How to spell committee
A Year 5 and 6 statutory spelling word, with the tricky part explained and a tip that makes it stick.
The answer
committee
C-O-M-M-I-T-T-E-E
The part to watch: double m, double t, double e. The underlined letters are the ones most people get wrong.
The tricky part
Committee has three doubles: mm, tt and ee. Dropping any one of them is the usual mistake.
Committee is one of the words on the Year 5 and 6 list with a double letter at the start. Many long words begin ac, ag, ap, at, com, cor, im, oc, op, suf or sug with a doubled consonant. Most began as a prefix joined to a root, and the letter doubled where the two met.
Common mistakes with committee
- Wrong: comitteeRight: committee
- Wrong: commiteeRight: committee
- Wrong: committeRight: committee
A way to remember it
A committee has lots of people, so it has lots of doubles: mm, tt, ee.
Committee in syllables
com · mit · tee
Committee has 3 syllables. Say each one as you write it.
In a sentence
The school council is a committee of pupils.
Committee on the statutory list
Committee is on the Year 5 and 6 statutory word list in the national curriculum for England. Children are taught these words in Years 5 and 6, when they are 9 to 11.
Test yourself
A short spelling test that starts with committee, then nine more words from the Year 5 and 6 list, read aloud. It works in your browser.
More words with a double letter at the start
These words from the Year 5 and 6 list share the same pattern as committee.
More words
Questions parents ask
Is it committee or commitee?
Committee. Think of commit, then double the t before -ee, just as it doubles in committed.
Spelling is one part of the picture
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