Year 5 and 6 Statutory Spelling List as Word Searches: 10 Sets for Upper Primary
Published 23 September 2026
The Year 5 and 6 statutory spelling list is where English spelling stops being polite. Accommodate, embarrass, mischievous, rhythm, yacht, conscience. Adults misspell these words every day. For a ten-year-old, the list is also a test of stamina: 100 words, many of them long and rarely used, with the SATs spelling paper at the end of Year 6 for children in England.
A word search can’t carry all of that, but it does one part very well. Nearly every word on the Year 5/6 list has one “trap” letter or pair, and a hidden-word puzzle makes the child recall that exact spot before they can find the word. Below are ten sets grouped by trap, settings for upper-primary children, and a plan that fits the two years.
If your child is still working through the Year 3/4 list, start with our Year 3 and 4 sets; the Year 5/6 list assumes those words.
About the list
The words come from the English National Curriculum, Appendix 1, “Word list – years 5 and 6” (Department for Education, 2013). Like the Year 3/4 list, it’s statutory for maintained schools in England and widely used in international schools following the English curriculum. Some words have variants in brackets, such as equip(-ped, -ment) or sincere(ly); the sets below use the base form.
Settings for 9- to 11-year-olds: 12×12 grid · all eight directions including backwards · decoy letters on · the word list visible only for the first puzzle of each set · meaning or spoken clues after that. At this age an easy grid is wasted time; the challenge should be in the spelling, not the searching. More detail in the difficulty guide by age.
The 10 sets
Set 1: Double letters (and one famous exception)
accommodate · accompany · aggressive · embarrass · committee · harass (one r, two s) · occur · opportunity · according · apparent
Accommodate and embarrass both have two sets of double letters. Harass is the famous exception: it has one r and two ss. Putting all three in one grid is the fastest way to learn which is which.
Set 2: Silent letters and letters that drop out (hinder → hindrance)
rhyme · rhythm · yacht · muscle · conscience · conscious · government · hindrance · island (bonus from Year 3/4) · signature
Set 3: Endings: -ent, -ant, -ence, -ate and -ly
available · relevant · excellent · convenience · existence · sufficient · individual · immediate · frequently · independent (bonus)
Set 4: ie, ei and other vowel puzzles
achieve · mischievous · leisure · foreign · sufficient · conscience · variety · pronunciation · sacrifice · queue
Pronunciation is here because children write pronounciation after pronounce. Pointing out that the o disappears is one of those small insights that sticks.
Set 5: Unstressed vowels
category · cemetery · definite · desperate · separate (bonus) · secretary · parliament · privilege · average · temperature
Set 6: Words that change shape when they grow
especially · physical · marvellous · curiosity · disastrous · mischievous · nuisance · environment · prejudice · profession
Disastrous drops the e of disaster, curiosity drops the u of curious, marvellous doubles the l of marvel, and especially is built on special. Ask your child to name the root word before searching.
Set 7: Tricky beginnings
amateur · ancient · appreciate · attached · awkward · bargain · bruise · correspond · criticise · controversy
Set 8: -ise, -ment and other endings
recognise · criticise · equipment · environment · explanation · exaggerate · communicate · community · competition · develop
Set 9: Everyday words, awkward spellings
forty · twelfth · neighbour · vegetable · vehicle · soldier · stomach · shoulder · restaurant · lightning
Set 10: The rest
familiar · guarantee · identity · interfere · interrupt · language · necessary · occupy · persuade · recommend · sincere · suggest · symbol · system · thorough · determined · dictionary · programme
Grid size note: pronunciation (Set 4) has 13 letters and needs a 15×15 grid; every other word on the list fits in 12×12. Set 10 is longer because these words don’t share a single trap. Split it across two puzzles, or use it for end-of-term review.
A plan for two years, with SATs in mind
| When | Focus |
|---|---|
| Year 5 autumn | Sets 1–2, with the list visible, then meaning clues |
| Year 5 spring | Sets 3–4 |
| Year 5 summer | Sets 5–6, plus review of any word misspelled in a written check |
| Year 6 autumn | Sets 7–8 |
| Year 6 spring | Sets 9–10 |
| Year 6, before SATs | Mixed puzzles of only the words still being misspelled, meaning clues only |
Two short puzzles a week is enough. In Year 6, the most useful thing you can do is keep a running list of the words your child misspells, and make every puzzle from that list. A generic 100-word grind wastes time on words they already know.
Writing meaning clues for upper primary
With the word list hidden, the child needs a clue. Pictures don’t work for privilege or controversy, so write short meanings:
| Word | Clue |
|---|---|
| accommodate | have enough space for |
| guarantee | a promise that something will work |
| leisure | free time for fun |
| nuisance | something annoying |
| thorough | careful and complete |
Let the child write the clues for the next set. Explaining a word in simple language is excellent vocabulary work, and they’ll remember the spelling of words they’ve had to define. We explain the mechanism behind hidden-word puzzles in why hiding the word helps.
What a word search won’t cover
The Year 6 SATs spelling paper reads each word aloud in a sentence and asks the child to write it. It also tests spelling rules (prefixes, suffixes, homophones) beyond the statutory list. A word search helps with the visual memory of specific words; it doesn’t replace practising the rules or writing words from dictation. For a sense of what’s typical at this age, SpellEasy’s guide to what spelling a 9–11 year old should be able to do is a useful benchmark.
Making the puzzles
Type any set into a generator, or photograph your child’s school list in WordSearchEasy, which reads the words from the photo on the device. The Hard setting (12×12, all eight directions, decoy letters) suits Years 5 and 6. With Picture / Meaning clues, type your own short meaning next to each word and it replaces the word in the clue panel, so the puzzle becomes a recall exercise. That clue mode and printable puzzles with answer keys are part of Premium; typing your own list and playing with word clues are free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many words are on the Year 5 and 6 spelling list?
One hundred, in the statutory word list for Years 5 and 6 in the English National Curriculum. Some words have variants in brackets, such as equip(-ped, -ment), so schools’ versions of the list sometimes look longer.
Which Year 5/6 words are hardest?
Commonly misspelled ones include accommodate, embarrass, harass, definite, separate, necessary, mischievous, rhythm, conscience, pronunciation and privilege. Most have a double letter, a silent letter, or a vowel you can’t hear.
Are the statutory words on the SATs spelling test?
The Key Stage 2 spelling paper can include statutory list words, but it also tests spelling rules and patterns from the whole Key Stage 2 curriculum. Knowing the list helps; it isn’t the whole test.
Is a word search too easy for Year 6?
With the words printed beside the grid, often yes. With meaning clues, a 12×12 grid, backwards words and decoy letters, no: the child has to recall a hard spelling and then find it among near-misses.
How long should practice take?
Ten to fifteen minutes, two or three times a week. A short written check of five words at the end of each session tells you which words to put into the next puzzle.
WordSearchEasy turns your child’s own word list — or one of 300+ built-in topic lists — into a word search in seconds, with picture and sound clues and a printable answer key. Download free on the App Store.