Spelling words › Year 5 and 6 spelling words

Year 5 and 6 spelling words

These are the statutory spelling words for Years 5 and 6 from the National Curriculum in England: longer, trickier words like “accommodate”, “necessary” and “rhythm” that children meet before secondary school. There are 104 words on the list.

The 104 Years 5 and 6 words

Word	What it means
accommodate	Provide sufficient space or lodging.The hall can accommodate everyone.
accompany	Go somewhere with someone as a companion.Will you accompany me to the shop?
according	As stated by or in.According to the weather forecast, it will rain.
achieve	Successfully bring about or reach a desired objective.Work hard to achieve your goals.
aggressive	Ready or likely to attack or argue.The guard dog looked aggressive.
amateur	Engaging in an activity without professional payment.He is an amateur photographer.
ancient	Belonging to the very distant past.We explored ancient ruins.
apparent	Clearly visible or understood.It was apparent that she was happy.
appreciate	Recognize the full worth of.I appreciate your help.
attached	Fastened or joined together.The label is attached to the parcel.
available	Ready to be used or got.Are there any seats available on the bus?
average	Normal or usual; in the middle.It was an average sort of day.
awkward	Clumsy or uncomfortable.It was an awkward box to carry.
bargain	Something bought for less than it is worth.This coat was a bargain.
bruise	A dark mark on the skin where it has been hit.I have a bruise on my knee.
category	A group of things that are alike.Sort the animals into each category.
cemetery	A place where people are buried.Old trees grow in the cemetery.
committee	A group of people chosen to make decisions.The school council is a committee.
communicate	To share ideas or information with others.We communicate by talking and writing.
community	A group of people living in the same place.Our local community is very friendly.
competition	An event or contest in which people compete.He won the spelling competition.
conscience	An inner feeling of right and wrong.Let your conscience be your guide.
conscious	Awake and aware of what is around you.He was conscious after the fall.
controversy	Disagreement, typically public and prolonged.The new rule caused much controversy.
convenience	The state of being able to proceed with little effort.Shop at your earliest convenience.
correspond	Have a close similarity or communicate by exchange of letters.Our stories correspond closely.
criticise	Indicate the faults of someone or something.It is easy to criticise others.
curiosity	Wanting to know or learn about things.Curiosity made her open the box.
definite	Certain and clear.We need a definite answer.
desperate	Needing something very badly.I was desperate for a drink.
determined	Having decided firmly to do something.I am determined to learn to ride my bike.
develop	To grow or change over time.Tadpoles develop into frogs.
dictionary	A book or resource listing words and meanings.Look up the spelling in the dictionary.
disastrous	Going very badly.The picnic was disastrous because of the wasps.
embarrass	To make someone feel shy or silly.Please don’t embarrass me in front of my friends.
environment	The natural world around us.We must protect the environment.
equip	To give someone the things they need.The school will equip us with paintbrushes.
equipped	Having the things you need.The classroom is well equipped.
equipment	The things you need for an activity.Put the PE equipment away.
especially	More than usual; particularly.I love fruit, especially strawberries.
exaggerate	To make something sound bigger or better than it is.Don’t exaggerate the size of the fish!
excellent	Extremely good.That was an excellent story.
existence	Being real or alive.Do you believe in the existence of aliens?
explanation	Words that make something clear.The teacher gave an explanation of the rules.
familiar	Well known to you.The song sounded familiar.
foreign	From another country.She speaks a foreign language.
forty	The number 40.There are forty children in the choir.
frequently	Often.It frequently rains in April.
government	The group of people who run a country.The government makes laws.
guarantee	A promise that something will happen or work.The toy has a guarantee.
harass	To keep bothering or upsetting someone.Do not harass the ducks.
hindrance	Something that gets in the way.The rain was a hindrance to our game.
identity	Who someone is.The superhero kept his identity secret.
