Word families
You learn to find words built on the same root.
How to do the test
- Look at the word you are given and find its root.
- Look for a word in the sentence built on the same root.
- Its meaning is linked to the root word.
A worked example
Tap the word from the same word family as "sign". She wrote her signature at the bottom.
- Both words are built on the same root: sign.
- Their meanings are linked: a signature is your own sign.
- Signature is in the same word family as sign.
More examples
Tap the word from the same word family as "play". The players ran onto the pitch.
- Both words are built on the same root: play.
- Their meanings are linked: players are the people who play.
- Players is in the same word family as play.
Tap the word from the same word family as "teach". Our teacher smiled.
- Both words are built on the same root: teach.
- Their meanings are linked: a teacher is a person who teaches.
- Teacher is in the same word family as teach.
Watch out
You choose a word that only looks similar, such as a word with the same letters but a different meaning.
Check the meaning. A word is in the family if its meaning is linked to the root.
Tips
- Look for the root in the middle of the word, and ignore the beginnings and endings.
Why it works
Words in a word family share a root and their meanings are linked. Sign, signal and signature all grow from the same root. Knowing this helps you spell and understand new words.