6th Grade Spelling Words
150+ essential spelling words for sixth graders (ages 11β12) β advanced Greek and Latin roots, etymology, the -able/-ible distinction, -ance/-ence words, and middle school spelling bee vocabulary.
What Spelling Skills Do 6th Graders Learn?
Sixth grade is the transition into middle school β and spelling transitions with it. Word lists become longer, academic vocabulary spans more subjects, and spelling bee preparation gets serious. Students who understand etymology (where words come from) gain a decisive advantage: they can explain even the most "illogical" spellings. By year's end a typical student should:
Advanced Greek and Latin Roots (36 Words)
These roots push beyond the basics into the patterns that define middle school and high school vocabulary. Mastering them at 6th grade sets students up for SAT and ACT vocabulary sections years later.
Practice Tip: "Psychology" trips up 6th graders because of the silent P. Once they know the Greek root psych (soul, mind), the spelling becomes a badge of knowledge rather than a random rule: "I know this word came from Greek, so I keep the Greek spelling."
The -able vs -ible Distinction (16 Words)
Both suffixes mean "capable of" or "worthy of," but they come from different sources. The practical rule: if the base is a complete English word, use -able. If the base is a Latin root that doesn't stand alone in English, use -ible.
Used after complete English base words
Used after Latin roots that aren't stand-alone English words
Practice Tip: Quick test β remove the suffix. Does a real word remain? "comfort" β yes β comfortable. "vis" β not an English word β visible. This test works about 85% of the time, which is good enough for most contexts.
The -ance vs -ence Problem (16 Words)
Unlike -able/-ible, there's no reliable rule for -ance vs -ence β they both make the same /ens/ sound. The practical solution is to memorize the most common words in each group and build pattern recognition over time.
Practice Tip: When a student genuinely can't remember, -ence is slightly more common in academic writing. Using -ence as the default guess is better than -ance β but the 16 words above appear frequently enough to be worth memorizing individually.
Etymology: Why Words Are Spelled That Way
Etymology β the study of word origins β is the single most powerful tool for understanding "illogical" English spellings. Silent letters aren't random: they're fossils of how words were once pronounced, or markers of which language a word was borrowed from. Once students understand this, spelling starts to feel like history.
psyche (soul/mind) + logos (study). The silent P comes from Greek β English kept the spelling even though the sound was dropped.
From Latin debitum. The silent B was reinserted by scholars in the Renaissance to honor the Latin origin β it was never pronounced in French or early English.
Old English igland. The S was added by confusion with the French word isle β they're unrelated roots. The S has never been pronounced.
WΕdnesdΓ¦g β Woden's day (the Norse god). The D in the middle was once pronounced. Spelling preserved the old form; pronunciation shortened it.
From Italian colonello β French coronel (pronounced ker-nel) β English kept French spelling but Italian pronunciation. The most irregular English word by sound-to-spelling ratio.
Old English cniht. The kn- was fully pronounced in Old English (k-nicht). Silent letters are fossils of how words were once spoken.
Practice Tip: "Colonel" is a great conversation-starter for why English spelling is the way it is. The pronunciation (ker-nel) came from an Italian dialect version; the spelling came from French. English picked up both from different sources and never reconciled them. That backstory makes the word unforgettable.
Middle School Vocabulary (12 Words)
These words appear in 6th grade ELA, social studies, and science β and regularly show up on standardized assessments. Each has a root-based hint that makes the spelling more logical:
Spelling Bee Prep Words (8 Words)
These are among the most challenging words at the 6th grade regional bee level. Each has a hook that makes it manageable:
Middle School Spelling Prep on SpellCrush
SpellCrush works for older students too β custom word lists let parents and students import vocabulary from any class. AI hints generate etymology-based memory tricks for the hardest words.
Start Free Practice βWeekly Practice Schedule for 6th Graders
By 6th grade, students can take more ownership of their practice. Build in self-assessment and strategy development:
Frequently Asked Questions
What spelling words should a 6th grader know?
By the end of 6th grade, students should comfortably spell multi-syllable academic and literary vocabulary, use Greek and Latin root knowledge to decode new words independently, correctly spell words with French and Old English origins, and handle advanced suffix patterns (-ance/-ence, -able/-ible).
What is the difference between -able and -ible?
-able is used with complete base words (comfortable, predictable, dependable). -ible is used with Latin roots that are not complete English words (visible, terrible, responsible). Quick test: remove the suffix. If a real English word remains, use -able. If not, try -ible.
What are good spelling bee words for 6th graders?
Strong 6th grade spelling bee words include: conscientious, supersede, Mediterranean, lieutenant, Caribbean, bureaucracy, silhouette, and surveillance. These test Latin, Greek, and French borrowings alongside less common English patterns.
How does etymology help with spelling?
Knowing where a word comes from explains many irregular spellings. The silent P in psychology comes from Greek (psyche = soul). The silent B in debt comes from Latin (debitum). Etymology turns confusing spellings into logical puzzles β and students who understand the history remember the spelling far better.
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