets: what is in each packet
The practice packet for one list of the 4th grade spelling words has nine activities. It prints 11 pages, and 5 more pages with the answer keys. Each activity trains a different part of spelling:
Activity
What the child does
Skill it builds
Rainbow write
Write each word in three colors, one on top of another
Letter formation and the look of the word
Look, say, cover, write, check
Look at the word, say it, cover it, write it from memory and check
Visual memory
ABC order
Put the words in alphabetical order
Alphabet skills and attention to first letters
Missing letters
Fill in the letters that are left out of each word
Attention to every letter
Word scramble
Unscramble the letters to make each word, with a word bank
Letter order
Word shape boxes
Write each word in the boxes that match its shape: tall, short and tail letters
Word shape and letter height
Write sentences
Write a sentence with each word
Meaning and use
Practice test
Listen and write the words, or copy them from a list the child reads
Recall under test conditions
Word pyramids
Build each word one letter at a time, from one letter to the whole word
Letter order and spelling aloud
You can print the whole packet, or just one activity, such as the practice test for a Friday quiz on the 4th grade spelling words. The answer keys cover the ABC order, missing letters, scramble, word shape and test pages.
Spelling practice 4th grade: a week with one list
Short daily sessions work better than a single long one. This plan for the 4th grade spelling words uses two pages a day and takes about ten minutes:
Day
Worksheets
Time
Monday
Rainbow write and ABC order
10 minutes
Tuesday
Look, say, cover, write, check, and word shape boxes
10 minutes
Wednesday
Missing letters and word scramble
10 minutes
Thursday
Write sentences and word pyramids
10 to 15 minutes
Friday
Practice test, then check with the answer key
10 minutes
If you want to learn more about how spelling is taught, Wikipedia’s English orthography article describes why English spelling has so many patterns and exceptions.
Weekly spelling words: how many and how fast?
Ten words a week is a common number for 4th grade spelling words, and it works well when the words share a pattern, because the child learns the pattern once and uses it ten times. If your school gives five or eight words, choose the first words of a list, or type your own list into the generator. Move on to the next list when the child scores 8 out of 10 or better on the practice test. This is how to read the test score:
Words right out of 10
Score
What to do next
10
100%
Move on to the next list
9
90%
Practice the missed word, then move on
8
80%
Many teachers count this as mastery; review the 2 words
7
70%
Repeat two of the activities with the whole list
6 or fewer
60% or less
Repeat the packet over another week
The Common Core asks fourth graders to spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed (L.4.2.D). The five lists are the ones that cause the most mistakes at this age: homophones, prefixes, suffixes, silent letters and tricky words. Encourage children to check the words they are unsure of in a dictionary.
How to use the 4th grade spelling worksheets
Introduce the pattern first. Read the list of 4th grade spelling words aloud with the child, and ask what the words have in common.
Do the activities in order. The packet moves from copying to remembering, and then to using the words.
Use real words. Ask the child to find the 4th grade spelling words in a book, and to use two of them in a story.
Test on Friday. Read the words aloud, one at a time, and use each in a sentence. Check with the key.
Keep the missed words. Add them to next week’s practice.
Printing tip
Print at 100% or “Actual size” and turn off “Fit to page”, so every measurement on the sheet is exact. Choose Letter or A4 paper in the generator before you download the PDF.
Try two pages a day: Monday rainbow writing and ABC order, Tuesday look-say-cover-write-check, Wednesday missing letters and scrambles, Thursday sentences and pyramids, Friday the practice test.
Can I use our school spelling list instead?
Yes. Open the generator, type your own words and print the same activities. You can use up to 20 words.
How many spelling words should a 4th grade student learn each week?
Most classes use five to ten words a week. These lists have ten, and you can type a shorter list of your own.
Do the packets have answer keys?
Yes. The packet has answer key pages for the ABC order, missing letters, word scramble, word shape and test pages.
Are these 4th grade spelling words free?
Yes. They are free to print for home and classroom use, with no sign-up.
