How to spell material
A Year 3 and 4 statutory spelling word, with the tricky part explained and a tip that makes it stick.
The answer
material
M-A-T-E-R-I-A-L
The part to watch: e after the t, and -ial at the end. The underlined letters are the ones most people get wrong.
The tricky part
Material has an e after the t, even though it sounds like "tee". It ends -ial.
Material is one of the words on the Year 3 and 4 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 material
- Wrong: materielRight: material
- Wrong: meterialRight: material
A way to remember it
Say it in four beats: ma, te, ri, al.
Material in syllables
ma · te · ri · al
Material has 4 syllables. Say each one as you write it.
In a sentence
Wool is a warm material for a jumper.
Material on the statutory list
Material 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 material, then nine more words from the Year 3 and 4 list, read aloud. It works in your browser.
More words to learn by heart
Other words on the Year 3 and 4 list to learn by heart.
More words
Questions parents ask
How do you spell materials?
Materials is material + s. The word always ends -ial, with an i before the a.
Spelling is one part of the picture
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