20 words, shortest first. Level 1 has the most common words.
fairly
gained
mainly
obtain
raised
raises
remain
repair
retain
trains
waited
affairs
against
captain
certain
claimed
contain
details
explain
failing
The spelling pattern
Every word on this list contains ai (rain). Seeing the same letters in many words helps children spot the pattern and spell new words that follow it. Level 3 is the most challenging set.
Ways to practise
Read the list aloud, then cover each word and write it from memory.
Use the fill-in sheet below: the pattern letters are blanked out.
Sort the words by length or by where the pattern appears (start, middle or end).
Sorting the words like this is a good first activity: children say each word, find the ai (rain) letters and decide which group it belongs to. It shows that the same letters keep the same sound wherever they appear in a word.
Running a spelling test with this list
Read each word aloud, use it in a short sentence, then read it once more. Children write the word without looking. Mark the test with the list above and practise any misspelled words again the next day. Five or ten words at a time is plenty for younger children.
Practice sheet: fill in the missing letters
f__rly
g__ned
m__nly
obt__n
r__sed
r__ses
rem__n
rep__r
ret__n
tr__ns
w__ted
aff__rs
ag__nst
capt__n
cert__n
cl__med
cont__n
det__ls
expl__n
f__ling
Questions
How many words are on this list?
20 words, all containing ai (rain). The shortest has 6 letters and the longest, affairs, has 7.
What does level 3 mean?
Levels sort the ai (rain) words by how common and how long they are. Level 1 has the shortest, most frequent words; higher levels add longer and rarer ones.
What should come next?
This is the last level for ai (rain). Try another spelling pattern from the word lists page.