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Year 1 - The End Sound ss
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Year 1 - The End Sound ss

Find out when to use “ss” at the end of a word. Read, say, and spell simple words with a short vowel sound.

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Fascinating Fact:

Hiss ends with ss, and it sounds like a snake.

In KS1 English Spelling (Year 1), children learn that some short words finish with a double consonant. “Ss” is often used after a short vowel sound, so words are spelled clearly.

  • Consonant: A letter that is not a, e, i, o, or u.
  • Double consonant: The same consonant written twice, like “ss”.
  • Short vowel sound: A quick vowel sound, like the a in “cat” or the u in “cup”.
When do you use “ss” at the end of a word in Year 1?

In Year 1 spelling, “ss” is often used at the end of a short word after a short vowel sound, such as “miss”, “kiss”, or “fuss”.

Do you say two “s” sounds when a word ends with “ss”?

No. “Ss” usually makes one /s/ sound. The spelling has two letters, but you say it as a single sound.

What are some easy “ss” words for Year 1 children to practise?

Useful practice words include “miss”, “kiss”, “fuss”, and “mess”. Say the word, listen for the short vowel sound, then check if it ends with “ss”.

1 .
Spell the missing word: The snake went ____.
hess
hes
hiss
his
Snakes hiss to warn predators off.
2 .
Spell the missing word: I don't want more, I want ____.
less
les
lass
liss
Less than means the same as subtract, take away and minus.
3 .
Spell the missing word: He is suffering from ____.
stess
stress
stres
striss
Stress is a very serious problem and causes many other issues like headaches and heart attacks.
4 .
Spell the missing word: Your room is a ____.
mis
miss
mess
mes
Messy rooms can be dusty too and these can cause problems for anyone with asthma or allergies to dust.
5 .
Spell the missing word: Holidaying is such ____.
bliss
blis
blisse
biss
The Golden Mile Beach in South Africa is one of the busiest beaches in the world...not quite blissful!
6 .
Spell the missing word: My teacher's name is ____ Jones.
Mis
Mes
Mess
Miss
If your teacher is female and married, we would call her Mrs not Miss.
7 .
Spell the missing word: ____ is my favourite game.
Ches
Chess
Chese
Cheese
The vowel sound in chess is very short and so you need to double the last letter.
8 .
Spell the missing word: Christians sometimes wear a ____.
coss
cros
cross
cruss
The cross symbolises how Jesus died, nailed to a cross.
9 .
Spell the missing word: I love her new ____.
dess
dress
dresz
drss
In 2001 the singer Bjork wore a dress that looked like a swan! She is now famous for wearing this dress because nobody liked it.
10 .
Spell the missing word: Please can I have a ____?
ciss
cis
kis
kiss
When you kiss, your lips use one muscle called the orbicularis oris.
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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