SPaG Samurai Training

Spelling –
Common Errors
Learn the Ways of the Samurai
Even a Samurai Master such as your teacher doesn’t get the spelling of every
word right every time. What’s important is that we know our weaknesses and
work to address them.
As your training has already revealed, the English language can be incredibly
confusing – even when there are rules, there are also exceptions to them!
This training exercise focuses on common errors, incorporating revision of
some of the patterns you’ve previously mastered and common exception
words. The common errors are taken from the Oxford English Corpus – an
electronic collection of over 2 billion words showing how people are using the
language and the mistakes that are made most often.

Top tip 1: Make a list of words that you commonly misspell. Are there any
patterns? An increased awareness of personal difficulties will help you to
improve your spelling.
Top tip 2: If in doubt, use a dictionary. They’re fantastic tools! The act of
looking up a word will help you to memorise its spelling.
Practise the Ways
1. Identify and correct the misspelt word.
a) The pair of pupils had to work out how to get 2. Identify the correct spelling.
accross the river.
a) begining beginning begginning
b) She really wanted a tatoo but didn’t
b) bisness business bizness
know what.
c) agression aggresion aggression
c) It’s rude to stick your tounge out.
d) arguement argument argguement
d) My neighbour is also my best freind.
e) accommodation accomodation acommodation
e) It’s difficult to spell words that you’re not
familar with.

4. Rearrange the letters to give the

3. Identify the odd one out and correct it.
correct spelling.
a) disappear reappear appearance appear disapearence
a) p r i s e s u r
b) completly incomplete completed complete completion
b) r o w t o m o r
c) known know knowledge unnown knowingly
c) r a s e p a t e
d) before foreseen unforseen foreground foreshadow
d) n a r y e c e s s n u
e) preferred refer referring referred prefering
e) r a s m e b a r
Have You Mastered It?
1. Identify and correct the misspelt word.
a) The pair of pupils had to work out how to get 2. Identify the correct spelling.
accross the river. (across)
a) begining beginning begginning
b) She really wanted a tatoo but didn’t know
b) bisness business bizness
what. (tattoo)
c) agression aggresion aggression
c) It’s rude to stick your tounge out. (tongue)
d) arguement argument argguement
d) My neighbour is also my best freind. (friend)
e) accommodation accomodation acommodation
e) It’s difficult to spell words that you’re not
familar with. (familiar)

4. Rearrange the letters to give the

3. Identify the odd one out and correct it.
correct spelling.
a) disapearence (disappearance)
a) surprise
b) completly (completely)
b) tomorrow
c) unnown (unknown)
c) separate
d) unforseen (unforeseen)
d) unnecessary Full marks
e) prefering (preferring)
e) embarass to secure