KS2 SATs 2026 spelling predictions: Sophie Bartlett's analysis
Sophie Bartlett's KS2 SATs 2026 spelling predictions: top domains, words to watch, and fun guesses. Plus, what 2025's paper revealed.
Year 6 specialist Sophie Bartlett is back with her KS2 SATs spelling predictions, this time for 2026. If you want a comprehensive look at KS2 SATs, you can read our Ultimate guide to SATs 2026.
The KS2 SATs spelling test is perhaps not always front-of-mind when it comes to SATs preparation and intervention. It might only be 20 spellings, but 20 spellings feels like an easy ‘get’ right? If you’re approaching the business end of SATs revision, it can be easy for spelling practice to be random, but there is some more targeted practice to be done. In this blog, I’ve analysed seven years’ of SATs papers, including the 2025 papers to tell you exactly which spelling domains are most likely to appear in 2026. And I’ve thrown a handful just-for-fun predictions in at the end.
What’s new for 2026
✓ Updated predictions based on the 2025 paper and previous years
✓ Fresh word tables showing what hasn't appeared yet
✓ Analysis of the 2025 spelling paper's surprise entries
How is the spelling paper described by the framework?
The English grammar, punctuation and spelling test framework describes the spelling paper as follows:
“This paper consists of 20 target words, presented within 20 distinct, contextualised sentences.
The range of strategies and morphological awareness tested is drawn from the statutory spelling appendix to the national curriculum programme of study (2014). The test may include the example words and words drawn from the key stage 2 word lists provided as appendices to the national curriculum (2014), but will not be limited to these and is likely to draw on other words that assess the content described in Table 3.
There are three sections of the key stage 2 statutory spelling appendix that will be assessed only in Paper 1: possessive apostrophe with plural words, use of the hyphen, and contractions.”
Content domain reference | Relevant coverage in the programmer of study and statutory appendices |
|---|---|
S44 | words with endings sounding like /ʒə/ or /tʃə/ |
S45 | endings that sound like /ʒən/ |
S46 | the suffix –ous |
S47 | endings that sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian |
S48 | words with the /k/ sound spelt ch |
There are 24 KS2 content domains in spelling that have appeared in the spelling SATs papers (S38 – S61). These are listed in the mark schemes.
2025's spelling mark scheme and content domains
Question | Spelling | Mark | Content domain reference |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | knight | 1 | S60 – words with ‘silent’ letters (i.e. letters whose presence cannot be predicted from the pronunciation of the word) |
2 | through | 1 | S59 – words containing the letter string ough S61 – homophones and near homophones (Years 3 and 4) homophones and other words that are often confused (Years 5 and 6) |
3 | rewarded | 1 | S38 – adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words of more than one syllable |
4 | adventure | 1 | S44 – words with endings sounding like /ʒə/ or /tʃə/ |
5 | developed | 1 | S38 – adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words of more than one syllable |
6 | explosion | 1 | S45 – endings that sound like /ʒən/ |
7 | passed | 1 | S61 – homophones and near homophones (Years 3 and 4) homophones and other words that are often confused (Years 5 and 6) |
8 | scene | 1 | S51 – words with the /s/ sound spelt sc S61 – homophones and near homophones (Years 3 and 4) homophones and other words that are often confused (Years 5 and 6) |
9 | affordable | 1 | S56 – words ending in –able and –ible words ending in –ably and –ibly S38 – adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words of more than one syllable |
10 | suggestion | 1 | S47 – endings that sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian |
11 | angrily | 1 | S43 – the suffix –ly |
12 | alteration | 1 | S42 – the suffix –ation |
13 | reindeer | 1 | S52 – words with the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey |
14 | residential | 1 | S54 – endings which sound like /ʃəl/ |
15 | anchor | 1 | S48 – words with the /k/ sound spelt ch |
16 | plaque | 1 | S50 – words ending with the /g/ sound spelt –gue and the /k/ sound spelt –que |
17 | jealousy | 1 | S46 – the suffix –ous |
18 | flourish | 1 | S40 – the /ʌ/ sound spelt ou |
19 | disappointed | 1 | S41 – prefixes |
20 | receiving | 1 | S58 – words with the /iː/ sound spelt ei after c |
Total | 20 | ||
What 2025’s spelling paper revealed
In my analysis of the 2025’s KS2 GPS SATs papers, I noted that there was a spelling from each of the most common spelling domains ie. those that have appeared the most since 2017. The most common spelling domains are: S38 (adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words of more than one syllable); S60 (words with ‘silent’ letters); S43 (the suffix –ly); S47 (endings that sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian). The associated spellings on the 2025 paper were: rewarded, developed, affordable, knight, angrily and suggestion.
