Free to print · UK A4 · EYFS to Year 6
Look cover write check worksheet
Choose a year group and print a look, say, cover, write, check sheet. The child looks at the word, says it, covers it, writes it and checks the spelling. A correction line is there for a second try. Every sheet is free and carries www.spellstep.co.uk.
Look at the word. Say it. Cover it. Write it. Check it. Use the correction line if the spelling needs another try.
To download, choose Print and then Save as PDF. For a clean page, set margins to None and turn off browser headers and footers.
How to use look, say, cover, write, check
Look, say, cover, write, check is a short spelling routine used in UK primary classrooms and at home. The child looks at the word, says it aloud, covers it, writes it from memory, then checks the letters. If a letter is wrong, they write the word again on the correction line.
The lists are arranged for UK primary ages, from Reception to Year 6. They are practice lists for home and school, to sit alongside the spelling taught in class. Spell Step is an independent site and these sheets are not published by the Department for Education.
- Choose the year group, then choose the curriculum list or the extended list.
- Look at each word, say it, cover it, write it, and tick the check box after you compare the spelling.
- Type a name and date on the sheet if you want them printed.
- Print this sheet, or print the full set. In the print window, choose Save as PDF if you want a file.
The Word column shows the spelling. Look and Say are tick boxes for the first two steps. Write is the long line. Check is a tick after the child compares their writing with the word. Correction is a shorter line for a second try. Word pyramid sheets are on the word pyramid page. Handwriting-line sheets are on the spelling sheets page.
Spelling words by year group
The same lists used on the sheets. Words in bold are the curriculum set for that age group. Extended list keeps every word. Words are set in Lexend so similar letters stay easy to tell apart.
EYFS / Reception spelling words
EYFS and Reception spelling words
Age 5 band. Early words for children in Reception, to copy and remember.
- a
- all
- am
- an
- and
- are
- as
- ask
- at
- away
- bag
- be
- bed
- been
- big
- blue
- book
- box
- but
- by
- can
- cat
- chair
- child
- come
- dad
- day
- did
- do
- dog
- down
- drink
- each
- eat
- find
- first
- for
- friend
- from
- full
- funny
- get
- go
- had
- happy
- has
- have
- he
- help
- her
- here
- him
- his
- house
- how
- I
- if
- in
- into
- is
- it
- its
- jump
- like
- little
- long
- look
- love
- made
- make
- man
- many
- may
- me
- more
- mum
- my
- no
- not
- now
- number
- of
- on
- once
- one
- or
- other
- our
- out
- part
- pen
- people
- play
- pull
- push
- put
- red
- run
- sad
- said
- says
- see
- she
- sit
- so
- sun
- than
- that
- the
- they
- time
- to
- toy
- two
- up
- use
- was
- way
- we
- were
- who
- will
- with
- you
- your
Year 1 spelling words
Year 1 spelling words
Age 6 band. Common words and early spelling patterns for Year 1.
- a
- about
- after
- again
- air
- also
- animal
- another
- answer
- any
- are
- around
- ask
- ate
- back
- be
- because
- before
- black
- boy
- brown
- by
- called
- came
- car
- change
- come
- could
- different
- do
- does
- end
- even
- flower
- follow
- form
- found
- four
- friend
- full
- game
- give
- go
- good
- great
- hand
- has
- he
- here
- his
- home
- house
- I
- is
- just
- kind
- know
- land
- large
- learn
- letter
- line
- live
- love
- me
- means
- men
- moon
- most
- mother
- move
- much
- must
- my
- name
- need
- new
- no
- of
- off
- old
- once
- one
- only
- our
- over
- page
- picture
- place
- plane
- please
- point
- pretty
- pull
- push
- put
- ran
- read
- ride
- right
- said
- same
- saw
- say
- says
- school
- sentence
- set
- she
- should
- show
- small
- so
- some
- soon
- sound
- spell
- star
- still
- study
- such
- take
- talk
- tell
- the
- their
- them
- then
- there
- these
- they
- things
- think
- this
- three
- through
- to
- today
- too
- train
- tree
- try
- turn
- under
- us
- very
- walk
- want
- was
- water
- we
- well
- went
- were
- what
- when
- where
- which
- white
- why
- woman
- words
- work
- world
- would
- write
- years
- yellow
- you
- your
Year 2 spelling words
Year 2 spelling words
Age 7 band. Everyday words, contractions and words children meet in Year 2 reading.
