Year 6 Spelling Words: Download Free Word Lists

When it comes to finding good Year 6 spelling words, things start to get a little more complicated. But don’t fret; that’s actually a good thing! It means your child is moving beyond the basic vocabulary of primary school, and preparing to enter their secondary schooling with an entirely new set of complex words at their disposal.

So, What Should Your Child Know?

At this stage of your child’s literacy journey, Year 6 spelling students are expected to have mastered:

1. Phonetic strategies (the ability to “sound out” words)
2. Common spelling rules (and their exceptions)
3. Morphemic strategies (including the use of prefixes, suffixes, and base words)

Clearly, when it comes to finding good Year 6 spelling words, students are expected to move past the basics. More specifically, the significance of learning new Tier 3 words cannot be overstated. So what exactly is a Tier 3 word?

Year 6 Spelling: The Importance of Tier 3 Words

Tier 3 words are discipline or context-specific words, and essentially function as the gateway to exploring complex, high-level ideas. For a full guide on the difference between Tier 1, 2, 3 words as defined by the Australian English Curriculum, check out our full guide here!

In Year 6, students encounter more advanced concepts across various subjects, from science to social studies to literature. Grasping Tier 3 words empowers students to delve deeper into these subjects, enabling a fuller comprehension of nuanced ideas. For example, understanding words like “photosynthesis” in biology or “democracy” in society and culture (SOR) opens doors to exploring complex processes and systems.

In your child’s future high school English studies, Tier 3 words can unravel layers of meaning in texts. As students engage with more sophisticated stories, they will encounter complex writing techniques like “antithesis” or “anadiplosis”. Moreover, proficiency in these terms will enable them to enrich their learning experience and analyse the literary devices that authors employ in their own work.

Clearly, the development of a robust, Tier 3 vocabulary is essential for Year 6 spelling students hoping for a successful high school career. To nurture the acquisition of Tier 3 words, read on. In a moment, we will go through five “must-know” Tier 3 words for Year 6 spelling students! Otherwise, simply download our free Year 6 Spelling Word Lists below to kick start your child’s Year 6 spelling journey!

The Top 3 “Must Know” Tier 3 Words for Year 6 English Students

1. Verisimilitude

noun

The appearance of being true or real.

“We hand-painted little dots and imperfections on our fake plants to give them verisimilitude.”

So, what’s so special about this word, apart from the fact that is has way too many “i”s? Well, verisimilitude is one of the most vital functions of any fiction text your child will encounter in high school. For Year 6 students, understanding how fictional narratives suspend disbelief, or in other words, make readers feel like their story is realistic, is crucial.

Verisimilitude tops our list of the best Year 6 spelling words because it describes a quality that every author aspires to achieve.

Every author wants their story to have verisimilitude. It’s why books set in the 1800s don’t have iPhones in them. It’s why authors don’t just give their protagonists awesome supernatural abilities, but also hinder them with human flaws. Verisimilitude is what keeps us reading; we hunger for stories that are convincing, that feel real to us, even when they are set in magical alternative worlds.

As your child transitions from Year 6 spelling word lists to the realm of high school literary criticism, they should keep this word in mind. What features do their favourite authors use to create verisimilitude? How do they make their characters and worlds believable, even when writing fiction?

2. Diction

noun

A writer or speaker’s choice of words.

“The writer’s diction was cold and harsh.”

The word diction is deceptively simple, but its applications are vast and complex. Understanding how a writer’s choice of words effects the overall meaning and interpretation of their message is crucial. Let’s consider the diction of the following quote, the 9th line of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 19:

O [devouring time], carve not with thy hours my love’s fair brow

Here, Shakespeare is directly addressing time, as if time were a person. He is pleading with time, asking it not to use its hours to “carve” lines in the forehead of someone he loves. In other words, he doesn’t want time to cause his lover to grow old, and lose their fair, smooth skin.

In this example, diction is crucial. Shakespeare could have simply said “time, please don’t make my lover grow old and wrinkly”. Instead, however, Shakespeare uses the verb “carve” to describe the process by which time causes wrinkles. The word “carve” has violent connotations; it suggests that time is an aggressive creature that cuts into and hurts human beings, and that every passing hour carves into our youth like knifes.

This use of diction is profound: it suggests that time is our enemy, and reminds us how precious (and short) life actually is. In this quote, diction has the power to offer an entirely new interpretation of time, and its relationship to humans. For this reason, diction remains a vital Year 6 spelling word, and will enable your child to better describe and examine the word choices of writers.

3. Paradox

noun

A seemingly absurd or contradictory statement that contains truth.

• A person or thing that combines contradictory qualities

“I know it’s a bit of a paradox, but sometimes I think my daughter is wiser than I am.”

An understanding of the paradox is essential for high school literary analysis. For this reason, Year 6 spelling students should aim to wrap their heads around this crucial English technique now! A paradox, simply put, is any statement, character, idea, object, or situation that contain seemingly contradictory or irreconcilable qualities. Paradoxes are used to challenge our understanding and reveal hidden truths.

Let’s take a look at some examples!

1. If I know one thing, it is that I know nothing.
2. I don’t like my brother, but I do love him.
3. The pen is mightier than the sword.
4. Sometimes, less is more.
5. The only constant in life is change.
6. She was the kindest and most hateful person I had ever met.

While many of the above examples take the form of aphorisms, as seen in example six, a character can be a paradox as well! For example, consider Dumbledore from Harry Potter. While he appears a gentle, unassuming, and frail old man, he is actually the most powerful wizard at Hogwarts. These contradictory qualities make him a paradox!

Clearly, paradox is among the best Year 6 spelling words for good reason. A robust understanding of this Tier 3 word will enable your child to engage in complex analysis, not just of literature, but also of the wider world. Is it possible to be cruel and kind? Why does the female mantis cannibalise the head of its own mate? How can the sun, the hottest, heaviest, most violent, and most destructive object in the universe be responsible for warmth, sunsets, and creating life on earth? A student who understands the paradox is one step closer to answering these questions.

Want to kick start your child’s journey toward Year 6 spelling mastery? Scroll up and download their free Word List Booklet today!