Mini Minds Hub · Free printable

Misspelt Words Hunt: Free Printable Game for Year 7

  • ForYear 7
  • StageKey Stage 3
  • CostFree
  • FormatPrintable PDF
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Misspelt Words Hunt is a free printable word search game for Year 7 (ages 11 to 12), in Key Stage 3. Children hunt for the words that almost everyone gets wrong, then practise spelling them from memory. It needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.

It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the library of free printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.

What is on the sheet

Children search a grid of letters for commonly misspelt words. A hidden word list tells them what to look for. When they find a word, they cover it and try to spell it from memory. Memory tricks help the tricky parts stick. The game turns careful reading and careful spelling into a hunt, so children want to look closely at every letter.

  • NECESSARY
  • SEPARATE
  • DEFINITELY
  • RECEIVE
  • RHYTHM
  • OCCASION
  • EMBARRASS

How the game builds spelling

Hunt

Finding a word in a grid means checking letters one at a time and in the right order. That slow, careful look is exactly what good spelling needs.

Cover

Covering a word and writing it from memory shows what a child really knows. It is different from copying, because the brain has to recall the letters.

Trick

A memory trick links a tricky spot in a word to something easy to remember. Children are more likely to keep a trick they made up themselves.

Check

Checking against the answers on page 2 lets children mark their own work. Spotting a slip and fixing it is a big part of learning to spell.

Why do some words trip people up?

English spelling does not always match the way words sound. Many words came from other languages, such as French, Latin and Greek, and kept their old spelling patterns. Some words have double letters that are easy to forget. Others have letters that are not pronounced, or vowels that sound the same but are written differently. These are the places where mistakes happen.

Year 7 is a good time to work on this. Children write more in every subject and the vocabulary gets harder. Knowing the usual trouble spots helps them check their own writing. A spell checker will not catch every mistake, so children also need to notice the problem themselves. Short, regular practice with memory tricks helps most.

Spelling facts to share

  • English has borrowed words from many languages, including French, Latin and Greek.
  • The k at the start of knife was once said aloud. The sound faded over time, but the spelling stayed.
  • The letters ough can sound different in different words, such as in though, through and tough.
  • A spell checker can miss a mistake when the wrong word is a real word, such as there instead of their.
  • Many people of all ages find the same English words tricky, so a hard word is not a sign of being bad at spelling.

Skills and curriculum link

  • Spelling
  • Memory tricks
  • Close reading
  • Spotting letter patterns
  • Checking your own work

Ideas that help with spelling

  • Say it in chunksBreak a word into small sounds or syllables and say each one clearly. Then write it chunk by chunk.
  • Look for the tricky partMost words have one or two spots that cause the trouble. Find that spot, circle it and give it extra attention.
  • Make a silly pictureA funny sentence or mental picture can hold a tricky spelling in place. The odder it is, the easier it is to recall.
  • Cover, write, checkLook at the word, cover it, write it from memory, then check each letter. Repeat on another day to make it stick.

Key words

  • SyllableOne beat in a word. You can feel each one as you say the word slowly.
  • VowelThe letters a, e, i, o and u. Every syllable has a vowel sound.
  • ConsonantAny letter that is not a vowel, such as b, t or m.
  • Double letterThe same letter written twice in a row inside a word.
  • Memory trickA short phrase or picture that helps you remember a tricky spelling.
  • Word searchA puzzle where words are hidden in a grid. They can run in different directions.

How to use it

  1. Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
  2. Read the word list together before starting. Say each word aloud and talk about any part that looks tricky.
  3. Let your child find each word in the grid and circle it. Then ask them to cover it and spell it from memory.
  4. Check together using page 2. Ask, "Which part of that word is the tricky bit?" and talk about their memory trick.
  5. Come back another day and try the words again from memory. Repeating a familiar game builds confidence.

Help, stretch and game ideas

If it feels too hard

Say the memory trick aloud before you look for each word. Look for the first letter in the grid, then check the next letter one at a time. Do a few words first and come back to the rest later.

To stretch confident children

Write each word in a sentence of your own. Then make up a memory trick for embarrass. Swap tricks with a friend and decide whose is easier to remember. Try the words again a week later.

Make it a game

Race a friend to find the words first. Each player circles a word, covers it and spells it aloud. A correct spelling scores a point. If it is wrong, the other player may try for the point.

Talk about it

  • Which word on the list do you think is the hardest to spell? Why?
  • Where in that word does the tricky part sit?
  • What memory trick helped you most? Can you teach it to me?
  • Why might a spell checker miss a mistake?
  • Which other words do you often get wrong in your own writing?
  • How did it help to cover the word and spell it from memory?

Take it off the page

Trick poster

Choose a tricky word and draw a poster for it. Colour the difficult letters and add a short phrase that helps you remember them.

Spelling relay

Write the words on slips of paper. One person reads a word and the other writes it from memory. Swap roles and check each one together.

Mistake detective

Ask a grown up to write a short paragraph with a few spelling slips in it. Hunt for the mistakes, circle them and write the correct spellings.

Who it is for

Parents

Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Keep rounds short and relaxed. If a word is hard, say your own memory trick first. Praise careful checking, not just right answers.

Teachers

Use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task or homework. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has help and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups, and the answers make self marking easy.

Home educators

Print it as part of a wider English plan. It pairs well with reading, writing and everyday talk about words. Reuse it for brothers and sisters, or return to it a few weeks later for revision.

Where this fits in spelling

Before this, children learn spelling patterns, common prefixes and suffixes, and how to use a dictionary. They also meet words with double letters and silent letters, so many of the trouble spots in this game will feel familiar.

After this, children keep building accurate spelling across Key Stage 3 as their vocabulary grows. Proofreading their own writing, using memory tricks and checking tricky words become habits that help in every subject.

Questions parents and teachers ask

What age is Misspelt Words Hunt for?

It is written for Year 7 (ages 11 to 12), in Key Stage 3. It can also help older or younger children who want extra spelling practice, because the task is simply to find words and learn to spell them.

What will children practise?

Children practise spelling commonly misspelt words, using memory tricks and reading closely to spot words in a grid of letters. It supports the Key Stage 3 requirement to spell accurately.

How do I use it?

Print both pages. Children find each word in the word search, then cover it and spell it from memory. Keep page 2 for the grown up, who can check the answers. Work through the first go together.

What if it feels too hard?

Say the memory trick aloud before looking for each word. Look for the first letter in the grid, then check the next letters one at a time. Try a few words, then come back on another day.

Is it free?

Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so you do not need colour ink.

Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?

Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 gives help, a stretch idea and answers.

How long does it take?

The sheet gives no set time. Children can work at their own pace, and short rounds work well. Stop when focus drops and come back to the sheet later. Page 2 has ideas to help.

Preview the full PDF

Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.

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