By Topic
Geography Spelling Words
Geography Spelling Words contains words you use regularly in school! Many have tricky spellings from Latin, Greek, or French origins. Master these 50 words and ace your exams!
Each word has the common wrong spelling, the correct form, and a memory trick. Take the quiz at the bottom to test yourself!
⛰️ Landform Words
1
continentcontinet ✗⭐⭐
KON-tih-nunt
Large land mass
💡 CONTIN + ENT
“Asia is a continent.”
2
peninsulapenninsula ✗⭐⭐
peh-NIN-syoo-luh
Land surrounded by water on 3 sides
💡 PEN + INSULA (1N!)
“India is a peninsula.”
3
archipelagoarchepelago ✗⭐⭐⭐
ar-kih-PEL-uh-goh
Chain of islands
💡 ARCHI + PELAGO
“The Andaman archipelago.”
4
plateauplateu ✗⭐⭐
pla-TOH
Flat elevated land
💡 PLAT + EAU (French ending!)
“The Deccan Plateau.”
5
mountainmountian ✗⭐
MOWN-tin
Very high land
💡 MOUNT + AIN
“The Himalayan mountains.”
6
valleyvaley ✗⭐⭐
VAL-ee
Low land between hills
💡 2L: vaLLey
“The Kashmir Valley.”
7
desertdessert ✗⭐⭐
DEZ-urt
Dry sandy area
💡 1S: deSert (≠ deSSert sweet!)
“The Thar Desert.”
8
volcanovulcano ✗⭐
vol-KAY-noh
Fire mountain
💡 O not U: vOlcano
“An active volcano.”
9
glacierglazier ✗⭐⭐
GLAS-ee-er
River of ice
💡 GLAC + IER (not GLAZ!)
“A melting glacier.”
10
islandiland ✗⭐⭐
EYE-lund
Land in water
💡 S is silent: iSland
“Sri Lanka is an island.”
🌊 Water Feature Words
11
oceanosean ✗⭐
OH-shun
Large body of water
💡 OCEAN — C makes SH!
“The Indian Ocean.”
12
MediterraneanMediteranean ✗⭐⭐⭐
med-ih-tuh-RAY-nee-un
European sea
💡 2R: MediTERRanean
“Mediterranean climate.”
13
reservoirresevoir ✗⭐⭐
REZ-ur-vwor
Water storage
💡 RESER + VOIR (French!)
“A water reservoir.”
14
tributarytributery ✗⭐⭐
TRIB-yoo-tuh-ree
River branch
💡 TRIBUT + ARY
“A tributary of the Ganges.”
15
estuaryestury ✗⭐⭐
ES-tyoo-uh-ree
River meets sea
💡 ESTU + ARY
“The Ganges estuary.”
16
waterfallwater fall ✗⭐
WAW-ter-fawl
Falling water
💡 WATERFALL = 1 word!
“Jog Falls is a waterfall.”
17
tsunamisunami ✗⭐⭐⭐
tsoo-NAH-mee
Giant ocean wave
💡 T is spoken! TSU + NAMI
“The 2004 tsunami.”
18
hurricanehurricaine ✗⭐⭐
HUR-ih-kayn
Powerful storm
💡 HURRI + CANE
“A category 5 hurricane.”
19
droughtdrout ✗⭐⭐
DROWT
No rain period
💡 DROUGHT — GH pattern!
“A severe drought.”
20
monsoonmonson ✗⭐⭐
mon-SOON
Seasonal rain
💡 MON + SOON (2 O’s!)
“The Indian monsoon.”
🗺️ Country & City Words
21
AustraliaAustrailia ✗⭐⭐
aw-STRAY-lee-uh
A continent/country
💡 AUSTRAL + IA (not ALIA!)
“Australia has kangaroos.”
22
CaribbeanCarribean ✗⭐⭐
kar-ih-BEE-un
Island region
💡 1R + 2B: caRiBBean
“Caribbean islands.”
23
AntarcticaAntartica ✗⭐⭐
ant-ARK-tih-kuh
South pole continent
💡 ANT + ARCT + ICA (C before T!)
