Spelling Patterns — Answer Key
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The wreath wrapped around the old oak tree in the yard. (silent w word)
"Wreath" begins with a silent w, so you hear "reath" but must remember to include the w when spelling it.
2. We could hear the birds chirping outside our window each morning. (consonant blend ch- + vowel team ir)
"Chirping" uses the consonant digraph ch- at the start and the vowel team ir in the middle, which together make the sound a bird makes.
3. The painter used a brush to spread the color evenly. (consonant blend br-)
"Brush" starts with the consonant blend br-, where the b and r sounds flow together before the rest of the word.
4. A person who fixes pipes in your house is called a plumber. (silent b word)
"Plumber" has a silent b near the end -- you say "plummer" but spell it with a b because the word comes from the Latin word for lead (plumbum).
5. The owl sat on the bough and watched the field below. (vowel team ou word)
A "bough" is a large tree branch, and it uses the vowel team ou plus a silent gh, rhyming with "cow" and "now."
6. He knew the answer to the riddle right away. (silent k word: kn-)
"Knew" starts with a silent k in the kn- pattern, so it sounds like "new" but means something different -- it is the past tense of "know."
7. Rain, sleet, and snow are all types of weather. (vowel team ea word)
"Weather" uses the vowel team ea, which makes a short e sound in this word, describing the conditions like rain, sleet, and snow outside.
8. The coach blew the whistle to start the game. (consonant blend cr- is not right; think of a word starting with a blend)
"Coach" uses the vowel team oa (making the long o sound) and ends with the digraph ch, describing the person who leads a sports team.
9. She used a scissors to cut the wrapping paper neatly. (silent c word: sc-)
"Scissors" has a silent c in the sc- pattern, so you hear "sizzors" but must include the c when you spell it.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each misspelled word to its correct spelling.
nock
→ knock
climb
rong
→ wrong
wrinkle
clime
→ climb
knock
rinkle
→ wrinkle
wrong
Correct matches: nock → knock; rong → wrong; clime → climb; rinkle → wrinkle.