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5th Grade Spelling
Greek and Latin Roots
Reading and Writing Terms
5th Grade Math
Matter and Its Properties
Ecosystems and Food Webs
Earth's Systems
Sun, Stars and Shadows
Colonies and Revolution
Government and Civics
5th Grade Spelling, continued
Guarantee A promise that something will happen or will work. The u comes before the a. Island Land with water all around it. The s is silent. Knowledge What a person knows. It starts with a silent k. Language The words people use to speak and write, such as English or Spanish. Library A place that lends books. There is an r right after the b. Muscle Body tissue that tightens to move your bones. The c is silent. Necessary Needed; something you must have or do. It has one c and a double s. Neighbor A person who lives next door or nearby. American spelling, with no u. Receive To get something that was sent or given. After the c, the e comes first. Restaurant A place where you pay to sit down and eat a meal. Rhythm A steady pattern of beats in music or speech. It has no a, e, i, o or u. Schedule A plan that lists the times for events or classes. It starts s, c, h. Stomach Where food goes after you swallow. The ch at the end sounds like k. Surprise Something you did not expect. There is an r before the p. Temperature How hot or cold something is, measured in degrees. Tomorrow The day after today. It has one m, then a double r. Truly Really; in a way that is true. The e of true is dropped. Vegetable A plant part eaten as food, such as a carrot, a bean or a leaf of spinach. Weird Strange or odd. It breaks the i before e rule.
Greek and Latin Roots 31
Aquarium A glass tank where fish and water plants live. Latin aqua (water). Astronaut A person trained to travel in space. Greek astr (star) + naut (ship). Audience The people who watch and listen to a show. Latin aud (hear). Autograph A person's own signature. Greek aut (self) + graph (write). Biography The true story of a person's life. Greek bio (life) + graph (write). Century A span of 100 years. Latin centum (hundred). Construct To build something. Latin con (together) + struct (build). Democracy Rule by the people, who vote. It starts with the Greek root dem (people). Dictionary A book of words and their meanings in ABC order. Latin dict (say, speak). Geography The study of Earth's lands and places. Greek geo (earth) + graph (write, draw). Hydrant A street pipe that gives firefighters water. Greek hydr (water). Interrupt To break in while someone is talking. Latin inter (between) + rupt (break). Kilometer A length of 1,000 meters. Greek kilo (thousand) + meter (measure). Microscope A tool that makes tiny things look big. Greek micr (small) + scop (look at). Monarch A king or queen who rules alone. Greek mon (alone) + arch (ruler). Octopus A sea animal with 8 arms. Greek okto (eight) + pous (foot). Pedestrian A person who travels on foot. Latin ped (foot). Photograph A picture made with a camera. Greek phot (light) + graph (draw). Portable Easy to carry from place to place. Latin port (carry). Predict To say what will happen before it does. Latin pre (before) + dict (say). Reject To refuse or throw out. Latin re (back) + ject (throw). Spectator A person who watches a game or an event. Latin spect (look). Submarine A ship that travels under the sea. Latin sub (below) + mar (sea). Subtract To take one number away from another. Latin sub (below) + tract (pull). Synonym A word that means the same as another. Greek syn (with) + onym (name). Telephone It carries a voice over a long way. Greek tele (far) + phon (sound). Telescope A tool that makes far-off things look near. Greek tele (far) + scop (look at). Thermometer A tool that shows how hot or cold it is. Greek therm (heat) + meter (measure). Transport To move people or goods from place to place. Latin trans (across) + port (carry). Tricycle A rider's toy with 3 wheels. Greek tri (three) + cycl (circle). Visible Able to be seen. Latin vis (see).
