SATs spelling support for Year 6
Spelling patterns and tricky words your child needs for KS2 (Year 6) SATs.
The SATs spelling test is a short, dictation-style assessment (20 words, one mark each) where children write missing words into sentences read aloud by their teacher. It covers the word lists and spelling patterns from the national curriculum.
Most children find some patterns straightforward and others surprisingly tricky. Common stumbling blocks include homophones, words with silent letters, and suffixes that change spelling rules. Regular, low-pressure practice with these patterns tends to be more effective than memorising long word lists.
Our spelling guides group words by pattern so you can target the areas your child finds hardest, rather than working through everything.
- Pattern-based guides covering the trickiest spelling rules tested in SATs
- Lists of commonly misspelled words grouped by difficulty
- Simple practice routines you can build into daily life at home
All Spelling guides
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Spelling practice for Year 6
Spelling marks are lost to a small number of repeated pattern errors. Short daily retrieval practice on the weakest patterns makes more difference than writing lists.
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SATs spelling: tricky Year 6 words to practise first
Prioritise patterns, not random lists: suffixes, prefixes, and high-frequency traps.
Related SATs topics
Kidfriendly offers SATs-style practice with instant feedback and a readiness estimate.
