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Looking at words will help you to remember how they are spelt.

Year 1 - The Sound ea (head)

Practise the ea spelling pattern. In this quiz, ea can make the short “e” sound. Read each word and pick the correct spelling.

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(quiz starts below)

Fascinating Fact:

You can hear ea in bread.

In KS1 English Spelling (Year 1), children learn that the same letters can make different sounds. The letters “ea” sometimes make a short “e” sound, like in “head”.

Key Terms

Vowel: A letter like a, e, i, o or u.
Digraph: Two letters that work together to make one sound, such as “ea”.
Short vowel sound: A quick vowel sound, like the “e” sound in “pen”.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What sound does “ea” make in “head”?

In “head”, the letters “ea” make a short “e” sound. Other words that can sound similar include “dead”, “ready”, and “spread”.

Why does “ea” sound different in different words?

English spellings come from different word histories, so the same letters can be pronounced in more than one way. Children learn this by practising common word patterns.

How can I help a child remember short “ea” words?

Try sorting words into groups, reading them aloud, and using look, say, cover, write, check. Repeating short word lists in sentences also helps the spelling stick.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Spell the missing word: He can't catch his ____.

breath

breathe

breth

braeth

It's natural to be out of breath after exercise but if you also have chest pains, you could have asthma.

2 .

Spell the missing word: She has a hearing aid because she is ____.

death

deaf

deaff

deth

The majority of deaf people are under the age of 65.

3 .

Which of these is a real spelling and also makes the 'ea' sound? (To help you - make sure it sounds the same as the 'ea' in the word 'head'.)

bead

bed

feed

beaz

The first and third answer are real words but they don't make the ea/eh sound. The word bed rhymes with head and so the 'e' makes the same sound!

4 .

Spell the missing word: He didn't mean that, he ____ he was sorry.

ment

meant

meanet

maent

This word is interesting because as the word 'mean' the 'ea' makes an 'ee' sound but as the word 'meant' it changes to an 'eh' sound!

5 .

Spell the missing word: Have you ____ that book?

red

wead

read

reade

Read is like the word mean. You can say 'Read your book' and the 'ea' is an 'ee'. Or, with the same spelling, you can say 'He read his book', which sounds the same as the word 'red'.

6 .

Spell the missing word: That elephant is very ____.

hevey

heavey

heavie

heavy

When an elephant is born they weigh more than 200 pounds - that's heavier than most grown ups!

7 .

Spell the missing word: Unfortunately, he is ____.

ded

bead

beab

dead

The picture is of a young goldfinch.

8 .

Spell the missing word: Would you like fruit ____?

instead

insted

instaed

insteab

Fruit is a much healthier option but both cake and fruit contain sugars - just different types of sugar!

9 .

Spell the missing word: Will you buy some ____.

bred

bread

breade

braed

Egyptians used to use bread like money - they could buy something with a loaf of bread.

10 .

Spell the missing word: ____ as she goes!

Steddy

Steadie

Steady

Steadey

This is the kind of phrase a captain of the ship says.

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Spelling

Author: Finola Waller (MEd, Primary School Teacher & KS1 English Quiz Writer)

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