Chief: Keep the Middle in Order

Learn chief, remember its middle letters, and use it to name a leader. A helper may read the instructions aloud.

All worksheets

Watch the lesson | Try Chief in Sentences another day

5 questions0m 0s

Learn the skill

Say chief. Notice ch / ie / f: five letters represent three sounds in this word. The middle is i then e. Look, cover every model, write the word on paper, then uncover and compare each letter. Repair a mistake and try again. This is not a rule for every English word.

Worked example

The fire chief checked the map. Chief names the leader. Spell it c-h-i-e-f, not cheif.

Five letter tiles show c, h, i, e, f. The middle pair is i first, then e. — Study the order, then cover every copy before writing from memory.

Would you believe it?

The plural of chief is chiefs: keep the f and add s. Not every English noun ending in f changes to ves. Learn the spelling of the particular word.

Merriam-Webster: chief and its plural

Write before choosing

Cover the word in the title, instructions and picture. Ask a helper to say the word for a leader. Write it from memory, then check. Write a sentence using the word. A helper checks your writing separately; the questions below check choices, not unaided spelling or handwriting.

Question 1 Complete the word for a leader: ch__f. Which pair belongs in the gap? ei ie ee

Question 2 Which spelling correctly names the leader of a fire department? chief cheif chife

Question 3 A draft says: The cheif checked the map. Which repair keeps all the correct letters? Remove the h Swap the e and i Change f to v

Question 4 In chief, the groups ch / ie / f represent how many sounds? 5 2 3

Question 5 The fire chief led the meeting. What does chief mean here? The building The leader The map

Review your work

0correct

Complete the questions to review each answer.

View dashboard