One sound, lots of spellings
Some sounds can be spelt in several ways. These patterns help you choose.
| Sound | Spellings | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| “shun” | -tion (most common) | action, station, invention |
| -sion (often from -de/-se words) | television, decision, confusion | |
| -ssion (from -ss/-mit words) | discussion, permission | |
| -cian (for jobs and people) | musician, magician, electrician | |
| s | c before e, i or y (soft c) | city, circle, cycle, centre |
| j | g before e, i or y (soft g) | giant, gym, gentle, energy |
| u (as in cup) | ou | young, touch, double, trouble, country |
| ay | ei, eigh, ey | vein, eight, weigh, they, obey |
| i (as in pin) | y | gym, myth, pyramid, mystery |
Watch out! Words for people who do a job that end in the “shun” sound use -cian: musician, magician, politician.
Top tip: think of a related word. Music ends in c, so musician uses c. Weigh is related to weight: same eigh.
👆 Spot the right spelling
Tap every word that is spelt correctly.
🔎 Sound check1 of 5