Tricky Spelling Patterns
Spelling patterns are the regular ways letters group together to make sounds — learning them helps children spell words they have never seen before. In Year 3 (ACARA v9), students move beyond sounding out single letters to recognising common patterns: letter teams like 'igh' in night, silent letters, double letters, and the different ways one sound can be spelled. Rather than learning every word one at a time, spotting the pattern — 'ai' as in rain, train and paint — lets a child spell a whole family of words at once. Knowing patterns also helps with the many tricky words in English, where the spelling does not quite match the sound.
Worked examples
The long 'a' sound is spelled 'ai' in these words. Fill the gaps: r__n, tr__n, p__nt.
The 'ai' team makes the long 'a' sound in the middle of a word. Put 'ai' in each gap.
Answer: rain, train, paint
The 'igh' pattern makes a long 'i' sound. Use it to spell: n__t, l__t, r__t.
Replace each gap with the three letters 'igh', which together say 'i'.
Answer: night, light, right
Some words have a silent letter. Which letter is silent in knee, knock and knife?
Each word begins with 'kn'. Say each one aloud — you hear the 'n' but not the letter before it.
Answer: The 'k' is silent
Double the last letter before adding -ing: hop, run, sit.
When a short word ends in one vowel then one consonant, double that final consonant before adding -ing.
Answer: hopping, running, sitting
Tips
- •Group words into families. Once a child can spell rain, they can spell train, chain and brain — teach the pattern, not twenty separate words.
- •Say the word slowly and listen for the pattern. Stretching night out helps a child hear where the 'igh' sits, even though those letters do not sound out one by one.
- •Common mistake to watch for: children often spell by sound alone and write 'nite' for night or 'lite' for light. Point out that English has patterns that do not match the sound — 'igh' is one to learn by sight.
- •Practise little and often with real writing. Spotting a pattern in a story or on a sign sticks better than copying a list ten times.