Reading and Writing Terms 31
Alliteration Words in a row that start with the same sound: six slippery snails. Caption The line of words under a picture that tells what it shows. Conflict The main problem or struggle that the characters must face. Conjunction A joining word such as and, but, or, so and because. Dialogue The words that characters say to each other. Fiction Stories about made-up people and events. Genre A kind of writing, such as mystery, fantasy or poetry. Hyperbole A huge exaggeration used for effect: my backpack weighs a ton. Idiom A saying that does not mean what its words say, like a piece of cake. Index The ABC list at the back of a book that gives the page for each topic. Inference A smart guess a reader makes from clues in the text. Interjection A short word of sudden feeling, such as wow, ouch or hooray. Metaphor A comparison that says one thing is another: the classroom was a zoo. Moral The lesson about right and wrong at the end of a fable. Narrator The voice that tells the story. Onomatopoeia A word that sounds like the noise it names: buzz, splash, thud. Opinion What someone thinks or feels; it cannot be proved true or false. Paragraph A group of sentences about one idea, starting on a new line. Persuade To get a reader to agree with you by giving good reasons. Plot The chain of events in a story, from the beginning to the end. Prefix A word part added before a root to change its meaning, such as re in rebuild. Preposition A word that shows where or when: under, between, during, across. Proverb A short, old saying that gives advice: look before you leap. Quotation A speaker's or writer's exact words, copied and placed inside marks. Revise To change a draft so the writing is clearer and stronger. Setting Where and when a story takes place. Simile A comparison that uses like or as: as quiet as a mouse. Stanza A group of lines in a poem, set apart by a space. Suffix A word part added after a root, such as able in breakable. It can change the part of speech. Summary A short retelling that keeps only the main points. Theme The big idea or lesson that runs through a whole story.
5th Grade Math 30
Axis One of the two number lines, x and y, that cross to make a coordinate grid. Composite A whole number that more than 2 numbers divide evenly, such as 12. Convert To change a measure into other units, such as feet into inches. Coordinate One of the two numbers in an ordered pair that locate a point on a grid. Decimal A number with a point, such as 3.75. The name comes from the Latin decem (ten). Denominator The bottom number of a fraction; it tells how many equal parts make the whole. Dividend The number being divided. In 56 ÷ 8 = 7, it is the 56. Divisor The number you divide by. In 56 ÷ 8 = 7, it is the 8. Equivalent Equal in value, like the fractions 1/2 and 4/8. Estimate A careful guess at an amount, often made by rounding first. Exponent The small raised number that tells how many times to multiply the base, as in 10³. Expression Numbers and symbols with no equal sign, such as 4 × (3 + 2). Factor A whole number that divides another with nothing left over, as 3 does for 12. Fraction A part of a whole, written with one number over another, such as 3/4. Hundredth One of 100 equal parts; the second place to the right of the decimal point. Multiple What you get when you multiply a number by 1, 2, 3 and so on: 5, 10, 15. Numerator The top number of a fraction; it counts the parts you have. Parallel Describes lines that stay the same distance apart and never meet. Parentheses The curved marks ( ) that show which part of a problem to work out first. Polygon A closed flat shape with straight sides, such as a triangle or a hexagon. Prime A whole number above 1 that only 1 and itself divide evenly, such as 7 or 13. Product The answer to a multiplication problem. In 6 × 9 = 54, it is the 54. Quadrilateral Any polygon with exactly 4 sides and 4 angles. Quotient The answer to a division problem. In 56 ÷ 8 = 7, it is the 7. Remainder The amount left over when a number does not divide evenly. Rhombus A 4-sided shape whose sides are all the same length. Simplify To write a fraction in lowest terms, such as 6/8 as 3/4. Tenth One of 10 equal parts; the first place to the right of the decimal point. Thousandth One of 1,000 equal parts; the third place to the right of the decimal point. Volume The space inside a solid shape, counted in cubic units.
