Compound words are two words joined into one, and they turn up across the test in several disguises. Building a child's stock of them is one of the quieter wins in verbal reasoning.
What a compound word is
Two whole words joined to make a third with its own meaning: sunflower, football, playground, bookcase, rainbow, lighthouse.
The important feature for the test is that both halves are real words in their own right. That is what question setters exploit.
Where they appear
| Question type | How compounds are used |
|---|---|
| Making a word from two groups | Pick one word from each bracket to form a compound |
| Hidden words | A compound's halves straddle a word boundary in a sentence |
| Word relationships | Three words share a hidden half, two do not |
| Comprehension vocabulary | A compound's meaning is asked in context |
One caution the guide gives itself, and it is worth repeating: not every type shown will definitely appear, and the real test contains types the guide does not show. Treat it as the best available picture rather than a syllabus.
The method for two-group questions
The commonest form gives two brackets and asks for one word from each that join into a real compound.
- Work from the first bracket, not the second. Take each word in turn and run it against all of the second group.
- Say it aloud in your head. Your ear is faster than your reasoning at recognising a real compound.
- Check the result is one word, not two words that happen to sit together. Blackbird is a compound. Black car is not.
- Check it has its own meaning. A real compound usually means something more than its two halves.
That third check is the one children skip, and it is where the wrong answers live.
Building the stock
There is no shortcut here, and there is a quick exercise that works.
Take a common word and list every compound you can make with it, in two minutes, as a game:
- sun: sunflower, sunshine, sunset, sunrise, sunburn, sunlight, sunglasses
- book: bookcase, bookshop, bookmark, bookworm, notebook, textbook
- rain: rainbow, raincoat, raindrop, rainfall, rainforest
- play: playground, playtime, playhouse, playmate, wordplay
Doing that for five base words a week, for a term, builds a stock a child can reach for under time pressure. It also helps spelling, because compounds are spelt as their parts.
And the usual caveat
Compounds come from reading, like everything else in this half of the paper. A child who reads widely meets lighthouse and windmill and harbourmaster without being taught them.
See our guide to hidden word questions, which uses the same instinct, and our guide to vocabulary.
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Two minutes a day, as a game
This is one of those topics where a tiny amount of deliberate work goes a long way, because compounds turn up in more than one question type and children either have a stock of them or they do not.
The exercise I like is simple enough to do in the car. Give them a word, sun or book or rain, and see how many compounds they can make in two minutes. Next week, five new base words. It is a game rather than a worksheet, which matters when a child is already doing an hour a day.
It also quietly helps the spelling, because a compound is spelt as its two parts and nothing else. A child who knows that stops guessing at the join.
Mushtaque Ahmed, Founder of GrammarPath and Bright Mentors
Frequently asked questions
What is a compound word in the 11+?
Two whole words joined to make a third with its own meaning, such as sunflower, playground or lighthouse. The key feature for the test is that both halves are real words in their own right, which is what question setters build on.
How do you solve compound word questions?
Work from the first bracket rather than the second: take each word in turn and run it against every word in the second group, saying each aloud in your head. Then check the result really is one word with its own meaning rather than two words that sit together.
How can my child get better at compound words?
Take a common base word and list every compound you can make with it in two minutes, as a game. Five base words a week for a term builds a stock a child can reach for under time pressure, and it helps spelling too, since compounds are spelt as their parts.
Where do compound words appear in the 11+?
In several places: questions asking you to make a word from two groups, hidden word questions where a compound's halves straddle a boundary, word relationship questions where several words share a hidden half, and comprehension vocabulary questions.
Is blackbird a compound word?
Yes, because it is written as one word and means a specific bird rather than any bird that is black. That is the test children skip: a real compound is one word with its own meaning, so black car does not qualify.