Homophones (age 9+)
Distinguish and correctly spell homophones and commonly confused words at Y5-6 level (e.g., affect/effect, practice/practise, advice/advise, complement/compliment, aisle/isle, led/lead), including confused words such as to/too/two and there/their/they're
Suggested ages 9–10
Learning journey
Your child is tackling challenging spelling patterns — distinguishing between confusing word pairs, understanding Latin and French word endings, and mastering silent letters and complex suffixes.
Evidence of understanding
- Select the correct spelling from a pair of homophones by analysing meaning in context, e.g. 'The doctor's advice (noun) was to practise (verb) daily'
- Spell commonly confused words accurately by applying word-class clues: advise/advice, practise/practice, licence/license (verb ends in -ise, noun ends in -ice)
- Identify and correct homophone errors in extended writing, including to/too/two, there/their/they're, whose/who's, and its/it's
Assessment prompt
When Homophones (age 9+) writes, do they use the right spelling for commonly mixed-up words — like "affect" vs "effect," "practice" vs "practise," or "there," "their," and "they're"?
Standards alignment
L.4.1g
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · 4
Distinguish homophones
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 2
Homophones and other words that are often confused
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 2