Matter and Its Properties 29
Balance A tool that compares how heavy two things are. Beaker A wide glass or plastic cup with a lip for pouring, used in science class. Boiling Bubbling and turning into a gas. Water does it at 212 °F (100 °C) at sea level. Condense To change from a gas into a liquid, as steam does on a cold window. Conductor A material that lets heat or electricity pass through easily, such as copper. Crystal A solid with flat faces and a regular shape, like a grain of salt. Dissolve To break apart and spread evenly through a liquid, as sugar does in tea. Evaporate To change from a liquid into a gas, as a puddle does on a sunny day. Filter Paper or mesh that lets liquid through but holds back solid bits. Flexible Able to bend without breaking. Freezing Changing from a liquid into a solid. Water does it at 32 °F (0 °C). Gas A state of matter that spreads out to fill any container, like air. Hardness How well a material resists being scratched or dented. Insulator A material that slows heat or electricity, such as rubber or wool. Liquid A state of matter that flows and takes the shape of its container. Magnetic Pulled toward a magnet, as iron and steel are. Material What an object is made of, such as wood, metal, glass or plastic. Matter Anything that takes up space and can be weighed; all the stuff around you. Melting Changing from a solid into a liquid. Ice does it at 32 °F (0 °C). Mixture Two or more materials stirred together that can be separated again. Particle A bit of matter far too small to be seen. Property Something you can observe or measure about a material, like color or hardness. Reaction A change that makes a new substance, as when vinegar meets baking soda. Rust The reddish-brown flakes that form when iron meets water and air. Solid A state of matter that keeps its own shape, like ice or a brick. Solution A mixture in which one material has dissolved evenly into another. Steam Water in its hot gas form, made when a kettle boils. Substance One kind of matter, such as salt, water or iron. Weight How heavy a thing is. A sealed jar of ice weighs the same after the ice melts.
Ecosystems and Food Webs 29
Algae Simple plantlike living things in water; the start of many ocean food chains. Bacteria Tiny one-celled living things; many of them break down dead matter. Carnivore An animal that eats other animals. Chlorophyll The green material in leaves that traps light for making food. Community All the different populations that share one area. Compete To struggle against others for the same food, water, light or space. Consumer A living thing that gets energy by eating other living things. Decomposer A living thing that breaks down dead plants and animals, like a mushroom. Ecosystem All the living and nonliving things in one place, and how they affect each other. Energy What living things need to grow and move. In a food web it starts with the sun. Environment Everything around a living thing: the air, water, soil, weather and other life. Extinct No longer living anywhere. The dodo, a bird of Mauritius, was last sighted in 1662. Fungi Mushrooms, molds and yeasts. They feed on dead or living matter. Habitat The place in an ecosystem where an organism finds its food, water, shelter and space. Herbivore An animal that eats only plants. Invasive Describes a species brought to a new place, where it spreads and crowds out others. Nutrient A material that living things take in to grow and stay healthy. Omnivore An animal that eats both plants and animals. Organism Any living thing, from a whale to a single cell. Oxygen The gas that plants give off and animals breathe in. Photosynthesis How plants make food from light, water and air. It begins with the Greek phot (light). Population All the members of one species living in the same area. Predator An animal that hunts other animals for food. Prey An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal. Producer A living thing that makes its own food, as green plants do. Scavenger An animal that feeds on animals that are already dead, as a vulture does. Species One kind of living thing, such as the bald eagle or the red maple. Sunlight The light from our star that plants use to make food. Survive To stay alive.
Earth's Systems 28
Aquifer A layer of rock or sand under the ground that holds water. Latin aqua (water). Atmosphere The blanket of air around Earth. Biosphere All of Earth's living things, from deep-sea worms to birds. Greek bio (life). Canyon A deep, narrow valley with steep sides, often cut by a river. Climate The average weather of a region, usually measured over 30 years. Coastline The edge of the land where it meets the ocean. Conserve To use a resource carefully so that it lasts. Delta Land built up from sediment where a river slows and meets the sea. Drought A long stretch of time with far too little rain. Erosion The wearing away and carrying off of rock and soil by water, wind or ice. Freshwater Water that is not salty, as in most lakes, rivers and glaciers. Geosphere Earth's rock, soil and sediment; the solid part of the planet. Greek geo (earth). Glacier A huge, slow-moving river of ice on land. Groundwater Water held under the ground in soil and in cracks in rock. Hydrosphere All of Earth's water: oceans, rivers, lakes, ice and groundwater. Greek hydr (water). Iceberg A large piece of freshwater ice that has broken off a glacier and floats in the sea. Landform A natural shape of the land, such as a hill, a plain or a canyon. Ocean Salt water covering more than 70 percent of Earth; it holds about 97 percent of Earth's water. Pollution Harmful material that gets into the air, water or soil. Recycle To turn used paper, glass, metal or plastic into something new. Reservoir A lake, often behind a dam, where water is stored for later use. Resource Something from nature that people use, such as water, soil, trees or oil. Sediment Bits of rock, sand and soil carried along and dropped by water or wind. Valley Low land between hills or mountains, often with a river running through it. Volcano An opening in Earth's crust where melted rock, ash and gas escape. Watershed All the land that drains into one river, lake or bay. Weather What the air is like today: hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or windy. Wetland Land that is soaked with water for much of the year, such as a marsh or a swamp.
