Year 3 and 4 common exception words

This comprehensive list of common exception words, which students in years 3 and 4 are expected to know, is useful for enhancing children’s reading fluency and literacy skills.

What’s included

• Free printable list of year 3 and 4 common exception words
• Editable version (for subscribers) to customise and adapt

This resource provides a comprehensive list of common exception words that students in years 3 and 4 are expected to know. These words don't follow the typical phonetic spelling rules and hence, are exceptions to them. Understanding and memorising these words can greatly aid in enhancing reading fluency and literacy skills.

How to use this resource in the classroom

Incorporate these common exception words into year 3 and year 4 weekly spelling lists, focusing on a few words each week. Challenge children to use these words in their writing tasks to enhance their vocabulary or identify them during reading activities. Create flashcards so that children can practice learning the words in pairs.

How to use this resource for home learning

Use these common exception words for home learning to support their child's literacy development. This could include creating flashcards for daily practice, reading books together and spotting these words in the text, or incorporating them in daily conversations to help reinforce their usage and understanding.

Looking for more like this?

Combine this common exception words list with these structure spelling lists for year 3 and year 4. 

If you teach KS1, you might like to try our Year 1 and 2 common exception words.