Language Conventions
Additional NAPLAN Spelling Tips
Tip 1: Silent Letters
At the Beginning
Three double phonograms may only be used at the beginning of base words and each of these double phonogram has a silent letter: kn as in knife, wr as in write and wh as in white.
Some words have single, silent letters that are not part of any phonograms: hour, heir, honest.
In the Middle
Words may have silent letters in the middle: calm, could, salmon, debt, doubt, sword, scene, science.
At the End
Words may have silent letters at the end: comb, lamb, climb.
Tip 2: er, ar, or
Some English words have an indefinite vowel sound something like a short "uh" sound. We hear this commonly in words ending in er, ar or or. This indefinite vowel sound is called schwa. The symbol for schwa is an upside down e: Ə. It is important to be familiar with the schwa sound because it represents phonograms with vowel sounds that are not clearly spoken and thus harder to spell. We learn how these words are spelt by doing lots of reading.
Examples: cellar, angular, mother, father, tutor, victor.
Tip 3: The Silent Letters gh
Four phonograms have a silent gh.
* three letter i: night, light, fright.
* four letter a: eight, weigh, neigh.
* ough which makes six sounds: ow in plough, long o in dough, long oo in through, uff in tough,or in bought, off in cough.
* augh makes two sounds: arf in laugh, or in daughter.
Tip 4: The Double Vowel ou
While it is helpful for students to know the sounds made by all of the 70 most common phonograms, the double vowel ou is a particularly tricky phonogram for many students. It makes four sounds:
1. ow as in sound
2. long o as in soul
3. long oo as in you
4. short u as in cousin
It is the fourth sound that many students find challenging, particularly when it is used in the suffix ous to change nouns into adjectives: fame + ous = famous, mystery + ous = mysterious.
Tip 1: Silent Letters
At the Beginning
Three double phonograms may only be used at the beginning of base words and each of these double phonogram has a silent letter: kn as in knife, wr as in write and wh as in white.
Some words have single, silent letters that are not part of any phonograms: hour, heir, honest.
In the Middle
Words may have silent letters in the middle: calm, could, salmon, debt, doubt, sword, scene, science.
At the End
Words may have silent letters at the end: comb, lamb, climb.
Tip 2: er, ar, or
Some English words have an indefinite vowel sound something like a short "uh" sound. We hear this commonly in words ending in er, ar or or. This indefinite vowel sound is called schwa. The symbol for schwa is an upside down e: Ə. It is important to be familiar with the schwa sound because it represents phonograms with vowel sounds that are not clearly spoken and thus harder to spell. We learn how these words are spelt by doing lots of reading.
Examples: cellar, angular, mother, father, tutor, victor.
Tip 3: The Silent Letters gh
Four phonograms have a silent gh.
* three letter i: night, light, fright.
* four letter a: eight, weigh, neigh.
* ough which makes six sounds: ow in plough, long o in dough, long oo in through, uff in tough,or in bought, off in cough.
* augh makes two sounds: arf in laugh, or in daughter.
Tip 4: The Double Vowel ou
While it is helpful for students to know the sounds made by all of the 70 most common phonograms, the double vowel ou is a particularly tricky phonogram for many students. It makes four sounds:
1. ow as in sound
2. long o as in soul
3. long oo as in you
4. short u as in cousin
It is the fourth sound that many students find challenging, particularly when it is used in the suffix ous to change nouns into adjectives: fame + ous = famous, mystery + ous = mysterious.
Tip 5: The Suffix shon
The suffix ion following a sh or zh sound is used to change words into nouns.
* The phonogram si is the only phonogram that makes a zh sound: vision, illusion.
* The two phonograms, ti and si, spell the sh sound in the suffix shon: nation, invitation, expression, admission.
* The phonogram ci also makes a sh sound, usually in the suffix shan: musician, electrician, magician, politician.
The phonogram ci is also used in words with the shall sound: facial, crucial, social, official, commercial.
The suffix ion following a sh or zh sound is used to change words into nouns.
* The phonogram si is the only phonogram that makes a zh sound: vision, illusion.
* The two phonograms, ti and si, spell the sh sound in the suffix shon: nation, invitation, expression, admission.
* The phonogram ci also makes a sh sound, usually in the suffix shan: musician, electrician, magician, politician.
The phonogram ci is also used in words with the shall sound: facial, crucial, social, official, commercial.