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Year 2 - English

Spelling the 'o' sound after 'w' or 'qu'

Alternative GPCS for consonants and homophones

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn to spell homophones, near-homophones and new consonant spellings.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to spell words like want, watch, wander and squash.

Key Notes

  • 'a' is the most common spelling for the 'o' phoneme after 'w' and 'qu'.
  • How to spell the common exception words: other, mother, brother, another and nothing.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • phoneme: the smallest unit of sound that can change its meaning
  • grapheme: the letter or group of letters that represent a sound
  • homonym: a word that has the same spelling but a different meaning to another word

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Children can confuse 'th' with 'f' and 'v' in some words because they pronounce it that way.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

'a' is the most common spelling for the 'o' phoneme after 'w' and 'qu'. How to spell the common exception words: other, mother, brother, another and nothing.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'phoneme'

the smallest unit of sound that can change its meaning.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Children can confuse 'th' with 'f' and 'v' in some words because they pronounce it that way. Correction: Focus on pronunciation of the sounds before spelling, and show the tongue moving forward for words with 'th' in them.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 2 English guide library.