The 2024 surprise of three spelling content domains not appearing was not to be repeated in 2025. These domains are: S51 (words with the /s/ sound spelt sc); S58 (words with the /i:/ sound spelt ei after c); S59 (words containing the letter string ough). They popped up in 2025 with: scene, receiving and through.
2025’s biggest surprise was the appearance of three homophones (the most seen on a spelling test).
Visit my analysis blog for spelling-based jokes and more in-depth analysis of the 2025 GPS paper.
- An italic word means it appears under more than one content domain
- A blue word is one of the first three of the test – considered easier to spell
- A red word is one of the final three of the test – considered harder to spell
Year 3 & 4 objectives | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Content domain | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | total | |
S38 | adding suffixes beginning w/ vowels to words >1 syllable | inspiring disobeyed | obtained suffered adventurous | offered | ordering | preference numbered | replacing referring | rewarded developed affordable | 14 |
S39 | the /i/ sound spelt y other than at the end of words | sympathetic | typical | pyramid | syrup | lyrics | symbol |
| 6 |
S40 | the /ʌ/ sound spelt ou |
| trouble | courage | couple | touch | young | flourish | 6 |
S41 | prefixes |
|
| disagreement | disrespect | undrinkable misconduct | replacing increase | disappointed | 7 |
S42 | the suffix -ation | sensation |
|
|
|
| examination | alteration | 3 |
S43 | the suffix -ly | likely originally | usually | curiously accidentally | reluctantly | steadily | frequently | angrily | 9 |
S44 | words with endings sounding like /ʒə/ or /tʃə/ |
| mixture | creature | measure | puncture | texture | adventure | 6 |
S45 | endings that sound like /ʒən/ |
|
| division | television |
| persuasion | explosion | 4 |
S46 | the suffix –ous | nervous | adventurous | curiously generous | ridiculous | glorious | famous | jealousy | 8 |
S47 | endings that sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian | operation percussion | attention | reception navigation | caution | optician | solution | suggestion | 9 |
S48 | words with the /k/ sound spelt ch | monarch | architect | chorus | character | mechanic | chaos | anchor | 7 |
S49 | words with the /ʃ/ sound spelt ch |
|
|
| machine |
|
|
| 1 |
S50 | words ending with /g/ sound spelt -gue & /k/ sound spelt -que |
| vague | tongue |
| unique | league | plaque | 5 |
S51 | words with the /s/ sound spelt sc |
| science descendant | muscle | scenic | scenario |
| scene | 6 |
S52 | words with the /eɪ/ sound spelt ei, eigh, or ey |
| weightless |
| survey | obey | veins | reindeer | 5 |
Year 5 & 6 objectives | |||||||||
S53 | endings which sound like /ʃəs/ spelt –cious or –tious |
| cautious |
|
|
| nutritious |
| 2 |
S54 | endings which sound like /ʃəl/ |
| essential |
| special | official substantial | social | residential | 6 |
S55 | words ending in –ant, –ance, –ancy, –ent, –ence, –ency | substance violence | science | excellent |
| preference currant | reluctance |
| 7 |
S56 | words ending in –able and –ible words ending in –ably and –ibly | probable sensibly | portable |
| invisible | undrinkable | memorable | affordable | 7 |
S57 | adding suffixes beginning w/ vowels to words ending in –fer |
|
|
| reference transferred | preference | referring |
| 4 |
S58 | words with the /i:/ sound spelt ei after c |
| inconceivable | deceive | receipt | protein |
| receiving | 5 |
S59 | words containing the letter string ough | toughest thorough | dough | enough thoughtful | cough | ought |
| through | 8 |
S60 | words with ‘silent’ letters | straight crumb bruise | thumb descendant | numb | scenic | lamb | island | knight | 10 |
S61 | homophones/ other words that are often confused (LKS2 and UKS2) | coarse | council | sighed | banned | currant | queue | through passed scene | 9 |
Using these, we can make an educated guess as to what might come up this year and, therefore, where you could focus any last-minute spelling revision.
