How to spell ordinary
A Year 3 and 4 statutory spelling word, with the tricky part explained and a tip that makes it stick.
The answer
ordinary
O-R-D-I-N-A-R-Y
The part to watch: ordin + ary, with an a you hardly hear. The underlined letters are the ones most people get wrong.
The tricky part
Quick speech makes ordinary sound like "ord-nree", hiding the a. It ends -ary.
Ordinary is one of the words on the Year 3 and 4 list with a letter you hardly hear. When we speak quickly, a letter or a whole beat gets swallowed. Say the word slowly, the way it is spelt, so every letter has a sound.
Common mistakes with ordinary
- Wrong: ordineryRight: ordinary
- Wrong: ordinryRight: ordinary
A way to remember it
Say all four beats: or, di, nar, y.
Ordinary in syllables
or · di · nar · y
Ordinary has 4 syllables. Say each one as you write it.
In a sentence
It was an ordinary day until the phone rang.
Ordinary on the statutory list
Ordinary 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 ordinary, then nine more words from the Year 3 and 4 list, read aloud. It works in your browser.
More words with a letter you hardly hear
These words from the Year 3 and 4 list share the same pattern as ordinary.
More words
Questions parents ask
How do you spell ordinarily?
The y of ordinary changes to i before -ly: ordinarily.
Spelling is one part of the picture
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