Sun, Stars and Shadows 28
Astronomer A scientist who studies the stars, planets and space. Brightness How much light a star seems to give. The sun seems strongest because it is closest. Constellation A named pattern of stars, such as Orion. Daylight The hours between dawn and dusk. Distance How far apart two things are. Other stars look dim because of it. Eclipse When the moon blocks the sun, or Earth's shadow falls across the moon. Equinox One of 2 days a year, near March 20 and September 23, when day and night are about equal. Galaxy A huge group of stars, gas and dust held together by gravity. Gravity The pull that draws objects down, toward the center of Earth. Hemisphere Half of Earth, such as the northern half or the southern half. Horizon The line far away where the land or sea seems to meet the sky. Lunar Having to do with the moon. Orbit The curved path one object in space follows around another. Orion A constellation of winter evenings, named after a hunter in Greek myths. Planet A large round body that travels around a star. Earth is one of 8 around the sun. Polaris The North Star. It stays almost still in the sky while other stars seem to circle it. Revolution The overthrow of a ruler or government; also one full trip around the sun. Rotation The spin of Earth on its axis, about once a day; it gives us day and night. Season Spring, summer, fall or winter. Earth's tilt of about 23.4 degrees causes them. Shadow The dark shape made when an object blocks light. It changes length through the day. Solar Having to do with the sun. Solstice One of 2 days a year, in June and December, with the most or the least daylight. Sundial A clock that tells time by where a shadow falls. Sunrise The time in the morning when the sun first shows above the horizon. Sunset The time in the evening when the sun slips below the horizon. Tilt A lean to one side. Earth's axis has one of about 23.4 degrees. Twilight The soft light in the sky just before the sun comes up or just after it goes down. Universe Everything that exists: all of space and all the matter and energy in it.
Colonies and Revolution 31
Apprentice A young person who learns a trade by working for a skilled master for years. Atlantic The ocean that ships crossed between England and the 13 colonies. Boston The port where colonists threw chests of tea into the harbor on December 16, 1773. Boycott To refuse to buy or use something as a way to protest. Charter A ruler's paper granting the right to start a colony. Pennsylvania's dates from 1681. Colony A settlement ruled by a faraway country. 13 British ones became the United States. Concord The town whose North Bridge saw fighting on April 19, 1775. Declaration A formal public statement, like the one the colonies adopted in July 1776. Delegate A person chosen to speak and vote for others at a meeting. Harbor A sheltered place on the coast where ships can anchor safely. Independence Freedom from another country's rule. Congress declared it on July 4, 1776. Jamestown The first lasting English settlement in the Americas, begun in Virginia in 1607. Lexington The Massachusetts town where the first battle of the war began on April 19, 1775. Liberty Freedom to live, speak and act without unfair control. Loyalist A colonist who stayed true to the British king during the war. Mayflower The ship that carried the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620. Merchant A person who buys and sells goods, often shipped from far away. Militia Citizens trained to fight in an emergency, not full-time soldiers. Parliament The lawmaking body of Great Britain. Patriot A colonist who wanted to break away from British rule. Pilgrim One of the English settlers who sailed on the Mayflower in 1620. Plymouth The colony the Mayflower passengers founded in 1620, in what is now Massachusetts. Powhatan A Native people of Virginia, and the name of their leader, when Jamestown began. Quaker A member of the faith of William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania. Repeal To cancel a law. Saratoga The New York site of a 1777 American victory, often called a turning point of the war. Settler A person who moves to a new land to build a home and live there. Surrender To stop fighting and give up to the other side. Treaty A written agreement between nations. One signed in Paris in 1783 ended the war. Wampanoag The Native people whose leader Massasoit made a treaty with Plymouth in 1621. Yorktown The Virginia town where a British army was surrounded in 1781 and gave up.