- above
- add
- after
- again
- almost
- along
- always
- any
- apple
- baby
- ball
- bath
- bear
- beautiful
- because
- began
- begin
- behind
- being
- bell
- below
- between
- bird
- birthday
- boat
- both
- bread
- break
- brother
- busy
- cake
- carry
- chicken
- child
- children
- Christmas
- city
- class
- climb
- close
- clothes
- coat
- cold
- corn
- could
- country
- cow
- cut
- doll
- don’t
- door
- duck
- earth
- egg
- enough
- even
- every
- everybody
- example
- eye
- eyes
- face
- family
- far
- farm
- farmer
- fast
- father
- feet
- few
- find
- fire
- fish
- floor
- fly
- food
- garden
- girl
- going
- gold
- goodbye
- got
- grass
- great
- ground
- group
- grow
- half
- hard
- head
- hear
- high
- hill
- hold
- horse
- hour
- idea
- important
- improve
- Indian
- it’s
- keep
- kind
- kitty
- last
- late
- leave
- left
- leg
- let
- life
- light
- list
- many
- might
- mile
- milk
- mind
- miss
- money
- morning
- most
- mountains
- move
- Mr
- Mrs
- near
- nest
- never
- next
- night
- often
- old
- only
- open
- own
- paper
- parents
- party
- pass
- past
- path
- people
- pig
- plant
- poor
- pretty
- prove
- rabbit
- rain
- real
- ring
- river
- robin
- round
- Santa Claus
- sea
- second
- seed
- seem
- sheep
- shoe
- should
- side
- sister
- snow
- something
- sometimes
- song
- squirrel
- start
- state
- steak
- stick
- stop
- story
- street
- sugar
- sure
- table
- thank
- thing
- those
- thought
- together
- told
- took
- top
- until
- watch
- water
- while
- who
- whole
- wild
- wind
- window
- without
- wood
- would
- young
Year 3 and 4 spelling words
Year 3 and 4 spelling words
Ages 7 to 9 band. Longer words children meet in lower Key Stage 2.
- able
- accident
- accidentally
- accommodate
- accompany
- according
- achieve
- across
- actual
- actually
- address
- afraid
- against
- aggressive
- ago
- although
- amateur
- among
- ancient
- answer
- apparent
- appear
- appreciate
- area
- arrive
- attached
- available
- average
- awkward
- bargain
- base
- bean
- became
- become
- believe
- best
- better
- bicycle
- birds
- body
- brave
- breath
- breathe
- brief
- bring
- brought
- bruise
- brush
- build
- building
- built
- business
- busy
- buy
- calendar
- call
- cannot
- careful
- carefully
- category
- caught
- ceiling
- cemetery
- centre
- century
- certain
- check
- cheerful
- chest
- chief
- circle
- cleaner
- clear
- cloud
- committee
- common
- communicate
- community
- competition
- complete
- conscience
- conscious
- consider
- contain
- continue
- controversy
- convenience
- correct
- correspond
- course
- covered
- cried
- criticise
- crunch
- cube
- curiosity
- dark
- decide
- decided
- deep
- definite
- describe
- desperate
- determined
- develop
- dictionary
- different
- difficult
- disappear
- disastrous
- done
- draw
- drove
- dry
- during
- early
- earth
- easy
- eight
- eighth
- embarrass
- enough
- environment
- equip
- especially
- exaggerate
- excellent
- exercise
- existence
- experience
- experiment
- explain
- explanation
- extreme
- fall
- familiar
- famous
- favourite
- feast
- February
- feel
- field
- filled
- finally
- fine
- flame
- float
- force
- foreign
- forty
- forward
- forwards
- frequently
- friends
- front
- fruit
- gave
- goes
- government
- graceful
- grammar
- green
- grief
- group
- guarantee
- guard
- guide
- happened
- harass
- heard
- heart
- heat
- heavy
- height
- helpful
- hindrance
- history
- hope
- hopeful
- hours
- hundred
- identity
- imagine
- immediate
- immediately
- important
- include
- increase
- individual
- inside
- interest
- interfere
- interrupt
- island
- knowledge
- language
- lawful
- leaf
- learn
- leisure
- length
- library
- lightning
- listen
- low
- machine
- marvellous
- material
- measure
- medicine
- mention
- minute
- mischievous
- muscle
- music
- natural
- naughty
- necessary
- neighbour
- niece
- notice
- nuisance
- occasion
- occasionally
