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9th grade Choose the right look-alike word and spell the hard ones worksheet

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Choose the right look-alike word and spell the hard ones

Grade 9 Reading Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. Several factors, including the price of the land and the neighbors’ objections, ______ against building the stadium downtown. Ari edits a news story. Which word completes the sentence correctly?

    • militate
    • mobilize
    • mitigate
    • mediate
  2. The ______ mountain road doubled back on itself eleven times before it reached the pass. Bo edits a travel story. Which word completes the sentence correctly?

    • torturous
    • tortuous
    • treacherous
    • tenuous
  3. The crowd waited with ______ breath as the judges read the final score. Esme edits a news story. Which word completes the sentence correctly?

    • baited
    • bated
    • batted
    • held
  4. A ______ student toured the campus with a guide, asking about the debate team. Jun edits a school newsletter. Which word completes the sentence correctly?

    • perspective
    • prospective
    • respective
    • retrospective
  5. Read this first

    Sentence

    The school’s (1) bureaucracy required a (2) surveillance report, but the district’s (3) liason said the staff’s (4) camaraderie made it unnecessary.

  6. Kira proofreads a school paper. Which choice names the one misspelled word and its correct spelling?

    • (3) “liason” should be “liaison”, with an i before the second a
    • (4) “camaraderie” should be “camarederie”, since the vowel is an e
    • (1) “bureaucracy” should be “buraucracy”, since the first e is not heard
    • (2) “surveillance” should be “surveilance”, with a single l
  7. Sentence

    The (1) lieutenant praised the (2) entrepeneur who opened the (3) bakery, whose (4) fluorescent sign and (5) exhilarating smell drew the crowd.

  8. Milo proofreads a town bulletin. Which choice names the one misspelled word and its correct spelling?

    • (5) “exhilarating” should be “exhillarating”, with two l’s in the middle
    • (1) “lieutenant” should be “leutenant”, since the vowel pair is eu
    • (2) “entrepeneur” should be “entrepreneur”, with an r before the second e
    • (4) “fluorescent” should be “florescent”, since the u is not heard in the word
  9. Sentence

    The (1) calender by the (2) library desk shows the (3) schedule for the (4) miniature train show, which starts at the (5) threshold of the hall.

  10. Noah proofreads a library notice. Which choice names the one misspelled word and its correct spelling?

    • (5) “threshold” should be “thresh-hold”, with two h’s
    • (1) “calender” should be “calendar”, with an a in the last syllable
    • (2) “library” should be “libary”, since the first r is not heard
    • (4) “miniature” should be “minature”, since the second i is not heard
  11. Pia proofreads a paragraph. Which version spells every word correctly?

    • The coach controlled the clock and benefited from a pause, a result of her persistence.
    • The coach controlled the clock and benefitted from a pause, a result of her persistence.
    • The coach controlled the clock and benefited from a pause, a result of her persistance.
    • The coach controled the clock and benefited from a pause, a result of her persistence.
  12. Tala proofreads a paragraph. Which version spells every word correctly?

    • Both tests show strong resistence, so we recommend a retest by tomorrow.
    • Both tests show strong resistance, so we recommend a retest by tommorrow.
    • Both tests show strong resistance, so we recommend a retest by tomorrow.
    • Both tests show strong resistance, so we recomend a retest by tomorrow.
  13. Zee proofreads a paragraph. Which version spells every word correctly?

    • The island’s two analyses showed that the new plan was a sucess.
    • The iland’s two analyses showed that the new plan was a success.
    • The island’s two analyses showed that the new plan was a success.
    • The island’s two analysises showed that the new plan was a success.
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9th grade Choose the right look-alike word and spell the hard ones worksheet – printable
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About this worksheet

Choose the right look-alike word and spell the hard ones. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can tell formal look-alike words apart by swapping each meaning into the sentence and checking every clue.
  • I can use a related word or the parts of a word to spell a hard word, and find the one misspelled word among correct ones.
  • I can explain why a word doubles a letter, keeps an e or drops one, and fix a draft with two different kinds of slip.

Words to know

look-alike words: Words that look or sound alike but mean different things (ingenious and ingenuous)

meaning swap: Put each word's meaning in the gap and reread: the meaning that fits picks the word

related word: A word from the same family where a hidden letter is sounded (condemnation for condemn)

prefix and root: A front part (dis, un, il) and the word it joins (service); every letter of both stays

stressed part: The part of a word said most strongly (con-TROL, BEN-e-fit)

soft g and soft c: g that sounds like j and c that sounds like s; an e keeps them soft before -able

Common mistakes

Your child chose the look-alike word that is most often mixed up with the right one; try asking: what does each of the two words mean, and which meaning fits this sentence?

Your child chose a word with a close but different meaning; try asking: does this exact word do the job the sentence needs?

Your child chose a word that sounds close to the right one; try asking: does the chosen word make sense with the words around the gap?

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with choose the right look-alike word and spell the hard ones?

Your child chose the look-alike word that is most often mixed up with the right one; try asking: what does each of the two words mean, and which meaning fits this sentence?

Are these 9th grade reading worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grades 9-10 reading

See all Grades 9-10 Reading

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