ff, ll, ss, zz, ck, nk, -tch and final /v/

Welcome to Fun Spelling Patterns!

Have you ever noticed that some letters love to stick together like best friends? In English, certain sounds have special rules to help us know which letters to write down. In this guide, we are going to explore some wonderful spelling patterns that will turn you into a superstar speller!
(Note: For other patterns like vowel digraphs or silent letters, check out our other chapters in the Spelling section!)

1. The Double Friends: ff, ll, ss, and zz

When you have a short word with just one short vowel sound (a as in cat, e as in bed, i as in sit, o as in top, or u as in cup), the ending sound often gets doubled! We use two letters instead of one.

The /f/ Sound spelt ff

When you hear a short vowel right before an /f/ sound at the end of a one-syllable word, write ff.
• off – Please switch off the light.
• puff – The little train gave a big puff of steam.
• cliff – The bird sat on the high cliff.
• sniff – The puppy gave the bone a sniff.

The /l/ Sound spelt ll

When the /l/ sound comes straight after a short vowel, we double the l.
• bell – Ring the school bell.
• doll – Mia played with her favourite doll.
• fill – Can you fill my cup with water?
• huff and puff up the hill!

The /s/ Sound spelt ss

At the end of a short-vowel word, the hissing /s/ sound is usually spelt with a double s.
• miss – I will miss you when you go.
• fuss – There is no need to make a fuss.
• glass – Be careful not to drop the glass.
• dress – Maya wore a bright red dress.

The /z/ Sound spelt zz

The buzzing /z/ sound at the end of a short-vowel word also likes to be doubled.
• buzz – Listen to the busy bee buzz.
• fizz – Watch the bubbles fizz and pop.
• jazz – We clapped along to the jazz music.

Top Tip: A quick way to remember these four sounds is the phrase: Funny Little Silly Zebra! If a one-syllable word has a short vowel right before /f/, /l/, /s/, or /z/, double the letter!

Watch Out: A few very common short words do not double the letter, such as if, us, bus, and yes. Keep an eye out for them!

2. The /k/ Sound spelt ck

How do we spell the /k/ sound at the end of a word? When the /k/ sound comes straight after a short vowel in a one-syllable word, we spell it with ck!

• pack – Let us pack our bag for school.
• neck – The giraffe has a very long neck.
• pick – Which flower will you pick?
• sock – I cannot find my other sock!
• duck – The yellow duck swam in the pond.

Key Takeaway: Never use just c or just k at the end of these short-vowel words. The letters c and k work as a team: ck!

3. The Cheeky Pair: nk

When you say words like sink or bank, listen carefully to your nose! You can hear a sound like /ng/ right before the /k/. In English spelling, we write this sound using the letter n before k.

• bank – We sat on the grassy river bank.
• think – Stop and think before you choose.
• honk – Did you hear the car horn honk?
• sunk – The stone sunk to the bottom of the pond.
• pink – She drew a bright pink flower.

Did You Know? Even though your ears hear a sound like /ng/, you only need to write the letter n when it sits before k!

4. Catching the /ch/ Sound with -tch

The /ch/ sound can be spelt in different ways, but there is a special rule for words that end in -tch.
When the /ch/ sound comes straight after a single short vowel, we usually spell it with three letters: tch!

• catch – Can you catch the red ball?
• fetch – The dog ran to fetch the stick.
• kitchen – Mum is cooking dinner in the kitchen.
• notch – He cut a small notch in the wood.
• hutch – The pet rabbit lives in a wooden hutch.

Watch Out: There are four very common exception words where we only use ch after a short vowel:
• rich
• which
• much
• such
You can say: "Which rich person ate so much of such good food?" to help you remember these special words!

5. The Polite /v/ Sound at the End of Words (-ve)

Did you know that English words almost never end with just the letter v? The letter v is shy – it always brings a polite friend to stand at the end of the word! That friend is the silent letter e.

Whenever you hear the /v/ sound at the end of an English word, always write ve!

• have – Do you have your pencil ready?
• give – Please give your sister a turn.
• live – Fish live in water.
• love – I love reading books.
• glove – Put on your warm winter glove.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't stop at the letter v! Writing hav or giv is incomplete. Always add the polite e to make have and give.

Quick Review Quiz

Can you spot the correct spelling in each pair?
1. Is it clif or cliff? (Answer: cliff – double the ff after a short vowel!)
2. Is it buhz or buzz? (Answer: buzz – double the zz!)
3. Is it soc or sock? (Answer: sock – use ck after a short vowel!)
4. Is it thinck or think? (Answer: think – use nk!)
5. Is it cach or catch? (Answer: catch – use -tch after a single short vowel!)
6. Is it giv or give? (Answer: give – English words do not end in v, so add e!)

Well done! Practise saying these words out loud, listen for the short vowel sounds, and you will get your spellings right every time!