- occupy
- occur
- often
- opportunity
- opposite
- ordinary
- pair
- parliament
- particular
- pattern
- peaceful
- peculiar
- perhaps
- persuade
- physical
- piece
- popular
- position
- possess
- possession
- possible
- potatoes
- prejudice
- pressure
- privilege
- probably
- profession
- programme
- promise
- pronunciation
- purpose
- quarter
- question
- queue
- reach
- recent
- recognise
- recommend
- regular
- reign
- relevant
- remember
- restaurant
- rhyme
- rhythm
- sacrifice
- secretary
- sentence
- separate
- shoulder
- signature
- sincere
- sincerely
- soldier
- special
- stomach
- straight
- strange
- strength
- sufficient
- suggest
- suppose
- surprise
- symbol
- system
- temperature
- therefore
- thorough
- though
- thought
- through
- twelfth
- variety
- various
- vegetable
- vehicle
- weight
- woman
- women
- yacht
- true
Year 5 and 6 spelling words
Year 5 and 6 spelling words
Ages 9 to 11 band. Longer words for upper Key Stage 2, including prefixes, suffixes and unstressed endings.
- absence
- abundance
- acceptance
- accessible
- accommodate
- accompany
- accomplish
- according
- achievable
- achieve
- achievement
- acquaintance
- adaptable
- addition
- adjective
- admirable
- adorable
- adventure
- advocate
- aggressive
- agreeable
- agreement
- agriculture
- alliance
- amateur
- ambiguous
- analysis
- ancient
- anticipate
- antonym
- apparent
- appearance
- appreciate
- argument
- assessment
- assistance
- associate
- atmosphere
- attached
- attention
- audible
- audience
- authentic
- available
- average
- awkward
- ballet
- bargain
- barometer
- believable
- beneficial
- bilateral
- biography
- biology
- brilliance
- bruise
- bulletin
- cafeteria
- capable
- capital
- category
- celebration
- cemetery
- characteristic
- circumference
- circumvent
- cliché
- collaborate
- collection
- comfortable
- commission
- commitment
- committee
- communicate
- community
- competition
- compliance
- compound
- conscience
- conscious
- consequence
- consonant
- controversy
- convenience
- correspond
- criticise
- croissant
- curiosity
- curriculum
- darkness
- debris
- decimal
- defiance
- definite
- democracy
- demonstrate
- dependable
- depot
- desert
- desperate
- determination
- determined
- develop
- diameter
- dictionary
- dilemma
- direction
- disagree
- disastrous
- dislike
- displace
- distance
- distrust
- disturbance
- education
- elaborate
- electricity
- eloquence
- embarrass
- energy
- engine
- entertainment
- environment
- equinox
- equip
- equipment
- equipped
- equivalent
- equivocal
- especially
- essence
- establish
- evaluate
- evidence
- exaggerate
- excellent
- existence
- explanation
- expression
- facade
- familiar
- fashionable
- flexible
- forcible
- foreign
- forty
- fraction
- frequently
- friendship
- generation
- genre
- geography
- geology
- gnat
- gnaw
- gnome
- government
- guarantee
- happiness
- harass
- helpless
- hindrance
- identity
- illuminate
- immediate
- immediately
- imperfect
- impolite
- impossible
- improper
- incomplete
- incredible
- independence
- indicate
- indirect
- individual
- industry
- informal
- information
- instruments
- interfere
- interference
- interrupt
- investigate
- invisible
- justice
- kindness
- kneel
- knife
- knight
- knot
- language
- laughed
- leadership
- legislation
- leisure
- lightning
- located
- loudness
- lunchbox
- marvellous
- melody
- metal
- method
- microphone
- microscope
- millennium
- mischievous
- mixture
- molecules
- moment
- moonlight
- mortality
- motivation
- muscle
- naïve
- nation
- necessary
- neighbour
- notebook
- nuisance
- observation
- observe
- occupy
- occur
- occurrence
- opportunity
- original
- oxygen
- palette
- parliament
- patience
- payment
- performance
- perimeter
- permissible
- persistence
- persuade
- petite
- phonics
- photograph
- photosynthesis
- phrase
- physical
- planets
- plateau
- plural
- polygon
