11+ Verbal Reasoning: Moving and Missing Letters

Letter-manipulation questions appear in many 11+ verbal reasoning papers. They test spelling, a wide vocabulary and, above all, a patient method: trying possibilities in a sensible order instead of guessing. There is no single national 11+ test: grammar schools and local areas choose their own tests, and the formats vary (many use papers in the GL Assessment style, others CEM-style tests), so the exact question types you meet depend on where you apply.

This material covers three common types. In 'move one letter', one letter is taken out of the first word and placed anywhere in the second, so that both become new words while the other letters keep their order — for example, THIN and CART become TIN and CHART. You learn to work on the first word first: remove each letter in turn, keep only the ones that leave a real word, then test just those in every gap of the second word. In the 'shared letter' type, one letter ends the first word and starts the second in two pairs at once, as in cra ( ? ) ricks and ver ( ? ) ent. The key habit is checking that the same letter makes all four words, not just the first pair. In the 'missing three-letter word' type, three letters in a row have been taken out of a word in capitals in a sentence, and those letters spell a word of their own: the ambulance raced to the HOSAL is missing PIT. Here the sentence is the best clue, so you read it first and decide which word would make sense.

All the puzzles are original and each has only one answer that works; the explanations show why the other options fail.

The quiz has twelve puzzles, four of each type. The flashcards give the rule and first step for each type, with quick examples. The printable written work asks you to solve eight puzzles, write every word you make and explain your method in full sentences. In the oral exam, the examiner sets puzzles one at a time, gives a short hint when you are stuck, asks you to explain how you found the answer and finishes with brief feedback. The material is aimed at pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 preparing for a selective school entrance test.

• Move one letter between two words to make two new words, keeping the letter order
• Find the single letter that ends one word and starts another in two pairs
• Find a three-letter word missing from a word in a sentence
• Test possibilities in a sensible order instead of guessing
• Check that an answer makes every word it needs to

Practice material written by Zestly for 11+ verbal reasoning (Year 5–6 entrance level); all puzzles are original. Formats of 11+ tests vary by area and school.