How to spell language
A Year 5 and 6 statutory spelling word, with the tricky part explained and a tip that makes it stick.
The answer
language
L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E
The part to watch: lan + gu + age. The underlined letters are the ones most people get wrong.
The tricky part
Language has a u after the g, and the vowels come in the order u, a. People often swap them.
Language is one of the words on the Year 5 and 6 list with no single spelling rule. These words follow no single rule. Look, say, cover, write and check them a few times a week until they stick.
Common mistakes with language
- Wrong: langaugeRight: language
- Wrong: langugeRight: language
A way to remember it
Language ends with "age", like average: lang + u + age.
Language in syllables
lan · guage
Language has 2 syllables. Say each one as you write it.
In a sentence
Welsh is a language spoken in Wales.
Language on the statutory list
Language 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 language, then nine more words from the Year 5 and 6 list, read aloud. It works in your browser.
More words to learn by heart
Other words on the Year 5 and 6 list to learn by heart.
More words
Questions parents ask
Is it language or langauge?
Language. After the g comes u, as in guard and guess, then a: lang-u-age.
Spelling is one part of the picture
The free diagnostic checks maths, English and both kinds of reasoning, and shows what to practise next. No card is required.