50 Words that are hard for dyslexics to Read and Spell

August 23, 2024

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Dyslexia, Learn at home

Dyslexic children can find it hard to read and spell certain words. Some words can be more challenging than others.

Dyslexic kids learn to read by recognising the shape of words. This makes spelling hard since they don’t focus on each letter. So, dyslexic children may find it hard to spell the same words, even with practice.

Hard words for dyslexics word lists

Irregular spellings (Tricky Words) that don’t follow typical pronunciation rules. For example:

the
she
me
said
here
they
go
live
give
little
down
what

Homophones words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. For example:

Hole – Whole
Rain – Reign
Witch – Which
There – Their
Real – Reel
Soul – Sole
Tale – Tail
Waist – Waste

Multi-syllabic and long, making them harder to break down into sounds. For example:

Window
Sunny
Dinosaur
zookeeper
Spaghetti
Excitement
Marvellous

Confusable letters that look similar. For Example:

Affect – Effect
Further – Father
Insure – Ensure
Accept – Expect
Ensure – Insure
Advise – Advice

Help a dyslexic child learn to spell new words

Learning new words is hard for dyslexic children. Try the 10 minute activity in the video to help them learn new spellings. Taken from Mooki Cards, get your copy now!

8 Word types dyslexic kids struggle to learn

The types of words dyslexic children often struggle to read and spell include:

1. Phonetically Irregular Words

These words don’t follow standard phonetic rules.
Examples: was, what, of, said, know.

2. Words with Silent Letters

Silent letters can confuse children trying to match sounds with letters.
Examples: knight, island, psychology, honest.

3. Homophones

Words that sound the same but are spelled differently.
Examples: their, there, they’re; to, too, two.

4. Polysyllabic Words

Longer words with multiple syllables.
Examples: responsibility, independent, organisation.

5. Words with Uncommon Letter Combinations

Unfamiliar combinations.
Examples: gnome, quiche, bouquet.

6. High-Frequency Words

Words known by sight rather than phonics.
Examples: because, could, should, every, always.

7. Words with Similar Shapes

Words that look visually similar.
Examples: form vs. from, saw vs. was, on vs. no.

8. Abstract Words

Words without concrete meanings.
Examples: concept, idea, truth.

Hard sentences for dyslexics to read

Children with dyslexia often struggle to read long sentences and large blocks of text. Here are some examples of what can make sentences difficult for dyslexics to read:

Long, complex sentences.
Words with many syllables and tricky spellings.
Using complicated tenses, like past or future.
Certain fonts or unusual spacing can make text hard to read.
Poorly written sentences often include large text blocks.
Long paragraphs need breaks or headings.
Writing over images or cluttered text can be difficult to read.
Flashing or scrolling text is harder to read quickly.
Sentences with homophones, like “their” and “there,”.
Large blocks of text without images or diagrams.
Disorganised information that jumps topics.

Why do dyslexic children struggle to spell?

Dyslexic children find it hard to remember sequences and details. They may struggle to recall the letters in a word and their order. They can’t sound out words, so they rely on memorising the right spellings. This makes it tough for them to spell new or long words.

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty. Dyslexic children often spell the same words incorrectly in various ways. So dyslexic children need extra support to improve their reading and writing skills.

What are hard words for dyslexics to spell?

Words that are hard for dyslexics to spell. Are often longer words, with spellings that a child may struggle to understand.

Here’s a list of the most commonly misspelled words. Dyslexics might find these words tricky to spell.

Commonly Misspelt words

Accommodate
Colonel
Conscience
Diarrhoea
Embarrass
Entrepreneur
Guarantee
Handkerchief
Miscellaneous
Nauseous
Occurrence
Parallel
Rhythm
Thermometer
Vacuum

Hardest words for dyslexics to spell

The list below shows some of the hardest words for dyslexics to spell. These words are tough for anyone to read, write, and spell. For a dyslexic child, long words can be tough. They often find it hard to sound out words and remember the letter order.

Accommodation
Anthropomorphism
Appraisal
Archaeology
Entrepreneurship
Exaggeration
Hyperventilation
Paradoxical
Precipitous
Pseudonym
Orthography
Psychosomatic

Help a dyslexic child to read, write and spell

If your dyslexic child finds it hard to write and spell difficult words, begin with the basics. Do this before trying to learn the commonly misspelt words listed above.

Begin by relearning basic 2, 3, 4 letter words. Use the word lists for primary school children below:

Use Mooki Cards to help a dyslexic child learn to read and spell. The teaching Tool has simple 10-minute activities. You can also visit “Twinkl” for printable word lists and flashcards.