How to spell calendar
A Year 3 and 4 statutory spelling word, with the tricky part explained and a tip that makes it stick.
The answer
calendar
C-A-L-E-N-D-A-R
The part to watch: e in the middle, -ar at the end. The underlined letters are the ones most people get wrong.
The tricky part
Calendar ends -ar, not -er, and the middle vowel is e. Both vowels are hard to hear.
Calendar is one of the words on the Year 3 and 4 list with an -ar ending. These words end in a sound like "er", but it is spelt -ar. Saying the ending as "ar" while you write it helps.
Common mistakes with calendar
- Wrong: calenderRight: calendar
- Wrong: calanderRight: calendar
A way to remember it
Say "cal-en-DAR" in your spelling voice, so the end rhymes with "car" and you hear its a.
Calendar in syllables
cal · en · dar
Calendar has 3 syllables. Say each one as you write it.
In a sentence
Circle your birthday on the calendar.
Calendar on the statutory list
Calendar 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 calendar, then nine more words from the Year 3 and 4 list, read aloud. It works in your browser.
More words with an -ar ending
These words from the Year 3 and 4 list share the same pattern as calendar.
More words
Questions parents ask
Is calendar the same as colander?
No. A calendar shows the days of the year. A colander is a bowl with holes for draining food. They sound alike, but calendar ends -dar and colander ends -der.
Spelling is one part of the picture
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