11+ Spelling Online Tests

Spelling is tested directly in most 11+ English papers, and indirectly everywhere else - marks for writing are affected by spelling accuracy throughout. The good news is that English spelling is more regular than its reputation suggests, and a handful of patterns cover a large share of the words that appear.

The 11+ concentrates on prefixes and suffixes, homophones, silent letters, plural rules and the words that are commonly misspelled at this age. Questions often present a sentence with one error to find and correct, which tests recognition as much as recall.

18 free Spelling tests

Timed and marked instantly, with an explanation for every question. No sign-up needed.

What these Spelling tests cover

Common prefixes such as un-, dis-, mis-, pre- and re-
Suffixes and the rules for adding them, including doubling and dropping the final e
Homophones: their and there, your and you're, its and it's, practice and practise
Silent letters as in knight, doubt, island and rhythm
Plural rules, including words ending in y, f and o
Words with ie and ei
Frequently misspelled words such as necessary, separate and definitely

Spelling: tips that earn marks

When adding a vowel suffix to a word ending in e, drop the e: hope becomes hoping. When the suffix begins with a consonant, keep it: hope becomes hopeful.
For words ending in a consonant and y, change the y to i before adding a suffix: happy becomes happiness.
Learn homophones in a sentence rather than as a list, so the meaning attaches to the spelling.
Use mnemonics for the stubborn ones - 'necessary' has one collar and two sleeves, so one c and two s's.

Questions parents ask about Spelling

Is spelling tested separately in the 11+?

It varies by board. Some papers have a dedicated spelling section, others test it within comprehension or a proofreading exercise, and all of them mark it in the writing task.

Which spelling rules matter most?

Suffix rules and homophones. Between them they account for the majority of errors at this age and appear most often in exam questions.

How should a child revise spelling?

Little and often, and always in writing rather than by reading a list. Look, cover, write, check remains effective because it forces recall rather than recognition.