Government and Civics 29
Amendment A change added to the Constitution. There have been 27 so far. Ballot The paper or screen on which a voter marks a choice. Cabinet The department heads who advise the president. Campaign The weeks of speeches and events in which a person asks for votes. Candidate A person who is running for an elected office. Capital The city where a government is based. For the United States, it is Washington, D.C. Capitol The building where lawmakers meet. Congress meets in the one in Washington, D.C. Census The count of every person in the United States, taken every 10 years; next in 2030. Citizen A member of a country, with rights such as voting and duties such as obeying laws. Congress The branch that makes the laws: 100 senators and 435 representatives. Constitution The written plan for how the United States is run, signed by 39 men in 1787. Election The event in which voters choose their leaders. Executive The branch that carries out the laws, led by the president. Federal Describes the national level of government, based in Washington, D.C. Government The people and rules that run a country, a state or a town. Governor The elected head of a state's executive branch, who can sign or veto state bills. Judicial The branch that explains the laws; its top court has 9 justices. Jury A group of citizens who listen to a trial and decide the facts. Justice Fair treatment under the law; also the title of a judge on the Supreme Court. Legislative The branch that writes the laws; it is the work of Congress. Majority More than half of the votes or of the people. Mayor The elected leader of a city or a town. Preamble The opening of the Constitution, which begins We the People. President The head of the executive branch, who signs bills into law or turns them down. Ratify To approve a plan or a treaty by a formal vote. Republic A country where voters choose leaders to make decisions for them. Senate The part of Congress with 2 members from every state, 100 in all. Territory Land that belongs to a country but is not one of its states. Veto The president's power to say no to a bill that Congress has passed.
How this list was compiled: Word lists and meanings written for this site for a typical United States 5th grade year; the grade is our suggestion. Spellings are American. Every word was checked on 2026-09-19 against a standard American English word list; the 6 it lacks (Coordinate, Groundwater, Freshwater, Wetland, Landform, Coastline) were checked at https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/coordinate and the matching pages, and place names against the Wikipedia articles below. Facts in the meanings were checked on 2026-09-19 against: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_and_Latin_roots_in_English (letter pages A, C, D, G, H, M, N, O, P, R, S, T and V, for every root in the Greek and Latin Roots list and the roots quoted in other lists), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus (eight limbs; okto and pous), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamestown,_Virginia (1607, first permanent English settlement in the Americas; Powhatan), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Colony (1620, Mayflower, Pilgrims, the 1621 treaty with Massasoit of the Wampanoag), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteen_Colonies (British colonies on the Atlantic coast), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Penn (Quaker; 1681 charter), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Tea_Party (December 16, 1773), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Lexington_and_Concord (April 19, 1775; North Bridge), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence (adopted July 4, 1776), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Saratoga (1777, New York, turning point), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolutionary_War (Patriots and Loyalists; Yorktown, Virginia, 1781), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Paris_%281783%29 (signed in Paris, ended the war), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_the_United_States (1787, 39 signers, 27 amendments, three branches), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamble_to_the_United_States_Constitution (We the People), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress (100 senators, 435 representatives, the Capitol), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_the_United_States (nine justices), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veto_power_in_the_United_States and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_United_States , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_census (every 10 years; 2020, next 2030), https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanwater.html (more than 70 percent of the surface, about 97 percent of the water), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceberg , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodo (last accepted sighting 1662, Mauritius), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahrenheit (water freezes at 32 °F and boils at 212 °F at sea level; the Celsius figures come from the conversion the article gives), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axial_tilt (tilt of about 23.4 degrees produces the seasons; one turn in about a day), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System (eight planets), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equinox , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solstice , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polaris , https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_%28constellation%29 . Checked on 2026-09-20: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity (on Earth it acts toward the center of the planet), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun (the Sun is the nearest star, which is why it outshines every other star in our sky), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_%28United_States%29 (elected head of a state's executive branch; can veto state bills) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate (weather averaged over about 30 years). Licence: own work