4Th Grade Word Study Lists

4th Grade Word Study Lists

Sort 6- Ambiguous Vowels oy, oi, ou, ow

1st syllable oi/oy / 1st syllable ou/ow / 2nd syllable oi/oy / 2nd syllable ou/ow / oddball
moisture / coward / avoid / amount / trouble
loyal / county / annoy / allow / southern
pointed / counter / appoint / around / double
poison / powder / employ / about / doughnut
noisy / thousand

Sort 7- Ambiguous Vowels au, aw, al

au / aw / al / oddball
author / awkward / always / laughed
autumn / lawyer / almost / all right
laundry / awesome / halted
caution / gnawing / already
faucet / gawking / salty
sausage / flawless / although
haunted
August

Sort 8- R-Influenced a in Accented Syllables

ar in 1st syllable / ā in 1st syllable / ā in 2nd syllable / oddball
market / parents / aware / toward
carpet / haircut / despair
harvest / dairy / repair
marble / barefoot / declare
hardly / careful / beware
partner / barely / impair
pardon / fairly / compare

Sort 9- R-Influenced o in Accented Syllables

or in 1s syllable / or in 2nd syllable / oddball
order / record / sorry
forest / perform / reward
normal / ashore
forty / before
florist / explore
northern / ignore
forward / adore
corner / inform
chorus / afford

Sort 10- Words with w or /w/ Before the Vowel

/war/ / /wor/ / /wa/
wardrobe / worse / waffle
warning / world / wander
warden / worry / squat
warrior / worthy / squash
quarter / worship / squabble
quarrel / worthwhile / squad
swarm
dwarf
backward

Sort 11- /ar/ Spelled er, ir, ur in First Syllables

er / ir / ur / oddball
person / firmly / purpose / spirit
perfect / dirty / further / merry
certain / birthday / hurry
mermaid / thirsty / turtle
perhaps / birdbath / furnish
service / circle / during
Thursday

Sort 12- /ər/ and R-Influenced e Spelled er, ear, ere, eer in Accented Syllables

er = /ur/ / ear = /ur/ / ear / ere / eer
sermon / earthquake / teardrop / sincere / cheerful
serpent / learner / spearmint / adhere
hermit / pearly / yearbook / merely
thermos / rehearse / appear
kernel / yearning / dreary
earnest
searching

Sort 13- Unaccented Final Syllable –le

VCle / VCCle doublet / VCCle
cradle / middle / tremble
able / settle / single
table / bottle / muscle
rifle / scribble / sample
bridle / paddle / jungle
bugle / rattle / handle
cable / battle / scramble

Sort 14- Unaccented Final Syllable /əl/ Spelled –le, -el, -il, -al

-le / -el / -il / -al / oddball
saddle / level / April / total / fragile
couple / angel / fossil / metal / special
angle / novel / evil / signal
needle / vowel / stencil / pedal
bundle / cancel / pupil / local
struggle / jewel / council / journal

Sort 15- Unaccented Final Syllables /ər/ Spelled –er, -ar, -or

-er / -ar / -or
brother / dollar / doctor
rather / solar / flavor
cover / sugar / favor
silver / grammar / mirror
weather / regular / motor
father / calendar / rumor
flower / popular / tractor
mother / cedar / harbor
after / lunar / error

Sort 16- Agents and Comparatives

People who do things
-er / People who do things
-or / Words to Compare
-er
dreamer / creator / smaller
swimmer / sailor / fresher
voter / visitor / smoother
driver / director / older
jogger / governor / younger
farmer / editor / later
shopper / juror / sooner
writer / stronger
brighter

Sort 17- More Final Syllables /ər/ Spelled –cher, -ture, -sure, -ure

-cher = /chur/ / -ture = /chur/ / -sure = /zhur/ / -ure = /yur/ / oddball
rancher / nature / pleasure / failure / senior
teacher / capture / leisure / obscure / danger
pitcher / future / treasure / secure
stretcher / mixture / pressure
marcher / posture
culture
pasture
torture

Sort 18- Unaccented Final Syllable /ən/ Spelled –en, -on, -an, -ain

-en / -on / -an / -ain / Oddball
eleven / unison / woman / captain / mission
oxygen / gallon / organ / bargain
heaven / ribbon / orphan / fountain
chosen / apron / slogan / curtain
abdomen / bacon / urban / certain
children / pardon / villian

Sort 19- Unaccented Initial Syllables a-, de-, be-

a- / de- / be- / oddball
another / degree / believe / divide
awhile / depend / between / direct
among / desire / beneath / upon
aboard / develop / because
against / defend / begun
afraid / delete / behavior
aloud / decision / beforehand
astonish
agenda

Sort 20- Initial Hard and Soft c and g

Soft C / Soft G / Hard C / Hard G
circle / gymnast / common / gossip
central / giraffe / camel / golden
century / genius / college / garage
cyclist / general / custom / gutter
cider / gingerbread / collect / govern
cereal / giant / cavern / gurgle

