About the Spelling Practice Test
The best way to improve spelling is to try to spell words and check yourself. This test says a word aloud using your browser's voice, gives you a sentence with the word hidden, and waits for you to type it. Choose easy, medium or hard words, or a mix, and take a test of 5, 10 or 20 words. At the end you see your score and a list of the words you got wrong, next to the correct spelling, and you can practise just those words again. The words are the ones that people often misspell, such as receive, separate, definitely and accommodation. If your browser cannot speak, the sentence hint is shown instead. Nothing is stored or uploaded.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Spelling Practice Test
- 1Choose a level and the number of words.
- 2Press Start the test and listen to the first word.
- 3Type the spelling and press Enter or Next word.
- 4Use Hear the word again or Show a sentence if you need help.
- 5Read your score and practise the words you missed.
Tips for hard words
Many difficult words have one tricky part: the double c and double s in necessary, the ie or ei in receive, the silent letters in knowledge and the extra letters in accommodation. When you miss a word, look at where the difference is and make a small trick for that part alone.
Say the word the way it is spelled, in your head, and exaggerate the parts: Wed-nes-day, Feb-ru-ary, def-i-nite-ly. This is not how it sounds in speech, but it helps you remember the letters.
How to study
- Take a short test every day rather than a long one once a week.
- Practise the words you missed until you get them right twice.
- Write each missed word in a sentence.
- Group words with the same pattern, such as -ance and -ence.
- Read widely: seeing words in print is a strong teacher.
Related tools
The Flashcard Maker keeps words you find hard and shows them again at the right time. Look at similar sounding words in the English Homophones List, check longer writing with the Grammar Checker and count beats in a word with the Syllable Counter. The Anagram Checker is a fun way to play with the letters of a word.
Features
- Easy, medium and hard levels
- Spoken words with a sentence hint
- Tests of 5, 10 or 20 words
- Score and list of mistakes
- Retry only the words you missed
- Works without sound using sentence hints
- Private, nothing saved
Frequently asked questions
How does the test work?
A word is read aloud. You type it and move on. At the end every answer is checked and the wrong ones are listed with the correct spelling.
Can I hear the word again?
Yes, press Hear the word again as often as you like during the test.
Why can't I hear anything?
Your device may be silent, or the browser may have no speech voice. The sentence hint with a gap is shown instead so you can still take the test.
Is capitalisation important?
Yes. A word such as February or Wednesday must start with a capital letter, and the test checks the exact spelling you type.
Which words are included?
Common words that many people spell wrongly, from easy ones like because and friend to hard ones like conscientious and bureaucracy.
How can I improve my spelling?
Break long words into parts, make up memory tricks, such as necessary has one collar and two sleeves, and revise the words you miss until you can spell them without thinking.
Does it keep my scores?
No, the page does not store anything. Write down your scores if you want to see progress.