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Spelling: w and wh

Some words start with w while others begin with wh, and knowing which to use can be confusing. This KS2 English quiz helps pupils spell them correctly.

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Fascinating Fact:

In modern English, most people say “witch” and “which” exactly the same way, unless they are practising fancy pronunciation.

In KS2 English, pupils learn how to tell the difference between words beginning with w and wh. The h used to make the sound of breath before the w, but over time the sound has faded. Understanding this helps pupils spell tricky words like where, when, and which correctly.

Key Terms

Prefix: A group of letters added to the start of a word to change its meaning or sound.
Pronunciation: The way a word is spoken, which can vary between regions or accents.
Homophone: Words that sound the same but have different spellings or meanings, such as witch and which.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

Why do some words start with wh?

In Old English, the h in wh words showed a breathy sound before the w. This sound has mostly disappeared, but the spelling stayed the same.

Do w and wh sound different today?

In most modern accents, they sound the same. However, some people still pronounce wh with a soft breath at the start, especially in formal speech.

How can I remember when to use wh instead of w?

Words that ask questions usually begin with wh, like where, when, and why. Everyday objects like window or water begin with w.

Try These Related Quizzes

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1 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
____ idea was it to paint the kitchen walls ____?

Hoose, white

Hoose, wite

Whose, white

Whose, wite

Whose idea was it to paint the kitchen walls white?

2 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
Sophie ____ for a ____ day so that she could try out her new kite.

wished, whindy

wished, windy

whished, whindy

whished, windy

Sophie wished for a windy day so that she could try out her new kite.

3 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
We ____ as we walked through the ____ field.

wistled, weat

wistled, wheat

whistled, weat

whistled, wheat

We whistled as we walked through the wheat field.

4 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
When visiting ____ in the ____, it is best to be prepared for unpredictable ____.

Whales, winter, wheather

Whales, winter, weather

Wales, winter, weather

Wales, whinter, wheather

When visiting Wales in the winter, it is best to be prepared for unpredictable weather.

5 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
Eleri ____ how much the moon would ____.

wondered, weigh

wondered, wheigh

whondered, weigh

whondered, wheigh

Eleri wondered how much the moon would weigh.

6 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
____ is coming for tea on ____?

Hwo, Whednesday

Hwo, Wednesday

Who, Whednesday

Who, Wednesday

Who is coming for tea on Wednesday?

7 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
____ did you say you ____ yesterday?

Where, where

Where, were

Were, where

Were, were

Where did you say you were yesterday?

8 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
We could not imagine ____ the museum's special ____ collection had been sold.

why, whisk

why, wisk

wie, whisk

wie, wisk

We could not imagine why the museum's special whisk collection had been sold.

9 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
Harrison took great pride in his daily task, ____ was to ____ up the old grandfather clock.

wich, wind

wich, whind

which, wind

which, whind

Harrison took great pride in his daily task, which was to wind up the old grandfather clock.

10 .

Choose the correct spellings for the sentence.
I couldn't believe my eyes ____ I saw the ____.

when, whale

when, wale

wen, whale

wen, wale

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the whale.

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

Author: Sheri Smith (PhD English Literature, English Teacher & Quiz Writer)

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