- population
- powerful
- prejudice
- preparation
- president
- privilege
- process
- profession
- programme
- pronunciation
- property
- provision
- queue
- quiet
- quite
- rapport
- reaction
- rebuild
- recognise
- recommend
- reference
- relevance
- relevant
- remainder
- repeated
- represent
- responsible
- restaurant
- result
- resume
- revision
- reward
- rewrite
- rhyme
- rhythm
- routine
- sacrifice
- sadness
- sandcastle
- schedule
- science
- secretary
- sensible
- sequence
- shoulder
- signature
- sincere
- sincerely
- singular
- soldier
- soldiers
- solution
- solve
- someone
- southern
- souvenir
- speed
- starfish
- statement
- stomach
- stronger
- students
- substance
- substances
- substantial
- suddenly
- sufficient
- suffix
- suggest
- sunflower
- sunlight
- supply
- syllables
- symbol
- symbols
- synonym
- system
- tableau
- teacher
- telephone
- telescope
- temperature
- terrible
- thermometer
- thorough
- thoroughly
- thumbnail
- tournament
- treasure
- treatment
- triangle
- trouble
- twelfth
- underline
- unhappy
- unique
- unkind
- unpack
- unusual
- valley
- value
- variety
- vegetable
- vehicle
- visible
- visualise
- vitality
- vocabulary
- vocal
- vocation
- waterfall
- weather
- western
- wrestle
- wrist
- written
- wrong
- yacht
- yourself
Questions about these spelling sheets
Are these spelling sheets free?
Yes. You can print them at home or at school, or save them as a PDF from the print window. Each sheet includes www.spellstep.co.uk so families can find the lists again.
Which year groups are included?
There are five lists: EYFS and Reception (age 5), Year 1 (age 6), Year 2 (age 7), Year 3 and 4 (ages 7 to 9), and Year 5 and 6 (ages 9 to 11). Choose the list that matches the child, or an earlier list if they need more practice.
Can I print only the National Curriculum words?
Yes. Choose English National Curriculum for Years 1 to 6, or EYFS Statutory Framework for Reception. Extended list keeps every word for that age group. Years 1 and 2 use the common exception words. Years 3 to 6 use the statutory word lists. The EYFS framework asks children to read some common exception words but does not name them, so the Reception set uses the Year 1 common exception words already in that list. Spell Step is not an official publication.
What is a look, cover, write, check worksheet?
It is a spelling sheet with the word and columns for Look, Say, Write, Check and Correction. The child looks at the word, says it, covers it, writes it, then checks the spelling. The correction line is for a second try.
How do I save a spelling sheet as a PDF?
Choose Print this sheet or Print full set. In the print window, choose Save as PDF. For a clean A4 page, set the margins to None and turn off the browser headers and footers.
Can I change how many words are on a page?
Yes. Use the plus and minus controls beside Most on a sheet. Each sheet holds up to 10 words, with a long writing line for every spelling.
May schools photocopy these sheets?
Yes. The sheets are free for families and schools. Please keep www.spellstep.co.uk on the page so pupils can find the lists again.
Try Spell Step
Ready to explore more spelling activities? Discover the full app for additional daily practice or visit one of our other pages :
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Look, Cover, Write, Check (often including “Say”) works for spelling because it turns passive memorisation into an active cognitive and physical process.
Why the Method Works
- Effortful Retrieval Practice: Covering the word forces the brain into active recall rather than passive copying, which strengthens neural pathways for storing information in long-term memory (Save My Exams).
- Multisensory Engagement: Looking at the visual letter pattern, saying the word aloud, and physically writing it down engages visual, auditory, and motor/muscle memory simultaneously (PLD Literacy Learning).