Read Better

​Reading Tips: Words with More Than One Syllable

By Liam Egan

When a word is long, don’t panic. Try these steps:

Step 1.

Ask yourself:

• Does the word start with something like un–, dis–, re–?

• Does it end with –ed, –er, –ing?

👉 If yes, circle them.

​Step 2.

• What word is left when you remove the start or end?

• This is the root word.

• If you can spell the root word, you can spell the whole word.

​Step 3.

No prefix or suffix? Break it up
Say the word slowly

• Clap or tap the syllables

Example:
bas / ket / ball

​Step 4.

Listen for the strong part

• One syllable sounds stronger than the others

• That helps you say the word correctly

• Saying it correctly helps you spell it correctly

​Step 5.

• Don’t spell the whole word at once

• Spell each part, then put it together

​

Look → Find → Break → Listen → Spell

Multiple Choice

LiSen is spelling the word unfair. What is the root word?

• un

• fair

• air

• unfair

Multiple Choice

Hari sees the word jumping. Which part is the suffix?

• jump

• jumping

• ping

• ing

Multiple Choice

Veston is spelling teacher. What is the root word?

• cher

• teacher

• teach

• er

Multiple Choice

TianXin reads the word dislike. What is the prefix?

• like

• dis

• is

• ke

Multiple Choice

Khalid wants to split basketball into syllables. Which is correct?

• bas-ket-ball

• bask-et-ball

• ba-sket-ball

• basket-ball

Multiple Choice

Eugene is spelling happiness. What is the root word?

• happy

• ness

• iness

• happiness

Multiple Choice

AngKiet sees running. Which part helps show the action is happening now?

• un

• runn

• ing

• run

Multiple Choice

Elly wants to spell careless. What is the suffix?

• care

• careless

• reless

• less

Multiple Choice

Seojoon says remember slowly. How many syllables does it have?

• 1

• 2

• 3

• 4

Multiple Choice

Junwoo is spelling replay. What is the prefix?

• play

• replay

• rep

• re

Multiple Choice

LiSen hears important. Which syllable is stressed?

• im

• por

• tant

• all the same

Multiple Choice

Hari is spelling helpful. What is the root word?

• ful

• help

• helpful

• he

Multiple Choice

Veston sees played. What does –ed tell us?

• It is happening now

• It will happen

• It already happened

• It is long

Multiple Choice

TianXin splits computer into syllables. Which is correct?

• com-put-er

• comp-u-ter

• com-pu-ter

• co-mpu-ter

Multiple Choice

Khalid is stuck on a long word. What should he try first?

• Guess the spelling

• Skip the word

• Look for prefixes or suffixes

• Write it very fast

Fill in the Blanks

Listen and spell the word your teacher says

Fill in the Blanks

Listen and spell the word your teacher says

Fill in the Blanks

Listen and spell the word your teacher says

Fill in the Blanks

environment

Fill in the Blanks

Listen to the word your teachers says and spell it