Word and alphabet skills: 11 Plus verbal reasoning practice
Jumbled words, alphabetical order, letter positions, words from a word and word squares.
OftenIn many papers, especially GL AssessmentAbout 35 seconds a question in the test
The big idea
These questions test how well you handle the letters of words: a word with its letters jumbled, words to put in alphabetical order, letters found by counting through the alphabet, and words made from the letters of a longer word.
They are quick marks once you have a habit for each, and easy to lose by rushing, because a near miss looks right.
Tips that save marks
Jumbled word: guess from the sentence, then tick off every letter of the jumble against your guess.
Alphabetical order: when first letters match, look at the second letter, then the third.
Counting letters: write down the starting letter, then count on from it without counting it again.
Words from a word: cross off each letter of the long word as you use it.
Word squares: the top word gives the first letter of every column.
A worked example
Which letter is 3 places after the 5th letter of the alphabet?
The 5th letter is E.
Count on 3 from E: F, G, H.
Answer: H.
Now try five
Try each one before you look at the answer: answering from memory is what makes it stick. Tap an option to check it. Most children get three or four right at first; five out of five means move on to the next topic.
Question 1Aim for about 35 seconds
Put these words in alphabetical order. Which word comes second?
TABLE TUMBLER TEAPOT TIN TOASTER
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, TEAPOT
How to work it out
In order: TABLE, TEAPOT, TIN, TOASTER, TUMBLER.
The second is TEAPOT.
Why the other options are wrong
A (TOASTER): TOASTER comes fourth in alphabetical order, not second.
B (TUMBLER): TUMBLER comes last in alphabetical order, not second.
C (TIN): TIN comes third in alphabetical order, not second.
E (TABLE): TABLE comes first in alphabetical order, not second.
Question 2Aim for about 35 seconds
Which word can NOT be made from the letters of WATERFALL? Each letter may be used only once.
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, TWELVE
How to work it out
TWELVE needs 2 Es, but WATERFALL has only 1.
Every other word uses only letters that are there, no more often than they appear.
Why the other options are wrong
A (WATER): WATER can be made: every letter it needs is in WATERFALL.
B (LATER): LATER can be made: every letter it needs is in WATERFALL.
C (WALLET): WALLET can be made: every letter it needs is in WATERFALL.
E (AFTER): AFTER can be made: every letter it needs is in WATERFALL.
Question 3Aim for about 35 seconds
Which letter is fifth from the end of the alphabet?
Show the worked answer
Answer: B, V
How to work it out
Count back from Z: Z, Y, X, W, V.
The fifth from the end is V.
Why the other options are wrong
A (T): T is seventh from the end, not fifth.
C (U): U is sixth from the end, not fifth.
D (E): E is fifth from the start of the alphabet, not from the end.
E (W): W is fourth from the end, not fifth.
Question 4Aim for about 35 seconds
The word in capitals has its letters jumbled. Which word should it be?
We go camping every UMRSME.
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, SUMMER
How to work it out
UMRSME uses exactly the letters of SUMMER, and SUMMER makes sense: “We go camping every summer.”
Why the other options are wrong
B (TURTLE): TURTLE needs the letter T, and there is no T in UMRSME.
C (BRIDGE): BRIDGE needs the letter B, and there is no B in UMRSME.
D (MARKET): MARKET needs the letter A, and there is no A in UMRSME.
E (BASKET): BASKET needs the letter B, and there is no B in UMRSME.
Question 5Aim for about 35 seconds
Put these six words into a 3 by 3 grid so that every row and every column is a word. HOG goes in the top row. Which word goes down the left column?
OWE GET HEN EWE HOG NET
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, HEN
How to work it out
The rows are HOG, EWE, NET and the columns are HEN, OWE, GET.
Want a plan built around the topics your child finds hardest?
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