Welcome to the World of Tricky Words!

In English, most words follow "phonic rules." This means you can say the sounds of the letters and blend them together to read the word. However, some words are rule-breakers! We call these Common Exception Words.

Because these words don't follow the normal rules, we have to learn them by heart. This chapter will help you spot them and remember how to spell them. Don't worry if they seem hard at first—even grown-ups find them tricky sometimes!

What is a Common Exception Word?

A common exception word is a word that appears very often in books (it is "common") but doesn't follow the usual spelling rules (it is an "exception").

For example, think about the word the. If we used our phonics, we might try to say "th-eh." But we know the word is actually said like "th-uh." That makes it a tricky exception word!

The Year 1 "Tricky List"

Here are some of the most important exception words you will see in Year 1. You might see these in your spelling tests or when you are reading your favourite stories:

the, a, do, to, today, of, said, says

Note: There are many other tricky words, and different schools might teach them in a different order, but these are the big ones to start with!

Why are they so tricky?

Let’s look at why some of these words are "rule-breakers":

  • said: It sounds like it should be spelt "sed", but it has an ai in the middle!
  • of: It sounds like it ends with a "v" sound, but we use an f.
  • do and to: In these words, the o makes an "oo" sound.
  • says: This sounds like "sez," but we keep the ay from the word "say" and just add an s.

How to Master Tricky Words

Since we can’t always use our phonics for these words, we use different "brain tricks" to remember them. Here are four ways to help you:

1. Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check

This is a classic way to learn!
1. Look at the word carefully.
2. Say the word out loud.
3. Cover the word with your hand.
4. Write the word from memory.
5. Check to see if you got it right!

2. Use a Mnemonic (a Memory Rhyme)

A mnemonic is a little story or rhyme to help you remember the letters. For the word said, many children use this rhyme:
Silly Ants In Dresses! (S-A-I-D)

3. Find the "Tricky Part"

Often, only one part of the word is an exception. For example, in to, the t makes the normal sound, but the o is the tricky bit. If you focus on just the tricky letter, the whole word becomes easier to remember.

4. Rainbow Writing

Write the word using one colour, then trace over it with another colour, and another! This helps your hand "remember" the shape of the word.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Watch out for these "slips" that many students make:

  • of vs. off: Remember that of (with one f) is the tricky word. Off (with two ffs) follows the normal phonic rules!
  • today: Don't forget that today is just the word to and the word day joined together.

Quick Review:
- Common exception words are "rule-breakers."
- We see them very often in books.
- We have to learn to recognize them by sight.
- Use "Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check" to practice.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the word the is the most common word in the whole English language? Because we use it so much, it’s one of the most important words to learn to spell correctly!

What’s Next?

Once you are a pro at Year 1 words, you will eventually move on to Common Exception Words: Year 2. Those are words like door, floor, and because. But for now, keep practicing your Year 1 list!

Summary: Key Takeaways

1. Practice makes perfect: Because these words are tricky, you need to see them and write them many times.
2. Identify the trick: Look for the part of the word that doesn't sound the way it looks.
3. Read often: The more you read, the more these words will look "normal" to your eyes!