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      Revising spelling patterns linked to etymology

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can spell words of French, Greek and Latin origin.

      Key learning points

      1. In words of French origin, the 'sh' sound is generally spelt 'ch', the 'g' sound is 'gue' and the 'k' sound is 'que'.
      2. In words of Latin origin, the 's' sound is generally spelt 'sc'.
      3. In words of Greek origin, the 'k' sound is generally spelt 'ch' and the 'f' sound is 'ph'.
      4. How to spell the curriculum words: interfere, signature.

      Keywords

      • Etymology - the study of the origin of words and the ways their meanings have changed over time

      • Origin - the source or beginning of something like the place, time or history of a word or idea

      Common misconception

      Pupils may not know the meaning of words or root words.

      Spend time in the lesson discussing the meanings and links you can make between words and languages.

      Teacher tip

      Celebrate languages spoken in class to start to understand derivatives, origins and etymology. As well as using etymology to help to spell words, it's also a hook to get children excited about language, words and spelling.

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Select all the words containing the 'sh' sound.

      Correct answer: machine
      Correct answer: ship
      cheese
      Correct answer: social
      city

      Q2.
      Select all the words containing the 's' sound.

      Correct answer: hiss
      mission
      Correct answer: scent
      Correct answer: city
      island

      Q3.
      Select all the words containing the 'ch' sound.

      Correct answer: cello
      machine
      Correct answer: rich
      Correct answer: watch
      scheme

      Q4.
      Select all the words containing the 'f' sound.

      pirate
      Correct answer: tough
      Correct answer: fish
      high
      Correct answer: elephant

      Q5.
      What does the origin of a word tell us?

      what the word means
      Correct answer: where the word originally came from
      which word class the word belongs to
      the number of syllables in the word

      Q6.
      Match each word to its meaning.

      Correct Answer:chalet,a wooden house found in the mountains

      a wooden house found in the mountains

      Correct Answer:mosque,a Muslim place of worship

      a Muslim place of worship

      Correct Answer:fatigue,the condition of being tired

      the condition of being tired

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Identify the French-derived spellings.

      Correct answer: league
      match
      Correct answer: chalet
      Correct answer: unique
      talk

      Q2.
      Identify the Latin-derived spellings.

      school
      Correct answer: scene
      Correct answer: fascinate
      scab

      Q3.
      Identify the Greek-derived spellings.

      chef
      Correct answer: chorus
      pink
      Correct answer: photograph
      fussy

      Q4.
      Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'They had posted a broscure through the letterbox.'

      brosure
      brohcure
      broshure
      Correct answer: brochure

      Q5.
      Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'The voice was an ekow in the distance.'

      eco
      ecow
      ecko
      Correct answer: echo

      Q6.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'A doctor rushed to the seene to provide help.'

      Correct Answer: scene

      To help you plan your 6 English lesson on: Revising spelling patterns linked to etymology, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...