5th Grade Spelling Words

How to practice spelling words

• Hear it, then spell it. Spelling from a word you hear is the real skill. In Owl Test Prep, Owl-y says each word and uses it in a sentence, and you type it.
• Short and often. Ten words a day beats fifty on Friday night. Owl-y keeps a streak so the habit sticks.
• Missed words come back. A word you miss comes back later that day, then again over the next week, until it sticks.
• Look at the tricky part. Most misses are one spot: a double letter, a silent letter, an ending. Say it slowly and find that spot.

Animals (12)

• migrateto travel to a new area when the seasons change
• camouflagecolors or shapes that help an animal blend in with its surroundings
• colonya large group of animals that live together
• nocturnalactive mostly during the night instead of the day
• predatoran animal that hunts other animals for food
• mammala warm-blooded animal that has hair and feeds milk to its young
• amphibiana cold-blooded animal that can live on land and in water
• instincta natural way of acting that an animal is born with
• vertebratean animal that has a backbone
• cocoona silky covering that a caterpillar spins before it changes
• buffaloa large wild ox with curved horns and a shaggy head
• platypusa furry, egg-laying animal with a bill like a duck and webbed feet

Food (12)

• ingredientone of the items used to make a food or recipe
• nutritionthe food that helps a body grow and stay healthy
• recipewritten directions for making a dish
• pantrya small room or cabinet where food is stored
• scrumptiousextremely tasty and enjoyable
• grocerya store that sells food and household items
• zucchinia long green summer squash with a mild taste
• cantaloupea round melon with orange flesh and netted skin
• avocadoa green fruit with a creamy inside and a large pit
• sherbeta frozen fruit dessert that is softer than ice cream
• lasagnaa baked dish of layered noodles, cheese, and sauce
• dumplinga small ball of dough, often filled with meat or vegetables

Sports (12)

• techniquea special way of doing something well
• opponenta person or team that you compete against
• strategya careful plan for winning a game
• dedicatedvery committed to doing something well
• equipmenttools and gear needed for a sport or activity
• javelina long, thin spear thrown for distance in track and field
• backstrokea swimming stroke done while lying on your back
• trampolinea bouncy frame with a tight mat for jumping
• umpirethe official who makes the calls in a baseball game
• softballa game like baseball played with a larger, softer ball
• kayaka narrow boat paddled with a two-bladed paddle
• relaya race where teammates pass a baton to each other

Space (12)

• cratera bowl-shaped hole made by an impact
• cosmosthe universe, seen as a whole and in order
• countdowna count backward to zero before something launches
• boostera rocket stage that gives a spacecraft its first push
• zodiaca set of twelve star signs used in astrology
• holograma three-dimensional picture made with laser light
• stellarvery good, or relating to the sky and space
• gravitationalrelating to the force that pulls objects toward each other
• coronathe glowing outer layer of the sun, seen during an eclipse
• probean unmanned spacecraft that explores planets or space
• capsulea small, sealed compartment that carries astronauts
• landera spacecraft that sets down gently on a planet or moon

Ocean (12)

• submergeto push or sink completely under water
• shipwrecka ship that has sunk or been destroyed at sea
• shrimpa small sea animal with a shell and many legs
• undersealocated or happening beneath the surface of the sea
• currentsstreams of water that move through the ocean
• seafloorthe bottom of the ocean, under the water
• pearla smooth, round gem formed inside an oyster
• covea small, sheltered bay along the coast
• sandbara ridge of sand built up in a river or ocean
• orcaa large black-and-white whale with a tall fin
• concha large sea snail with a spiral shell
• inleta narrow strip of water that reaches into the land

Nature and weather (12)

• evaporateto turn from liquid into vapor and disappear
• pollenfine yellow dust that flowers make to help seeds grow
• barometeran instrument that measures air pressure to predict weather
• droughta long period with little or no rain
• earthquakea sudden shaking of the ground caused by moving rock
• cliffa very steep rock face, often beside the sea
• rainfallthe amount of rain that falls in one place
• sprouta new young shoot growing from a seed
• autumnthe season between summer and winter, when leaves fall
• winterthe coldest season of the year, after autumn
• sandstorma strong wind that blows clouds of sand through the air
• orchida flower with unusual, showy blooms

Home and family (12)

• grandparentthe parent of your mother or father
• ancestora family member who lived long ago
• choressmall jobs done regularly around the house
• guardianan adult who takes legal care of a child
• anniversarya yearly date that marks an important event
• balconya raised platform with a railing outside an upper floor
• closeta small room or cabinet for storing clothes
• shelvesflat boards fixed to a wall for holding things
• hammocka hanging bed or net made of fabric or rope
• mattressthe thick, padded part of a bed you lie on
• shuttera wooden cover that folds over a window
• colandera bowl with holes that drains water from food

