20 words, shortest first. Level 1 has the most common words.
worst
worth
accord
afford
author
before
borrow
corner
cursor
editor
effort
errors
factor
forced
forces
forget
forgot
formal
format
formed
The spelling pattern
Every word on this list contains or (fork). 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).
Where the pattern appears
In the middle (16): worst, worth, accord, afford, before, borrow, corner, effort, errors, forced, forces, forget, forgot, formal, format, formed.
At the end (4): author, cursor, editor, factor.
Sorting the words like this is a good first activity: children say each word, find the or (fork) 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
w__st
w__th
acc__d
aff__d
auth__
bef__e
b__row
c__ner
curs__
edit__
eff__t
err__s
fact__
f__ced
f__ces
f__get
f__got
f__mal
f__mat
f__med
Questions
How many words are on this list?
20 words, all containing or (fork). The shortest has 5 letters and the longest, accord, has 6.
What does level 3 mean?
Levels sort the or (fork) 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 or (fork). Try another spelling pattern from the word lists page.