20 words, shortest first. Level 1 has the most common words.
fourth
ground
groups
layout
loudly
output
pounds
should
sought
sounds
source
though
account
amounts
brought
council
counted
counter
country
courses
The spelling pattern
Every word on this list contains ou (cloud). 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 ou (cloud) 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__rth
gr__nd
gr__ps
lay__t
l__dly
__tput
p__nds
sh__ld
s__ght
s__nds
s__rce
th__gh
acc__nt
am__nts
br__ght
c__ncil
c__nted
c__nter
c__ntry
c__rses
Questions
How many words are on this list?
20 words, all containing ou (cloud). The shortest has 6 letters and the longest, account, has 7.
What does level 3 mean?
Levels sort the ou (cloud) 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 ou (cloud). Try another spelling pattern from the word lists page.