How to spell minute
A Year 3 and 4 statutory spelling word, with the tricky part explained and a tip that makes it stick.
The answer
minute
M-I-N-U-T-E
The part to watch: it ends -ute, but says "it". The underlined letters are the ones most people get wrong.
The tricky part
The end of minute sounds like "it" but is spelt ute. The same letters, said "my-newt", make a different word meaning very small.
Minute 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 minute
- Wrong: minitRight: minute
- Wrong: minnitRight: minute
A way to remember it
Minute ends like cute, flute and mute: u, t, e.
Minute in syllables
min · ute
Minute has 2 syllables. Say each one as you write it.
In a sentence
Wait a minute while I find my coat.
Minute on the statutory list
Minute 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 minute, 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 minute.
More words
Questions parents ask
What does minute mean when it is said "my-newt"?
It means very small: "a minute speck of dust". It is spelt exactly like minute, the unit of time.
Spelling is one part of the picture
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