Although hidden words verbal reasoning questions can seem straightforward, many children in Year 5 or Year 6 will lose marks due to rushing or guessing. Within the short sentence there will be a hidden word made up of the end of one word and the beginning of the next word. In GL Assessment style papers the hidden word will have 4 letters. This guide will give you an explanation of what these questions are, a strategy your child can use, and 10 unique practice questions with answers and explanations.
Key Takeaways
- The hidden word will be made up of both the end of one word and beginning of the next.
- GL style papers will have a 4-letter word. This means you will only have a total of 3 options.
- Don’t worry about the meaning of the sentence. Just look at the letters.
Start off with small sets of questions and when confident add a timer. Always write out the word to make sure it is correct.
Why Are Hidden Words Important For 11+?
Hidden words verbal reasoning questions are one of the many different question types in GL Assessment style papers. They test your child’s knowledge of spelling, vocabulary and attention to detail. As they are short questions they can be a fast way to gain marks if your child has a consistent strategy. This also helps develop the habit of double-checking letters.
What Are Hidden Words?
Hidden words verbal reasoning questions will ask your child to identify the pair of words that contain the hidden word. The hidden word will never be within a word but will be across both words. This is the quickest way to identify they aren’t just a simple word search.
Worked Example
The tube arrived ten minutes late.
The hidden word here is ‘bear’. This is made up of the last 2 letters of ‘tube’ (be) and the first 2 letters of ‘arrived’ (ar). The pair of words would be ‘tube arrived’.
Different examiners and schools will phrase questions differently. You may need to identify the pair of words or the hidden word. Always check the instructions at the top of the section.
How To Solve Hidden Word Questions
- Read the instructions carefully and note how many letters are in the hidden word.
- Ignore the meaning of the sentence and focus on the end and beginning of the words.
- Go through each pair of adjacent words.
- If the hidden word has 4 letters write out all 3 possible splits. These being last 1 letter and first 3, last 2 letters and first 2 letters, and last 3 and first 1 letter.
- If you find a real word write it out to make sure that the letters are in the correct order with none missed out.
Top Tips
- Start with short words. There won’t be many letters to combine together so you’ll be able to try them quickly.
- Announce the end of the word, and mentally add the beginning of the next word.
- Use a faint line to separate words. This will help keep the letters from different words separate.
- Cross off pairs once you’ve tried all 3 splits. This will prevent repeating work.
Common Errors
- Using letters from the middle of the words.
- Using a 4-letter word from within one word.
- Stopping at the first split. There may be a better answer.
- Miscalculating the number of letters. This may mean you have a 3 or 5 letter word.
FREE Practice Hidden Words Questions
Within each sentence there will be a 4-letter word hidden at the end of one word and the beginning of another. Write down the pair of words and the hidden word.
- She stirred the soup earlier today.
- The disco attracted a large crowd.
- The gorilla was quiet.
- Our hero sent help fast.
- He likes judo or karate.
- The horse ate the carrots.
- Spin each wheel please.
- Peter ate his lunch fast.
- The girl and Tom sang.
- The demo only lasted 10 minutes.
Answers & Explanations
- soup earlier p + ear = pear. This is the last letter of ‘soup’ and first 3 letters of ‘earlier’.
- disco attracted co + at = coat. This is the last 2 letters of ‘disco’ and first 2 letters of ‘attracted’.
- gorilla kept la + ke = lake. This is the last 2 letters of ‘gorilla’ and first 2 letters of ‘kept’.
- hero sent ro + se = rose. This is the last 2 letters of ‘hero’ and first 2 letters of ‘sent’.
- judo or do + or = door. ‘or’ is a short word therefore we just use the 2 letters.
- horse ate se + at = seat. This is the last 2 letters of ‘horse’ and first 2 letters of ‘ate’.
- spin each pin + e = pine. This is the last 3 letters of ‘spin’ and first letter of ‘each’.
- Peter ate r + ate = rate. This is the last letter of ‘Peter’ and first 3 letters of ‘ate’.
- girl and l + and = land. This is the last letter of ‘girl’ and full word of ‘and’.
- demo only mo + on = moon. This is the last 2 letters of ‘demo’ and first 2 letters of ‘only’.
How To Practice Hidden Words At Home
Start with doing 5 questions a day without a timer. This will help your child to practice checking all splits. When they are confident and getting accurate answers, introduce a timer. Many 11+ papers will have a time limit. We would also recommend mixing it up with other questions. Hidden words questions rarely come on their own. For more information on the format of GL Assessment 11+ exams see our GL Assessment 11+ exams guide. For more information on how the two papers differ see our Verbal and Non Verbal Reasoning article.
Regular Practice
Quest For Exams has quick Verbal Reasoning tests to allow your child to complete short focused sessions. We also have helpful hints and tips sheets and videos to explain topics in detail. Parents can set papers for their child and view their results on the parent and child portals.
Ready to Practice 11+ Verbal Reasoning Confidently?
If your child is practicing for 11+ entry take a look at our Verbal Reasoning practice papers. Alternatively try our free sample paper.
If you have any questions about our resources email us on support@questforexams.co.uk
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a hidden word question?
A sentence with a hidden word across the end and beginning of words.
How long is the hidden word?
In GL-style papers, it will be 4 letters long. Always check the instructions on your paper.
Is the hidden word related to the sentence?
No. The sentence is just there as a vehicle. Focus on the letters.
How many practice questions should my child do?
Start with 5–10 short questions. When confident, add a timer.
How can my child improve their speed?
Complete short daily sessions and make sure they are checking all 3-letter splits.
Are hidden word questions in all 11+ exams?
No. It depends on the examiner and school. Check what your school is using.
Where can I find more verbal reasoning practice?
Take a look at our Verbal Reasoning practice papers and quick tests.