School (12)

• classmatea student who is in the same class as you
• attendancethe act of being present at school or an event
• necessarysomething that you must have or do
• schedulea plan that lists when things will happen
• lecturea talk given to teach people about a subject
• computeran electronic machine that stores and processes information
• chalkboarda dark board for writing with chalk
• assemblya meeting of everyone in a school or group
• presentationa talk or display used to share information with others
• syllablea single beat of sound within a word
• protractora clear half-circle tool for measuring angles
• scholara person who studies a subject very deeply

Music and art (12)

• audiencethe people who watch a show or performance
• paintbrusha tool with bristles used to apply paint
• harmonya pleasing blend of different musical notes played together
• accompanyto play music along with another performer
• watercolorpaint mixed with water to make soft, see-through colors
• poetrywriting that uses rhythm, rhyme, and vivid images
• imaginationthe ability to form pictures and ideas in your mind
• creativitythe ability to make new things or think in fresh ways
• engravinga picture made by cutting lines into metal or wood
• easela wooden stand that holds a painting or canvas
• pastela soft, chalky crayon in a light, muted color
• kaleidoscopea tube of mirrors and bits of glass that makes colorful patterns

Body and health (12)

• vaccinemedicine that helps protect the body against a disease
• oxygena gas in the air that people need to breathe
• allergya bad reaction the body has to a certain substance
• lungsthe two organs that fill with air when you breathe
• livera large organ that cleans the blood in the body
• collarbonethe bone that connects your neck to your shoulder
• thumbnailthe hard, flat covering on the tip of your thumb
• appendixa small pouch attached to the lower bowel
• fevera body temperature that is higher than normal
• blistera small bubble of skin filled with clear fluid
• cougha sudden, loud push of air from the throat
• dentista doctor who cares for teeth and gums

Places and travel (12)

• destinationthe place where someone is going
• passportan official book needed to travel to another country
• vacationa trip taken for fun and rest
• boundarya line that marks the edge of an area
• geographythe study of the land, water, and people on Earth
• hospitala building where sick or injured people receive care
• provincea large region within a country that has its own government
• crossroada place where two roads meet or cross
• fountaina structure that sprays water into the air
• borderthe line that separates one country or area from another
• regiona large area of land with shared features or climate
• highlandsan area of high, hilly land

Science (12)

• laboratorya room equipped for doing scientific experiments
• chemicala substance that takes part in a reaction
• evidencefacts or signs that help prove something is true
• forcea push or pull that can change how an object moves
• physicsthe science of matter, energy, and how things move
• biologythe science of living things and how they work
• atomthe tiny particle that makes up all matter
• solida substance that keeps its shape and does not flow
• vapora gas that forms when a liquid heats up
• condenseto change from a gas into a liquid when it cools
• volumethe amount of space that something takes up
• hydrogenthe lightest gas, which is found in water

People and feelings (12)

• consciencethe inner sense of knowing what is right and wrong
• patiencethe ability to wait calmly without getting upset
• anxiousworried or nervous about what might happen
• librariana person who helps people borrow and find books
• carpentera person who builds things out of wood
• honestyalways telling the truth and playing fair
• jealouswanting something that someone else has
• excitedfeeling happy and full of energy about something
• hopefulbelieving that something good is going to happen
• friendlykind and easy to talk with
• cleverquick to learn and good at solving problems
• politeshowing good manners and respect for others

Adventure (12)

• ancientvery old, from a time long ago
• legendan old story that may not be completely true
• disguiseclothing or makeup that hides who you really are
• suspiciouscausing people to think something is wrong
• labyrintha maze with many twisting paths
• spellwords said to make magic happen
• potiona magic drink that changes or heals a person
• journeya trip from one place to another, often long
• villainthe bad character in a story or movie
• sorcerythe use of magic, often in stories
• templean ancient building full of hidden rooms and treasure
• detectivea person whose job is to solve crimes or mysteries

Tricky words (12)

• committeea small group chosen to make decisions or do a task
• bizarrevery strange or unusual
• whethera word used to show a choice between two possibilities
• receipta paper showing that you paid for something
• weirdstrange or odd in a way that is hard to explain
• subtlenot easy to notice; very slight
• chimneya tall pipe that lets smoke escape from a fireplace
• receiveto get something that is given or sent to you
• knifea tool with a sharp blade used for cutting food
• doubta feeling of not being sure about something
• oftenmany times, or in many cases
• listento pay attention to a sound

Questions people ask