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275 spelling words for 4th graders with fun activities

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Great spelling, as spelling bee participants prove, starts by building good study habits at a young age. Spelling practice can be a fun activity for you to share with your child. It's educational and helps build a strong foundation that kids can lean on for the rest of their lives. But you need to know where to start. 

This list of 275 fourth-grade spelling words (along with some fun spelling games) will help you incorporate regular spelling practice into your routine.

If you're not quite ready for these yet, or if you're ready to move onto the next level, check out our lists of spelling words for third graders and spelling words for fifth graders.

List of spelling words for 4th graders

  1. bridge

  2. gravity

  3. hungry

  4. eclipse

  5. secret

  6. applaud

  7. laundry

  8. trouble

  9. watch

  10. singer

  11. slippery

  12. spring

  13. gather

  14. these

  15. thread

  16. athlete

  17. worth

  18. thirsty

  19. dialogue

  20. expression

  21. inferences

  22. voice

  23. signature

  24. relate

  25. mood

  26. discuss

  27. edit

  28. genre

  29. interpret

  30. intonation

  31. myth

  32. began

  33. clasp

  34. rapid

  35. able

  36. later

  37. space

  38. stranger

  39. grade

  40. display

  41. main

  42. explain

  43. freight

  44. neighbor

  45. playground

  46. teammate

  47. yardstick

  48. windshield

  49. fisherman

  50. saltwater

  51. downstairs

  52. fingerprint

  53. haircut

  54. lifeguard

  55. sandpaper

  56. sidewalk

  57. sunlight

  58. eighty

  59. either

  60. electric

  61. engine

  62. enough

  63. evening

  64. except

  65. faint

  66. false

  67. famous

  68. fear

  69. feather

  70. felt

  71. fever

  72. few

  73. fifth

  74. fifty

  75. final

  76. follow

  77. forever

  78. forgive

  79. forty

  80. fourth

  81. fright

  82. fruit

  83. gain

  84. garden

  85. gasoline

  86. gear

  87. gentle

  88. giant

  89. glance

  90. gold

  91. grandfather

  92. grandmother

  93. groceries

  94. grown

  95. guard

  96. handsome

  97. happiest

  98. he’ll

  99. he’s

  100. health

  101. heard

  102. hiking

  103. holidays

  104. honey

  105. honor

  106. hospital

  107. hour

  108. however

  109. howl

  110. hundred

  111. hungry

  112. hurry

  113. husband

  114. important

  115. interest

  116. invite

  117. jacket

  118. jaw

  119. judge

  120. juice

  121. kindness

  122. kitchen

  123. kneel

  124. knight

  125. libraries

  126. library

  127. listen

  128. lonely

  129. loyal

  130. machine

  131. mailbox

  132. meant

  133. medal

  134. middle

  135. mirror

  136. mistake

  137. moment

  138. monkey

  139. movement

  140. neighbor

  141. neither

  142. nickel

  143. ninety

  144. ninth

  145. no one

  146. nobody

  147. o’clock

  148. obeyed

  149. odd

  150. office

  151. often

  152. paper

  153. parent

  154. paste

  155. path

  156. peaceful

  157. pencil

  158. perfect

  159. picture

  160. planet

  161. playground

  162. pleasing

  163. police

  164. powerful

  165. proper

  166. anguish

  167. famine

  168. coax

  169. stubborn

  170. fortune

  171. impulsive

  172. reunite

  173. yard

  174. measurement

  175. length

  176. metric

  177. meter

  178. width

  179. centimeter

  180. kilometer

  181. inch

  182. climate

  183. urban

  184. coastline

  185. boundary

  186. temperature

  187. coastal

  188. plain

  189. suburban

  190. metropolitan

  191. electricity

  192. energy

  193. heat

  194. light

  195. package

  196. meant

  197. taxes

  198. shelf

  199. rapid

  200. dwell

  201. eggplant

  202. alligator

  203. camper

  204. attitude

  205. special

  206. nonsense

  207. enter

  208. activity

  209. festive

  210. elephant

  211. measure

  212. bandage

  213. spend

  214. scrap

  215. painter

  216. shape

  217. danger

  218. skater

  219. space

  220. drain

  221. painful

  222. faint

  223. crazy

  224. basic

  225. famous

  226. ranger

  227. tasty

  228. phrase

  229. weight

  230. frame

  231. change

  232. steak

  233. radio

  234. eighth

  235. uniform

  236. mute

  237. unicorn

  238. threw

  239. salute

  240. stew

  241. chewing

  242. juice

  243. curfew

  244. usually

  245. bugle

  246. utensil

  247. music

  248. duel

  249. blueberry

  250. tuned

  251. excuse

  252. toothache

  253. unusual

  254. using

  255. bounce

  256. always

  257. slouch

  258. frown

  259. sauce

  260. aloud

  261. sprout

  262. mountain

  263. false

  264. howling

  265. awful

  266. drawn

  267. jigsaw

  268. awning

  269. pounce

  270. scouted

  271. couch

  272. scrounge

  273. squawk

  274. coleslaw

  275. coach

Interactive spelling activities you can do at home

The best way to help kids build good habits is by making things fun. And believe it or not, spelling can be fun!

Creative games for learning

There are loads of interactive, online games that you can customize for kids of all ages. But if you don't want to use up their screen time, make it a competition at home! 

Have your child ask you to spell 10 words, and then ask them to spell 10 words back. Make it even more engaging by looping in a sibling or another family member.

Hands-on activities

Many kids are more hands-on learners. There are many products available that support tactile spelling, helping kids form words by moving physical letters themselves. If you don't want to purchase a game, write letters on a piece of paper yourself and cut them out. (Make copies first so you can create multiples of each letter!) 

Using individual letters, you can spell things around your home by actually labeling them, or make it fun by intentionally mislabeling them.

Kinesthetic approaches to spelling

Kinesthetic approaches involve using physical movement and touch to help kids practice spelling words. Common methods are writing out the words in the air, on textured surfaces, or with manipulatives. Like with hands-on activities, teaching kids these methods will help them visualize words in the real world rather than just in their heads.

4th-grade spelling FAQs

What words should a 4th grader be able to spell?

Fourth graders should be able to start picking up silent sounds and different vowel sounds, spelling words like "salute," "sauce," frown," and "faint."

How can a 4th grader best practice new spelling words?

Different approaches work for different kids, but the best spelling practice is fun spelling practice. Find ways to make it engaging by creating spelling games or using physical letters to increase the hands-on nature of their practice.

What words can a 10-year-old spell?

A 10-year-old should be able to spell words like "important," "knight," "painter," and "scrap."

How do you make a spelling game fun?

Different kids respond to different activities. Some common ways to make spelling more fun is by making it competitive, adding an element of hands-on practice, or helping them make connections by spelling things in their lives.


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