Using a Dictionary

Using a Dictionary for Spellings

Using a dictionary helps us check our spellings. Let's look at how you can use the first 2 or 3 letters of a word to check if it is spelt correctly...

Why do we use a dictionary?

In our writing, we sometimes find words we are not confident at spelling. It is important that we use a dictionary to help us.
The first few letters of the word will help us begin to find it.

1) Pick a word

Imagine you are looking up the word 'disguised' to see if you have spelt it correctly.

2) Look up 'd'

2) Look up 'di'

3) Look up 'dis'

4) Find 'disguised'!

By now, you should be able to find the word 'disguised'. But if you cannot find it just yet, don't worry! You can look up the fourth or fifth letter if that helps you.
Once you have found the word, you can check its spelling!

1Reading

1.1Root Words

1.1.1Understanding New Words

1.1.2Exception Words

1.2Prefixes

1.2.1'Anti-' & 'Auto-'

1.2.2Not & 'Inter-'

1.2.3'Mis-', 'Dis-' & 'Re-'

1.2.4'Sub-' & 'Super-'

1.2.5End of Topic Test - Root Words & Prefixes

1.3Suffixes

1.3.1Vowel Suffixes

1.3.2Suffixes: '-ous'

1.3.3Rules for Suffixes: '-ous'

1.3.4Testing - Rules for Suffixes

1.3.5Suffixes: '-ly'

1.3.6Suffixes: '-ation'

1.3.7Rules for Suffixes: '-ation'

1.3.8Spelling: '-tion' Endings

1.3.9Spelling: '-sion' Endings

1.3.10Spelling: '-ssion' Endings

1.3.11Spelling: '-cian' Endings

1.3.12End of Topic Test - Suffixes

2Writing

2.1Composition

2.1.1Effective Writing

2.1.2Planning

2.1.3Drafting

2.1.4Editing

2.1.5End of Topic Test - Writing Composition

2.2Conjunctions

2.2.1Simple Sentences & Compound Sentences

2.2.2Complex Sentences

2.2.3Coordinating Conjunctions

2.2.4Subordinating Conjunctions

2.2.5End of Topic Test - Conjunctions

2.3Present Perfect Tense

2.3.1Present Perfect Tense

2.3.2Uses of the Present Perfect Tense

2.4Nouns

2.4.1Using Nouns & Pronouns Properly

2.4.2End of Topic Test - Present Perfect & Nouns

2.5Fronted Adverbials

2.5.1Saying Where, When & How Often

2.5.2Saying How & Why

2.5.3Using Commas

2.6Direct Speech

2.6.1Direct Speech

2.6.2End of Topic Test - Fronted Adverbials & Speech

2.7Homophones

2.8Spelling Rules

2.8.1Hard 'U' & 'I' Sounds

2.8.2Words Ending in '-Sure', '-Mure' & '-Sion'

2.8.3'Ei', 'Eigh' & 'Ey' Spellings

2.8.4Words Ending in 'G' & 'K' Sounds

2.8.5Spelling Words with 'Ch' & 'Sc'

2.8.6Silent Letters

2.8.7End of Topic Test - Spelling Rules

2.9Using Apostrophes

2.9.1Using Apostrophes with Regular Plurals

2.9.2Using Apostrophes with Irregular Plurals

2.10Using a Dictionary

2.10.1Using a Dictionary

2.10.2End of Topic Test - Apostrophes & Dictionaries

Jump to other topics