Year 4 English: Spell the Long U Word: Silent E, ue, oo, ew, ui

Understanding Long U Sounds

Hello, everyone! Today, we are going to learn about words that have the long “u” sound. This sound can be spelled in different ways. Let’s explore the ways we can spell the long “u” sound!

Ways to Spell Long U

1. Silent E: When a word ends with an “e,” it can make the “u” sound long.
   • Example: “tube” (the “e” at the end makes the “u” say its name).
2. ue: This combination can also make the long “u” sound.
   • Example: “blue” (the “ue” makes the “u” sound long).
3. oo: Sometimes, “oo” can sound like the long “u.”
   • Example: “food” (the “oo” here sounds like “u”).
4. ew: This pair of letters is another way to spell the long “u” sound.
   • Example: “new” (the “ew” makes the “u” sound long).
5. ui: This spelling can also make the long “u” sound.
   • Example: “fruit” (the “ui” gives the long “u” sound).

Key Rules to Remember

• Silent E Rule: If a word has a silent “e” at the end, the vowel before it usually says its name.
• Learn the Combinations: Practice the combinations “ue,” “oo,” “ew,” and “ui” to get used to how they sound.
• Listening is Key: Pay attention to how words are pronounced. Sometimes, hearing them can help you remember how to spell them.

Tips and Tricks

• Visual Aids: Draw pictures of the words you learn! For example, draw a blue sky for “blue.”
• Word Games: Play games like Scrabble or hangman with these words to make learning fun.
• Flashcards: Create flashcards with the word on one side and a picture on the other side.

Now let’s practice with some questions!

Questions

Easy Level Questions

1. What is the long “u” sound in “tube”?
2. Spell the word that means the colour of the sky: _____.
3. What letter comes after “b” in “blue”?
4. Which word means something we eat that is sweet: “fr__t” or “fr__g”?
5. Fill in the blank: “The dog likes to play in the _____ (f__d).”
6. Spell the word that means not old: _____.
7. What is the long “u” sound in “new”?
8. Fill in the blank: “We want to _____ (n__w) the answer.”
9. Spell the word that means to make something longer: _____.
10. What does “oo” sound like in “food”?

Medium Level Questions

11. What sound does “ui” make in “fruit”?
12. Complete the word: “The _____ (bl__e) is my favourite colour.”
13. Which word means a type of vegetable: “c__b” or “c__u”?
14. Fill in the blank: “I love to eat _____ (f__d) at my favourite restaurant.”
15. Spell the word that means a place where we learn: _____.
16. Complete the word: “The _____ (t__b) is too small.”
17. Where does the “u” sound come from in “true”?
18. Fill in the blank: “The _____ (n__w) car is very fast.”
19. Spell the word that means the opposite of false: _____.
20. What sound do you hear in “few”?

Hard Level Questions

21. Complete the word: “A _____ (c__ue) is a type of system.”
22. Which word means a large amount of something: “d__e” or “de__ue”?
23. Fill in the blank: “The _____ (g__e) is very bright today.”
24. Spell the word that means something we use for communication: _____.
25. What does “ew” sound like in “flew”?
26. Complete the word: “A _____ (c__u) is a kind of fruit.”
27. What is the long “u” sound in “glue”?
28. Fill in the blank: “The _____ (f__t) is very healthy.”
29. Spell the word that means to move upward: _____.
30. Complete this word: “The _____ (s__e) was quite remarkable.”

Answers

Easy Level Answers

1. u
2. blue
3. l
4. fruit
5. food
6. new
7. u
8. know
9. tube
10. u

Medium Level Answers

11. u
12. blue
13. cabbage
14. food
15. school
16. tube
17. u
18. new
19. true
20. u

Hard Level Answers

21. queue
22. dense
23. sun
24. glue
25. u
26. kiwi
27. u
28. fruit
29. climb
30. scene

Great job, everyone! Keep practicing these words, and you’ll be spelling them like a pro!