Spelling:  Unstressed Vowels 01
The 'e' in 'carpet' sounds exactly the same as the 'a' in 'zebra'.

Spelling: Unstressed Vowels 01

This KS2 English spelling quiz takes an initial look at unstressed vowels. Unstressed vowels are letters that are not easy to hear in a word. Polysyllabic words - that is, words with more than one syllable - can be tricky to spell in English. This is because English words are pronounced with more stress on some syllables than others. Unstressed syllables all sound the same - they have the vowel sound 'schwa', which looks like this: ə. The 'e' in 'carpet' sounds exactly the same as the 'a' in 'zebra'. So learning ways of memorising the words becomes important.

If you enjoy reading, this will help your spelling improve as you will see words and remember how they are structured.

Try this quiz to see how well you can spell polysyllabic words.

To see a larger image, click on the picture.
1.
A spoken or written account of something or someone.
Descreption
Descripshun
Description
Discription
Remember that 'description' comes from 'describe' - both share a 'de-' prefix.
2.
A book or other resource in which you can find words and their meanings arranged alphabetically.
Dictioniry
Dicshunery
Dictionery
Dictionary
A dictionary is a very handy thing to own.
3.
A room or a building in which books are kept; a place where books can be borrowed.
Libury
Libry
Liberry
Library
A librarian works in a library.
4.
Another word for essential.
Necessary
Necissery
Necessery
Necissary
Water is essential, or necessary, for life.
5.
Something that is by itself; not joined with anything.
Seperate
Sepiret
Sepirete
Separate
Some people like to remember that there is 'a rat' in 'separate'.
6.
A feeling of wanting to know about something; also, to your own advantage - it will be in your own ____.
intirust
inturist
interest
intrest
If you can remember the two 'e's in 'interest', you'll also be able to spell 'interesting' and 'interested'.
7.
Something which shows the days, weeks and months of a year.
Calinder
Calendar
Calindar
Calendir
You might think it should be 'calender' but it's not!
8.
To think of something from the past, or something which had been forgotten.
Rumember
Remembir
Remember
Rember
Thinking of 're-' and 'member' can help you remember.
9.
The refusal to go along with something.
Resistance
Resistence
Risistence
Risistance
The endings, '-ance' and '-ence', can be tricky to remember.
10.
Not the same as something else.
Diffrent
Different
Diffirent
Differint
'To differ' means 'to disagree', which might be easier to remember - add '-ent' for 'different' or '-ence' for 'difference'.
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Silent letters and unstressed vowels

Author:  Sheri Smith

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