The winner, of course, is forty, nearly the last of the bunch. In texts from that period the OED notes the following spellings: From Old English (English as it existed from the 7th century to around 1100) there are the following:īut things really got going in Middle English-English as it existed between the 12th and 15th centuries. The Oxford English Dictionary includes a number of spellings that predate that one. While the word forty dates back to the language's earliest incarnation, it had many varied spellings over the centuries, and the current spelling forty dates only to the 16th century. Cummings calls it, an 'ill-formed but accepted spelling.' It is, however, also a relatively new spelling. Forty simply is, as American English Spelling author D.W. There is no good explanation for why forty lacks a u that its near-relation four has. But fortieth correlates to forty, so it too goes without a u.

In related facts, the number 14 keeps the u: it's written as fourteen. One point is awarded for each correct answer.Read on for a look at its many spellings throughout the ages.The test should be collected and marked by the administrator.The test can be stopped after 10 consecutive errors.Students should be encouraged to attempt as many words as possible.Students record their answers on the answer sheet.e.g.“Number 12 – brush – Don’t forget to brush your teeth – brush.” The administrator reads the number of the word, the word, the sentence and the word again. It is important that the date of the test administration and each student’s date of birth be recorded on the answer sheet. The test is designed to be administered to a whole class. How to use the Australian Standardised Spelling Age Test Anthony Stokes of the Australian Catholic University, the results are acclaimed to be “more accurate than the original SAST results” (Stokes 2013). The spelling ages listed in ASSAT were developed via the testing of over 4000 students Australia-wide, making it the most comprehensive measure of spelling age independently developed in Australia. Independently assessed, verified and standardized by Dr. It’s suitable for students aged 5-15 years, with the word lists graded in difficulty and based on common sight words, commonly misspelled words, essential word lists, and word lists recommended in state and national curriculums. The resulting data can be used for reporting, differentiation, or teacher handover. This allows you to determine each student’s spelling age and compare it to the normative spelling age for that year group.

The Australian Standardised Spelling Test (ASSAT) is a norm-referenced assessment, which compares the performance of students to that of a reference group of peers. Looking for a free standardised spelling test to use with your class?

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