18 words · ages 11–12
6th Grade spelling words with definitions
What should a 6th grade child be able to spell?
By the end of 6th grade (ages 11–12), most children can spell words like necessary, environment and achievement — that is, words built on one c two s, a in the middle, finite inside, silent n and related patterns. Spelling develops at very different speeds, and a child a year either side of this is ordinary rather than behind.
- one c two s
- a in the middle
- finite inside
- silent n
- aur
- per + a
- iar ending
- double c
- no e
- eau
- double m t e
- double r double s
- one c double m
- ar ending
- brar
- no d
- i before e
Long Words
Big words, broken into pieces you already know.
- necessary
- Needed; something you cannot do without.one c two s
- separate
- To move apart, or not joined together.a in the middle
- definitely
- For certain, without any doubt.finite inside
- government
- The group of people who run a country.silent n
- restaurant
- A place where you buy and eat a meal.aur
- temperature
- How hot or cold something is.per + a
- familiar
- Known to you already.iar ending
- occasion
- A special time when something happens.double c
- argument
- A disagreement in words.no e
- environment
- The world and everything around you.silent n
- beautiful
- Lovely to look at.eau
- committee
- A group chosen to decide something.double m t e
- embarrass
- To make someone feel silly in front of others.double r double s
- recommend
- To tell someone a thing is worth trying.one c double m
- calendar
- A chart of the days and months of the year.ar ending
- library
- A building full of books you can borrow.brar
- privilege
- A special right not everyone gets.no d
- achievement
- Something difficult that you managed to do.i before e
Practising 6th grade spelling words at home
Read the word aloud and have your child write it from sound rather than copy it. The Friday test asks for the harder of those two, and only one of them is practice for it.
When a word goes wrong, say what the pattern is rather than just the letters — “that’s a one c two s word” gives them something to reuse. Then come back to it tomorrow rather than immediately.
Count a word as learned when it has been spelled correctly on three separate days. That is the rule SpellChirp uses, and it is roughly where a word stops needing to be looked up.
Turn this list into ten minutes a night
SpellChirp reads every word aloud, checks the spelling, and writes these 6th grade words into an adventure story your child chooses — dragons, detectives, deep sea or a dozen more. Free, with no advertising and no account required to start.