What’s most likely to come up in the spelling test 2026
The most common spelling domains (those that have appeared the most since 2017) are as follows:
- S38: adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words of more than one syllable (has appeared 14 times across the 7 papers)
- S60: words with ‘silent’ letters (i.e. letters whose presence cannot be predicted from the pronunciation of the word) (has appeared 10 times)
- S43: the suffix –ly (has appeared 9 times)
- S47: endings that sound like /ʃən/, spelt –tion, –sion, –ssion, –cian (has appeared 9 times)
Here are words that fit each content domain that haven’t yet appeared in SATs
Words that fit each content domain that haven't appear in SATs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
S38 | S43 | S47 | S60 |
Final Consonant Doubled (last syllable stressed): beginning, beginner forgetting, forgotten preferred, preferring occurred, occurring admitted, admitting permitted, permitting committed, committing controlled, controlling regretted, regretting transmitted, transmitting equipped, equipping
Final Consonant Not Doubled (last syllable unstressed): gardening, gardener limiting, limited, limitation visiting, visited, visitor developing happening, happened opening, opened answering, answered entering, entered labelling, labelled travelling, travelled | 1. Regular: Add –ly directly to most adjectives quick → quickly slow → slowly brave → bravely loud → loudly bright → brightly safe → safely strange → strangely fortunate → fortunately normal → normally 2. Ends in –y (change y to i if more than one syllable) happy → happily noisy → noisily busy → busily clumsy → clumsily giddy → giddily greedy → greedily ready → readily lucky → luckily funny → funnily 3. Ends in –le (change –le to –ly) gentle → gently simple → simply humble → humbly noble → nobly terrible → terribly possible → possibly horrible → horribly responsible → responsibly incredible → incredibly visible → visibly 4. Ends in –ic (add –ally, except publicly) basic → basically tragic → tragically magic → magically historic → historically scientific → scientifically specific → specifically automatic → automatically graphic → graphically realistic → realistically academic → academically public → publicly (exception) | invention injection hesitation education completion decoration creation translation rotation relation action collection direction affection attraction intention confession discussion expression impression admission commission omission permission transmission expansion extension tension comprehension collision decision division confusion revision persuasion musician magician electrician logician politician mathematician dietician | knife knock know knew knee kneel gnome gnaw sign design resign foreign autumn column bomb dumb honest honour hour ghost ghastly doubt subtle muscle scissors castle whistle wrestle wrapper write wrote written wrinkle wrong answer solemn thistle |
There was one content domain that didn’t appear in 2025, but was consistently represented from 2017 – 2024, so we could assume that it would be more likely to appear this year.
· S39: the /i/ sound spelt y other than at the end of words
Here are words that fit the S39 content domain that haven’t yet appeared in SATs
- myth
- gym
- Egypt
- mystery
- system
- cylinder
- physical
- crystal
- rhythm
- synonym
- symptom
- oxygen
Sophie’s 2026 “Just for fun” spelling predictions
Based on analysis of past papers and pure fun, gut feeling, I do love to make spelling predictions before the paper in May. I have been known, brushes off shoulders, to be on the money. Okay so it was one, two years ago, but still!
I usually pick spellings from domains where there aren’t many words to fit each rule, which leaves only a few words when cross-checking against the ‘example words’ in Appendix 1. I’m carrying over a handful from last year, plus an extra one from S58.
Sophie Bartlett’s unserious spelling predictions for SATs 2026
- S40: the /ʌ/ sound spelt ou (appeared once every year since 2018): double or country
- S48: words with the /k/ sound spelt ch (appeared once every year since 2017): scheme, chemist or echo
- S50: words ending with the /g/ sound spelt –gue and the /k/ sound spelt –que (only appeared 5 times but not many words to fit rule): antique
- S58: words with the /i:/ sound spelt ei after c (only appeared 5 times but not many words to fit rule): perceive or ceiling
Your last-minute SATs spelling game plan
So what should you do with this information?
For pupils on the cusp of expected standard, a couple more spellings in the bag could make a huge difference.
If you’re at the business end of SATs revision, here’s a simple game plan for spelling:
- Focus on the four most common domains (S38, S60, S43, S47) – they've accounted for over 40 spellings since 2017
- Don't ignore S39 – it sat out 2025 but has been a regular for years
- Use the word tables above for targeted practice, not random spelling lists
And keep an eye on my ‘fun predictions’, especially the S58 words (perceive or ceiling) that are statistically overdue.
Want more help with revision? I’ve written a blog all about KS2 SATs revision strategies that includes the timetable I have used for years.
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One Last Thought
However you approach the final weeks, remember this: the spelling test is 20 words on one day. You and I both know your pupils are so much more than a spelling score.
Teach the words. Back your own predictions. And when May is over, celebrate the 99% of learning that never gets tested.
Good luck, year 6 teachers. You've got this.