How to spell build
A Year 3 and 4 statutory spelling word, with the tricky part explained and a tip that makes it stick.
The answer
build
B-U-I-L-D
The part to watch: ui makes a short i sound. The underlined letters are the ones most people get wrong.
The tricky part
You hear "bild", but there is a u before the i. The u is not said at all.
Build is one of the words on the Year 3 and 4 list with a vowel that makes a surprising sound. In these words a vowel, or a pair of vowels, makes a sound it does not usually make, such as the u in busy or the o in women.
Common mistakes with build
- Wrong: bildRight: build
- Wrong: biuldRight: build
A way to remember it
U and I build it together: remember "u and i" in the middle.
Build in syllables
build
Build has one syllable, so learn it as a whole word.
In a sentence
We are going to build a den in the garden.
Build on the statutory list
Build is on the Year 3 and 4 statutory word list in the national curriculum for England. Children are taught these words in Years 3 and 4, when they are 7 to 9.
Test yourself
A short spelling test that starts with build, then nine more words from the Year 3 and 4 list, read aloud. It works in your browser.
More words with a vowel that makes a surprising sound
These words from the Year 3 and 4 list share the same pattern as build.
More words
Questions parents ask
What is the past tense of build?
Built. It keeps the ui of build: "We built a den."
Spelling is one part of the picture
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