These worksheets, covering the use of hyphens are an excellent way for children in Years 5 and 6 to revise and practise these spelling patterns.
The worksheets include five different activities in which children look at spelling patterns, identify misspelt words and apply their spellings in context. They can be used within lessons, as an assessment or as a homework task.
This primary resource is divided into five sections:
- Tips
Tick on the table whether the words listed use a hyphen to join words or add a prefix, then add two hyphenated words of your own
- Check
Circle the hyphenated words spelt correctly, and add hyphenated words to fill in the blanks in the sentences provided
- Use
Use the images provided to write a sentence each for the words ‘recover’ and ‘re-cover’ explaining how they are different and how the hyphen removes ambiguity
- Change
Read each sentence and change the underlined word or phrase for a synonym which includes a hyphenated word
- Apply
Write a short passage about the image of a shark, including as many of the words ‘man-eating’, ‘deep-sea’, ‘razor-sharp’ and ‘ice-cold’ as possible
What is a hyphen?
A hyphen is a punctuation mark that’s used to join words, or parts of words, together. This then becomes a hyphenated word.
What is a hyphenated word?
Use a hyphen to join words or separate syllables of a single word. Hyphenated words show the reader that two or more elements in a sentence are linked.
When to hyphenate words
Hyphenate two or more words when they:
- come before a noun they modify.
- act as a single idea.
Hyphens can be used to avoid ambiguity (eg ‘man eating shark’ versus ‘man-eating shark’, or ‘recover’ versus ‘re-cover’).
Hyphenated words list of examples
check-in, empty-handed, get-together, in-depth, know-it-all, one-sided, runner-up, warm-up
National Curriculum English programme of study links
Using hyphens to avoid ambiguity