Sort 21- Final –s and Soft C and G

-ce = /s/ / -ss = /s/ / ge = /j/ / -age = /ij/
police / princess / midget / garbage
sentence / actress / gadget / manage
distance / address / surgeon / luggage
office / compass / challenge / package
science / possess / arrange / village
practice / express / message
courage

Sort 22- More Words with G

gu- / -gue / -g / oddball
guard / vague / zigzag / gauge
guitar / league / shrug / language
guide / fatigue / iceberg / argue
guilty / plague / dialog / penguin
guest / intrigue / catalog
guidance / strong

Sort 23- /k/ Spelled ck, -ic, -x

-ck (end) / ck (middle) / -ic / -x / oddball
hammock / pocket / traffic / index / stomach
quick / nickel / topic / complex
attack / pickle / picnic / perplex
unlock / buckle / metric / shoebox
racetrack / ticket / elastic
struck / jacket / plastic
rocket / specific
fabric

Sort 24- /qw/ and /k/ Spelled qu

1st syllable / 2nd syllable / qu = /k/
quality / frequent / racquet
squirrel / equipment / mosquito
squirming / equator / conquer
quadrant / banquet / technique
quotation / inquire / critique
quizzes / liquid
queasy / sequence
qualify / sequel
request

Sort 25- Words with Silent Consonants

Silent T / Silent G / Silent W / Silent K / Silent H / Silent GH
fasten / resign / wreckage / knowledge / honor / thought
listen / assignment / wrestle / doorknob / rhyme / brought
glisten / campaign / answer / kneepad / rhythm / bought
soften / gnarl / sword / knockout / khaki / though

Sort 26- Words with gh and ph

ph- (beginning) / ph (middle/end) / -gh = /f/ / Silent gh
physics / elephant / cough / naughty
phantom / nephew / tough / taught
photocopy / dolphin / rough / caught
photograph / trophy / laughter / fought
phonics / telephone / height
homophone
paragraph

Sort 27- Prefixes re-, un-

Re- / Un- / Oddball
recopy / unkind / uncle
recycle / unwrap / reptile
refinish / unselfish / rescue
refill / unbutton
rewrite / unhappy
retrace / unpack
retake / unfair
return / uneven
review / unequal
remodel / unbeaten

Sort 28- Prefixes dis-, mis-, pre-

Dis- / Mis- / Pre- / oddball
dislike / mistreat / prefix / precious
disable / mismatch / premature / mister
disobey / misplace / preteen / distance
dishonest / misbehave / preview
disloyal / misjudge / preheat
disappear / miscount / pretest
displace / mistrust / precaution

Sort 29- Prefixes ex-, non-, in-, fore-

Ex- / Non- / In- (“not) / In- (“in” or “into) / Fore-
extend / nonfiction / incorrect / indoor / forearm
explore / nonstop / indecent / insight / forehead
express / nonfat / inhuman / income / foresee
exclude / nonprofit / foreshadow
explode / nonskid / foremost
expand
extra

Sort 30 Prefixes uni-, bi-, tri-, and Other Numbers

Uni- / Bi- / Tri- / Other Numbers
unity / biweekly / trilogy / pentagon
unicorn / bisect / triangle / octagon
unique / bilingual / triple / octopus
unison / triplet / October
unison / tripod
uniform / trio
universe

Sort 31- Suffixes –y, -ly, -ily

-y / -ly / -ily
rainy / quickly / easily
foggy / clearly / angrily
snowy / dimly / lazily
misty / quietly / noisily
stormy / loudly / busily
chilly / roughly / merrily
cloudy / smoothly / sleepily
windy / daily
breezy

Sort 32- Comparatives –er, -est

-er / -est / -ier / -iest
calmer / calmest / easier / easiest
closer / closest / prettier / prettiest
fewer / fewest / crazier / craziest
cooler / coolest / dirtier / dirtiest
hotter / hottest / funnier / funniest
weaker / weakest / lazier / laziest

Sort 33- Suffixes –ness, -ful, -less

-ness / -ful / -less / combination
goodness / colorful / hopeless / thankfulness
weakness / faithful / worthless / helplessness
illness / fearful / restless / thoughtfulness
kindness / painful / harmless / peacefulness
happiness / dreadful / penniless / gratefulness
awareness / plentiful / fearless / truthfulness

Sort 34- Homophones

cellar / seller
allowed / aloud
bored / board
their / there
desert / dessert
choose / chews
weather / whether
flower / flour
vary / very
hire / higher
principle / principal
marry / merry

Sort 35- Homographs (emphasize bold syllable)

Noun / Verb
present / present
desert / desert
record / record
permit / permit
rebel / rebel
object / object
subject / subject
reject / reject
produce / produce
conduct / conduct
export / export
contract / contract

Sort 36- Vowel Pairs ie, ei

ie = ē / ei = ē / ei = ā / cei = ē / oddball
niece / leisure / weigh / perceive / mischief
yield / weird / sleigh / ceiling
grief / either / reign / receipt
shield / neither / beige / deceive
relieve / eighteen / freight / conceited
belief / protein / vein