Year 3 & 4 Spelling Words
UK National Curriculum Spelling List
110 essential words for 7-9 year olds
Shared Year 3 & 4 Statutory Word List
In the UK National Curriculum, Year 3 and Year 4 share the same statutory spelling list. This means children in both year groups learn from the same set of words, with the expectation that they'll master them by the end of Year 4.
In our platform, we've split this list into Level 3 and Level 4 to make learning more manageable, but all these words come from the official Year 3-4 curriculum.
Prefix and Suffix Overload
Year 3-4 (ages 7-9) introduces many prefixes (un-, dis-, mis-) and suffixes (-ly, -ful, -less). Remembering which ones to use and how they change word meaning requires abstract thinking that's still developing at this age.
Doubling Rules
Knowing when to double consonants (like 'hopping' vs 'hoping') involves understanding syllables and vowel sounds. For 7-9 year olds, this feels like arbitrary rules that keep changing.
'-ough' Pattern Chaos
The 'ough' pattern (tough, though, through, thought) has multiple pronunciations with no clear rule. Year 3-4 children find this genuinely baffling - why doesn't English make sense?!
Complete Year 3 & 4 Word List
About Year 3-4 Spelling
Year 3-4 (ages 7-9) marks a significant step up in spelling complexity. The UK National Curriculum provides a single statutory word list for both Year 3 and Year 4, recognizing that children need two years to master these more challenging words.
At this age, spelling starts to involve more abstract concepts like root words and morphology. Many children who were confident spellers in Year 1-2 begin to struggle as the rules become less straightforward and exceptions multiply.
Our structured approach breaks down complex patterns into manageable chunks, using engaging activities that build understanding without the pressure of traditional spelling tests.