PSLE topic guides › Chinese & English › Vocabulary

PSLE Vocabulary — how to do vocabulary questions, and the mistakes that cost marks

Chinese & English · 9 practice questions in the free bank

PSLE Vocabulary: quick answers for parents

The short version, then the full guide below.

SubjectChinese and English · Singapore PSLE
LevelPrimary 5 and Primary 6
Free questions on Vocabulary9 in the free month bank, each marked step by step
How the work is markedStep by step — the written steps are marked separately, so you can see which step broke
Written workingIncluded — the bank has written workings, not only multiple-choice questions
CostFree for your first month. No signup and no card
Exam year2026 PSLE

Practise Vocabulary free →

The whole free bank covers Maths, English, Science and Chinese — no signup needed.

What Vocabulary means in the PSLE

Vocabulary is a tested chinese & english topic in the Singapore PSLE. The marks are not usually lost because a child does not know the method — they are lost in one specific step, and because nobody can tell the child which step went wrong, the same mistake repeats.

Why the wrong answer looks right

Question: 上课铃响了,同学们( )走进教室。下列词语中,填入括号最恰当的一项是( )。想一想:同学们是同时走进教室,还是一批一批、有先有后地进?四个词都和“时间”有关,但用法不同。

Options: a) 连续 · b) 陆续 · c) 继续 · d) 持续

Correct answer: B

Choosing A: “连续”是“一个接一个、中间不停顿”,像“连续下了三天雨”“连续剧”。你可能会想:铃一响,大家一个接一个走进去,不就是“连续”吗?可仔细看,同学有快有慢、有先有后,队伍中间是有间隔的,不是像流水一样没有缺口。
Instead: 抓感觉:先来的先进,后来的后进,断断续续、一批批地来 = “陆续”。
Choosing C: “继续”指“停下来以后接着做”,如“休息十分钟,继续写作业”“雨停了,我们继续踢球”。同学们上课前还没开始“进教室”这个动作,没有“中断后再接着做”的意思。用“继续”之前,那件事要先发生过、再停下来,比如“写了一半去吃饭,回来继续写”。
Instead: 先检查有没有“中断→再开始”。这里没有,要形容“有先有后地来”,应选“陆续”。

How to help your child with Vocabulary at home

Four things that work, and they use the same method as the worked example above.

1. Get the steps said out loud before anything is written

Marks in Vocabulary are usually lost in one step, not across the whole question. Ask your child to say each step before writing it — a broken step is much easier to catch when you can hear it.

2. Mark the working, not just the final answer

A tick or a cross on the last line tells you nothing about where the thinking broke. Read the working line by line and ask, for each line, what it was for.

3. Name the step that broke, in your child's own words

One sentence is enough. Name the step rather than the topic — “I divided before finding one part” tells you what to fix next; “I am bad at Vocabulary” does not.

4. Keep the sets short

The free bank has 9 Vocabulary questions, marked step by step, and it needs no signup. A short set with the working marked tells you more than a long page of answers.

Practise Vocabulary free

Every question in this topic is marked step by step, so when your child goes wrong you can both see exactly which step broke. No signup.

Practise Vocabulary free →

Or take the free 3-minute diagnostic to see which topics are actually weak.

Questions parents ask about Vocabulary

Is Vocabulary tested in the PSLE?

Yes — Vocabulary is a Chinese & English topic in the Singapore PSLE, and the free Kyly Tuition bank holds 9 questions on it for P5 and P6 pupils.

Why do children lose marks in Vocabulary?

Usually not because they do not know the method. They lose marks in one specific step, and because the mistake is never identified, they practise more of the same and repeat it.

Is the practice free?

Yes. The daily drills are free in all four subjects for your first month, with no signup and no card required. The free diagnostic is also free.

Does this cover Paper 2?

Yes. The bank includes step-marked written problem sums, not only multiple-choice questions, and each step is marked separately.

How do I help my child with Vocabulary at home?

Mark the working, not just the answer, and name the one step that broke. The guide above walks through a real Vocabulary question step by step, and the free bank marks each written step separately, so you can see which step went wrong instead of only seeing that the answer is wrong.

How many free Vocabulary questions are there?

9 questions on Vocabulary are in the free Kyly Tuition bank, each marked step by step, with no signup and no card.

Where do children usually lose marks in Vocabulary?

Usually in one specific step rather than across the whole question. The worked example above shows a real Vocabulary question and flags the step children break on it.

Related PSLE topics

Know a parent whose child is preparing for the PSLE?

Everything on this page is free — no signup, no card. Send it to one parent on WhatsApp; it takes two seconds and it is the only way other families hear about us.

Share on WhatsAppEmail it to a parent

One short email a week: the topic to practise next and the mistake to watch for. Written for P5–P6 parents. No ads, ever.

Unused sessions are refundable at any time, less a 5% administrative charge. Terms of Service & Refund Policy · Privacy