Spelling words for 6th grade: 16 weekly lists
Free 6th grade spelling lists, one spelling pattern a week with the rule in plain words. Open any week in the spelling maker for a practice sheet, a test and games, or print all 16 lists.
Week 1Roots bio and geo
The Greek root bio means life, and geo means earth.
- biology
- biome
- biography
- antibiotic
- symbiosis
- biosphere
- biodegradable
- geology
- geometry
- geography
- geode
- geothermal
Week 2Roots chron and therm
The Greek root chron means time, and therm means heat.
- chronicle
- chronology
- synchronize
- chronological
- anachronism
- chronometer
- thermal
- thermometer
- thermostat
- geothermal
- exothermic
- endothermic
Week 3Root ject
The Latin root ject means throw.
- eject
- project
- reject
- object
- subject
- projector
- trajectory
- rejection
- objective
- interject
- projectile
- dejected
Week 4Roots mit and miss
The Latin roots mit and miss mean send.
- transmit
- submit
- admit
- permit
- omit
- emit
- mission
- dismiss
- permission
- transmission
- intermission
- emission
Week 5Root duc
The Latin root duc means lead.
- conduct
- product
- produce
- educate
- introduce
- reduce
- deduct
- conductor
- production
- education
- reduction
- viaduct
Week 6Roots cred and fid
The Latin root cred means believe, and fid means trust.
- credit
- incredible
- credible
- discredit
- credential
- accredited
- confide
- confident
- confidence
- fidelity
Week 7Roots auto and photo
The Greek root auto means self, and photo means light.
- automatic
- automobile
- autograph
- autonomy
- automate
- autopilot
- photo
- photosynthesis
- photocopy
- photon
- telephoto
- photogenic
Week 8Endings ology and meter
The ending ology means the study of, and meter means measure.
- ecology
- zoology
- technology
- psychology
- mythology
- geology
- meteorology
- barometer
- speedometer
- perimeter
- diameter
- kilometer
Week 9Roots vert and vers
The Latin roots vert and vers mean turn.
- convert
- invert
- vertical
- reverse
- universe
- version
- advertise
- diverse
- versatile
- anniversary
- conversation
- introvert
Week 10Endings ious and eous
The endings ious and eous mean full of, and the i or e is part of the spelling.
- cautious
- ambitious
- nutritious
- precious
- gracious
- spacious
- courageous
- gorgeous
- outrageous
- spontaneous
- simultaneous
- miscellaneous
Week 11Endings cial and tial
The ending that sounds like shul is spelled cial or tial.
- special
- social
- official
- artificial
- crucial
- financial
- beneficial
- partial
- essential
- potential
- initial
- residential
Week 12Silent letters from Greek
Some words from Greek start with a silent letter, like the h in rhyme or the p in psychology.
- rhyme
- rhythm
- rhino
- rhubarb
- rhombus
- rhetoric
- psychology
- pseudonym
- pterodactyl
- pterosaur
Week 13Homophones, set five
Homophones sound the same, so use the meaning to pick the spelling.
- course
- coarse
- waist
- waste
- board
- bored
- council
- counsel
- site
- sight
- foul
- fowl
Week 14Suffix ize
In US spelling, the ending that means to make or become is spelled ize.
- organize
- realize
- recognize
- apologize
- criticize
- summarize
- memorize
- emphasize
- symbolize
- categorize
- prioritize
- visualize
Week 15Roots scrib and script
The Latin roots scrib and script mean write.
- describe
- prescribe
- subscribe
- inscribe
- scribble
- transcribe
- description
- manuscript
- script
- subscription
- postscript
- prescription
Week 16Words often misspelled
Some words have double letters or silent parts, so look for them before you write.
- accommodate
- embarrass
- occasion
- conscious
- privilege
- occurrence
- maintenance
- guarantee
- millennium
- mischievous
- independent
- existence
How the lists are built
- Each week teaches one pattern, in the order the phonics steps and the grade's spelling usually come: short vowels and blends in 1st grade, vowel teams and endings in 2nd, prefixes and suffixes in 3rd, Latin and Greek roots in 5th and 6th.
- Every word on a pattern list has that pattern; a check runs on each one before the page is published. Heart words are the few common words that do not follow it.
- The spelling maker opens with the week's words typed in, and makes a look-say-cover-write-check sheet, a test with a teacher's copy, a scramble, and bingo, word search and flashcards from the same list. The list rides in the address after the #, so it never reaches our server.