How to spell muscle
A Year 5 and 6 statutory spelling word, with the tricky part explained and a tip that makes it stick.
The answer
muscle
M-U-S-C-L-E
The part to watch: a silent c after the s. The underlined letters are the ones most people get wrong.
The tricky part
Muscle has a c after the s that you do not hear. It ends -le.
Muscle is one of the words on the Year 5 and 6 list with a silent letter. These words have a letter you write but do not say. Many were said long ago and the spelling kept them.
Common mistakes with muscle
- Wrong: mussleRight: muscle
- Wrong: muscelRight: muscle
A way to remember it
Say muscular: the c is heard there. Muscle keeps the same c.
Muscle in syllables
mus · cle
Muscle has 2 syllables. Say each one as you write it.
In a sentence
Your heart is a muscle that never stops working.
Muscle on the statutory list
Muscle 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 muscle, then nine more words from the Year 5 and 6 list, read aloud. It works in your browser.
More words with a silent letter
These words from the Year 5 and 6 list share the same pattern as muscle.
More words
Questions parents ask
What is the difference between muscle and mussel?
They sound the same. A muscle is part of your body that helps you move. A mussel is a shellfish that lives on rocks by the sea.
Spelling is one part of the picture
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