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

Grade 9 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   The architect’s ______ sense is famous, yet her own ______ home holds one chair and a lamp. Ari edits an architecture magazine. Which pair fills the two gaps correctly?

   • (1) aesthetic, (2) aesthetic
   • (1) aesthetic, (2) ascetic
   • (1) ascetic, (2) aesthetic
   • (1) ascetic, (2) ascetic

2. Read this first

   Sentence

   The board needs a ______ mediator, one with no stake in the outcome, not an ______ one who ignores the talks.

3. 2.

   Bo edits a board newsletter. Which pair fills the two gaps correctly?

   • (1) disinterested, (2) uninterested
   • (1) uninterested, (2) uninterested
   • (1) disinterested, (2) disinterested
   • (1) uninterested, (2) disinterested
4. 3.

   The ______ neighborhood by the river complained about the ______ that the factory released into the water. Esme edits a county report. Which pair fills the two gaps correctly?

   • (1) effluent, (2) effluent
   • (1) affluent, (2) effluent
   • (1) effluent, (2) affluent
   • (1) affluent, (2) affluent
5. 4.

   The flood threatened to ______ havoc on the valley, and the mud would ______ for weeks. Jun edits a weather report. Which pair fills the two gaps correctly?

   • (1) wreak, (2) reek
   • (1) reek, (2) reek
   • (1) reek, (2) wreak
   • (1) wreak, (2) wreak
6. 5.

   “Controlled” Kira explains a spelling to a classmate. Which explanation is true?

   • Words that end in -ed double their last consonant before the ending.
   • The last syllable of “control” is stressed, so its l doubles before the ending -ed.
   • The first syllable of “control” is stressed, so its l doubles before the ending -ed.
   • The l sounds long in the word, so the spelling shows it with two letters.
7. 6.

   “Manageable” Milo explains a spelling to a classmate. Which explanation is true?

   • The e drops before -able, as in other words, so the g stays soft without it anyway.
   • The e is heard clearly in the word, so the spelling keeps it before the ending -able.
   • The e stays after the g so the g keeps its soft sound (j), not the hard sound, before -able.
   • Silent e is kept before any ending that begins with a vowel.
8. 7.

   “Truly” Noah explains a spelling to a classmate. Which explanation is true?

   • The e is not heard in the word, so the spelling simply leaves it out before -ly.
   • Silent e is dropped before any ending that begins with a consonant, in words of this kind.
   • The silent e of “true” is kept before -ly, as it is in “nicely” and “surely”.
   • The silent e of “true” is dropped before -ly, an exception to the usual rule of keeping it.
9. 8.

   The mayor will prescribe fireworks near the harbor. She announced the ban in a recomendation to the council. Ren revises two sentences from a town bulletin. Which revision fixes both slips without adding a new one?

   • The mayor will proscribe fireworks near the harbor. She announced the ban in a recomendation to the council.
   • The mayor will proscribe fireworks near the harbor. She announced the ban in a recommendation to the council.
   • The mayor will proscribe fireworks near the harbor. She anounced the ban in a recommendation to the council.
   • The mayor will prescribe fireworks near the harbor. She announced the ban in a recommendation to the council.
10. 9.

    The road through the pass was torturous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safty barriers. Tala revises two sentences from a travel guide. Which revision fixes both slips without adding a new one?

    • The road through the pass was tortuous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safty barriers.
    • The road through the pass was torturous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safety barriers.
    • The road through the pass was tortuous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safety bariers.
    • The road through the pass was tortuous, with a hairpin turn every mile. Drivers praised the safety barriers.
11. 10.

    A perspective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had exceled at three tournaments. Zee revises two sentences from a school newsletter. Which revision fixes both slips without adding a new one?

    • A perspective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had excelled at three tournaments.
    • A prospective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had exceled at three tournaments.
    • A prospective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had excelled at three tournaments.
    • A prospective student asked about the debate team. The coach said the club had excelled at three tournamants.