immediate	Happening straight away.We need an immediate answer.
immediately	Straight away; now.Come here immediately!
individual	One single person.Each individual gets a turn.
interfere	To get involved when you are not wanted.Don’t interfere with my model.
interrupt	To stop someone while they are talking or doing something.Please don’t interrupt me.
language	The words people use to talk and write.French is a language.
leisure	Free time to relax.Reading is my favourite leisure activity.
lightning	A flash of light in the sky during a storm.Lightning lit up the sky.
marvellous	Wonderful.We had a marvellous time.
mischievous	Playful and a bit naughty.The mischievous kitten hid my sock.
muscle	Part of your body that helps you move.Your heart is a muscle.
necessary	Needed.A coat is necessary today.
neighbour	A person who lives next door or nearby.Our neighbour has a cat.
nuisance	Someone or something annoying.The wasp was a nuisance.
occupy	To fill a space, or to keep someone busy.Puzzles occupy my brother for hours.
occur	To happen.Storms often occur in winter.
opportunity	A chance to do something.This is a great opportunity to learn.
parliament	The group of people who make a country’s laws.Parliament voted on the new law.
persuade	To make someone agree with you.I will persuade Mum to buy a puppy.
physical	To do with your body.PE is physical exercise.
prejudice	An unfair opinion about someone before you know them.We should not judge people with prejudice.
privilege	A special right or advantage.It is a privilege to be captain.
profession	A job that needs special training.Teaching is her profession.
programme	A show on TV or radio, or a plan of events.I watched a nature programme.
pronunciation	The way a word is said.The pronunciation of “colonel” is tricky.
queue	A line of people waiting.We waited in the queue.
recognise	To know someone or something because you have seen them before.I didn’t recognise you in that hat!
recommend	To suggest something is good.I recommend this book.
relevant	Connected to what you are talking about.Only write relevant facts.
restaurant	A place where you pay to eat a meal.We ate at an Italian restaurant.
rhyme	Words that end with the same sound, like “cat” and “hat”.Can you think of a rhyme for “dog”?
rhythm	A regular pattern of beats.Clap the rhythm of the song.
sacrifice	Giving up something you value for someone else.Mum made a sacrifice so we could go on holiday.
secretary	A person who works in an office, handling letters and phone calls.The school secretary answered the phone.
shoulder	The part of your body between your neck and arm.The parrot sat on his shoulder.
signature	Your name written in your own way.Put your signature at the bottom.
sincere	Honest and meaning what you say.Her apology was sincere.
sincerely	Honestly and truly.I sincerely hope you feel better.
soldier	A person in the army.The soldier marched.
stomach	The part of your body where food goes after you swallow it.My stomach is rumbling.
sufficient	Enough.There is sufficient food for everyone.
suggest	To give an idea.I suggest we play outside.
symbol	A sign or picture that stands for something.A heart is a symbol of love.
system	A set of parts working together, or a way of doing things.The solar system has eight planets.
temperature	How hot or cold something is.The temperature is high today.
thorough	Careful and complete.She did a thorough job.
twelfth	Coming after eleventh; number 12 in order.December is the twelfth month.
variety	Lots of different kinds.There is a variety of fruit.
vegetable	A plant used as food, like a carrot or pea.Broccoli is my favourite vegetable.
vehicle	Something that carries people or things, like a car or bus.A fire engine is a big vehicle.
yacht	A boat with sails, used for racing or holidays.A yacht sailed across the bay.

How to practise them at home

A few at a time. Five to ten words in a session is plenty. Short and often beats long and rare.
Say it, hear it, write it. Read the word aloud, cover it, write it, then check. Spelling it from memory is what makes it stick.
Come back to the tricky ones. A word spelt right on three different days is usually learnt for good.

More lists: Year 1 spelling words · Year 2 spelling words · Year 3 and 4 spelling words

Word lists: National Curriculum in England, English programmes of study, Appendix 1 (Department for Education, 2013). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Meanings, examples and recordings by Hootwood.