Spelling and vocabulary
Commonly confused words
| Words | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| their / there / they're | belonging to them / a place / they are |
| your / you're | belonging to you / you are |
| to / too / two | towards / also or too much / the number 2 |
| where / were / wear | a place / past of ‘are’ / put on clothes |
| affect / effect | affect is usually the verb; effect is usually the noun: ‘It affects me; it has an effect’ |
| practice / practise | practice is the noun; practise is the verb: ‘I practise at football practice’ |
| lose / loose | to misplace / not tight |
| should have | never ‘should of’ |
Key terms
Spelling tricky words
These words are often misspelt in exams: definitely, separate, necessary, beginning, embarrass, occasion, rhythm, conscience, disappear, believe.
Tricks that help:
- Find a word inside a word: there's a rat in separate.
- Say it as it's spelt: def-i-nite-ly, Wed-nes-day.
- Make up a phrase: necessary has one collar and two sleeves.
Spell the key words from the question and the source correctly. Copying a word wrongly from the page you're given is an easy mark to lose.
Ambitious, precise vocabulary
AO6 rewards a range of vocabulary. But ambitious doesn't mean long: it means precise, the exact word for the job.
| Plain | Precise |
|---|---|
| walked | trudged, strode, crept, staggered |
| said | muttered, snapped, whispered, insisted |
| big | towering, vast, hulking |
| sad | desolate, grief-stricken, forlorn |
Each precise word also adds meaning: ‘trudged’ tells us the person is tired.
Exam tip
Don't force in a long word you aren't sure of. A precise, simple word used correctly scores higher.