Spelling Patterns — Answer Key
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
The nife on the table was very sharp and pointy.
Corrected: The knife on the table was very sharp and pointy.
The word "nife" is missing its silent k at the beginning -- "knife" starts with kn, where the k is silent and only the n sound is heard.
2. Fix the sentence:
She rote a long letter and mailed it to her frend.
Corrected: She wrote a long letter and mailed it to her friend.
"Rote" needs a silent w to become "wrote," and "frend" needs the vowel team ie to become "friend" because the ie team makes the short e sound in this word.
3. Fix the sentence:
The teem worked together to bild a sandcastle on the beech.
Corrected: The team worked together to build a sandcastle on the beach.
"Teem" should be "team" (ea makes the long e sound), "bild" should be "build" (ui is the correct vowel team), and "beech" (a type of tree) should be "beach" (ea, meaning the sandy shore).
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The boat sailed across the sea during a big storm. (silent letter word: b-o-a-t)
"Boat" uses the vowel team oa, where the o says its name and the a is silent, making the long o sound you hear in the word.
2. Please write your name at the top of the page. (silent w word)
"Write" starts with a silent w, so you only hear the r sound even though the w is there in the spelling.
3. A baby deer is called a fawn. (vowel team aw → think of the animal name with silent letters)
A baby deer is called a "fawn," which uses the vowel team aw to make the "aw" sound you hear in words like "lawn" and "dawn."
4. She tied a knot in the rope so it would not slip. (silent k word)
"Knot" begins with a silent k, just like "knife" and "knee" -- you only say the n sound, but the k must still be written.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. The word "knee" has a silent k at the beginning.
True False
True. In "knee," the k is silent and you only hear the n sound, just like other kn- words such as "knock" and "know."
2. In the vowel team "oa" as in boat, both letters make their own sound.
True False
False. In the vowel team "oa," only the o makes its long sound and the a is silent, so together they produce one vowel sound, not two.
3. The words "knock," "know," and "kneel" all begin with a silent k.
True False
True. "Knock," "know," and "kneel" all follow the kn- pattern where the k is written but never pronounced.