Spelling and Dictionary Skills

My friend said it's a huge ______ to be invited to the awards night. Which spelling is correct?

• privilege

• privelege

• privilage

• priviledge

Answer explanation

The correct spelling is 'privilege'. It's a common mistake to add a 'd' or misplace the 'i' and 'e'.

In a dictionary entry, what does the abbreviation (n.) next to a word like 'courage' tell you?

• It's a noun (a person, place, or thing).

• It's a new word.

• It has a negative meaning.

• It comes from another language.

Answer explanation

The abbreviation (n.) stands for 'noun', which identifies the word's part of speech. The other options describe different dictionary features, not the part of speech.

When adding '-ed' to these verbs, sort them by the spelling rule you must follow. Categories: Just Add '-ed', Double the Consonant.

Groups:

(a) Just Add '-ed'

,

(b) Double the Consonant

• ask

• walk

• plan

• chat

• look

• stop

Answer explanation

Verbs ending in a single vowel then a single consonant (like 'plan') usually double the final consonant before adding '-ed'. Other verbs, like 'walk', simply have '-ed' added.

My little brother lost two of his baby ______ this week. What is the correct plural form of 'tooth'?

• teeth

• tooths

• teethes

• toothes

Answer explanation

'Tooth' has an irregular plural form, which is 'teeth'. Adding 's' or 'es' is the regular rule, but it doesn't apply here.

If you look up the word 'brave' in a thesaurus, which of the following words would you most likely find as a synonym?

• courageous

• scared

• quiet

• funny

Answer explanation

A thesaurus provides synonyms (words with similar meanings). 'Courageous' is a direct synonym for 'brave'. The other words have different meanings.

When you change the verb 'try' to the past tense, how do you spell it?

• tried

• tryed

• triyed

• triedd

Answer explanation

For verbs ending in a consonant followed by 'y', you change the 'y' to an 'i' and then add '-ed'.

If you were looking for the word 'maneuver' in a print dictionary, which two guide words might you see at the top of the page?

• mammal / map

• market / master

• mane / mansion

• mask / mat

Answer explanation

Guide words show the first and last words on a page. 'Maneuver' comes alphabetically between 'mane' and 'mansion'. The other pairs do not contain 'maneuver' in their range.

Match each singular noun to its correct irregular plural form.

• children

• person

• mice

• mouse

• people

• child

Answer explanation

These nouns do not form plurals by adding '-s' or '-es'. They have unique, irregular plural forms that must be memorized.

In a science textbook, where is the best place to find the specific definition of the term 'photosynthesis' as it relates to biology?

• In the book's glossary

• In a regular dictionary

• In the table of contents

• In the author's biography

Answer explanation

A glossary at the back of a textbook provides definitions for domain-specific academic vocabulary used in that book. A regular dictionary might be too general.

Sort these words into two groups: Correctly Spelled and Incorrectly Spelled.

Groups:

(a) Correctly Spelled

,

(b) Incorrectly Spelled

• goverment

• wierd

• necessary

• beleive

• receive

• separate

Answer explanation

This tests knowledge of common spelling errors. The correct spellings for the incorrect words are 'weird', 'government', and 'believe'.