Hidden Four-Letter Word
A hidden four-letter word question gives a sentence in which a common four-letter word is hidden across the join between two neighbouring words, using the end letters of the first word and the start letters of the second. It tests spelling and the ability to see letter patterns across word boundaries, ignoring normal word meaning. A classic GL Assessment-style 11+ verbal reasoning task.
Before you start
No specific prerequisites - this is a good place to start.
Method
- Read the sentence once for meaning, then read it again focusing only on the letters, ignoring what the words mean.
- Work along the sentence one word-join at a time, checking the last one or two letters of each word against the first one or two letters of the next word.
- At each join, try combining 2+2, 1+3 and 3+1 letter splits to see whether a real four-letter word appears.
- Remember the hidden word can never use the very first letter of the sentence or the very last letter, and it is never split by a comma or full stop.
- Once you find a match, check it against the five options given rather than assuming it is definitely the answer.
- If more than one join looks promising, check both against the options - only one will actually appear in the list.
Worked example
A four-letter word is hidden between two words that are next to each other in this sentence. Which word is hidden? 'She could also dance beautifully at the party.' A) SODA B) DANC C) ALSO D) SOFA E) ODAS
- Scan each word join in turn: COULD/ALSO, ALSO/DANCE, DANCE/BEAUTIFULLY, and so on.
- ALSO ends in the letters SO, and DANCE begins with the letters DA.
- Joining the last two letters of ALSO to the first two letters of DANCE gives SO + DA = SODA, which is a real word.
- Check this does not use the very first or very last letter of the sentence, and is not split by punctuation - it passes both checks.
- Compare SODA against the five options: it matches option A exactly, and none of the other joins in the sentence spell a real word.
- Final answer: A) SODA.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A four-letter word is hidden between two words that are next to each other in this sentence. Which word is hidden, and which two words does it join? 'The invalid eagerly awaited news of his recovery.' A) IDEA B) WARD C) REST D) CARE E) BEDS
A four-letter word is hidden between two words that are next to each other in this sentence. Explain fully how it is formed. 'The museum collected items from every century for its new exhibit.' A) EDIT B) TOUR C) HALL D) CASE E) SHOW
A four-letter word is hidden between two words that are next to each other in this sentence. Explain fully how it is formed and confirm it follows the rules for this question type. 'Every photo validated the coach's theory about the ball's flight path.' A) OVAL B) GAME C) TEAM D) GOAL E) KICK
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the hidden four-letter word worksheet pack - 11 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. No sign-up, no email wall - just the PDF, free for personal and classroom use.
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