“Antarctica is freezing!”
24
PhilippinesPhillipines ✗⭐⭐
FIL-ih-peenz
Asian country
💡 1L + 2P: phiLiPPines
“The Philippines has 7000 islands.”
25
HimalayasHimalyas ✗⭐⭐
him-uh-LAY-uz
Mountain range
💡 HIMAL + AYAS
“The mighty Himalayas.”
26
MississippiMissisipi ✗⭐⭐⭐
mis-ih-SIP-ee
US river/state
💡 2S+2S+2P: MiSSiSSiPPi
“The Mississippi River.”
27
EdinburghEdinborough ✗⭐⭐⭐
ED-in-bruh
Scottish capital
💡 EDIN + BURGH (not BOROUGH!)
“Edinburgh Castle.”
28
KolkataCalcutta ✗⭐
kol-KAH-tuh
Indian city
💡 Modern name: KOLKATA
“Kolkata is in West Bengal.”
29
BengaluruBangalore ✗⭐
BEN-guh-loo-roo
Indian tech city
💡 Modern: BENGALURU
“Bengaluru is the IT capital.”
30
ThamesTems ✗⭐⭐
TEMZ
London river
💡 TH = T sound! thAMES
“The River Thames.”
⛅ Climate & Weather Words
31
temperaturetemprature ✗⭐⭐
TEM-pruh-chur
Heat level
💡 TEMPER + A + TURE
“Rising temperatures.”
32
atmosphereatmospher ✗⭐⭐
AT-mus-feer
Air around Earth
💡 ATMO + SPHERE
“Earth’s atmosphere.”
33
precipitationprecipitasion ✗⭐⭐⭐
prih-sip-ih-TAY-shun
Rain/snow/hail
💡 PRECIPIT + ATION
“Annual precipitation.”
34
equatorequater ✗⭐⭐
ih-KWAY-ter
Earth’s middle line
💡 EQUAT + OR
“Near the equator.”
35
hemispherehemispher ✗⭐⭐
HEM-ih-sfeer
Half of Earth
💡 HEMI + SPHERE
“Northern hemisphere.”
36
latitudelattitude ✗⭐⭐
LAT-ih-tyood
North-south position
💡 1T: laTitude (not laTTitude!)
“Latitude lines.”
37
longitudelongtitude ✗⭐⭐
LON-jih-tyood
East-west position
💡 LONGI + TUDE (not LONGTI!)
“Longitude lines.”
38
tropicaltropicle ✗⭐⭐
TROP-ih-kul
Hot region near equator
💡 TROPIC + AL
“Tropical climate.”
39
vegetationvegetasion ✗⭐⭐
vej-uh-TAY-shun
Plant life
💡 VEGET + ATION
“Tropical vegetation.”
40
erosionerossion ✗⭐⭐
ih-ROH-zhun
Wearing away
💡 EROS + ION (1S!)
“Soil erosion.”
🧭 Map & Direction Words
41
boundaryboundry ✗⭐⭐
BOWN-duh-ree
Border, limit
💡 BOUND + ARY (not RY!)
“The state boundary.”
42
territoryteritory ✗⭐⭐
TER-ih-tor-ee
An area of land
💡 2R: teRRitory
“Union territory.”
43
parallelparalel ✗⭐⭐⭐
PAR-uh-lel
Side by side
💡 2L: paraLLel
“Parallel lines of latitude.”
44
meridianmerridian ✗⭐⭐
muh-RID-ee-un
Longitude line
💡 1R: meRidian (not meRR!)
“The Prime Meridian.”
45
coordinatesco-ordinates ✗⭐⭐
koh-OR-dih-nits
Location numbers
💡 CO + ORDINATES
“GPS coordinates.”
46
navigationnavigasion ✗⭐⭐
nav-ih-GAY-shun
Finding the way
💡 NAVIG + ATION
“Maritime navigation.”
47
expeditionexpedision ✗⭐⭐
ek-spuh-DISH-un
A journey of discovery
💡 EXPEDIT + ION
“A polar expedition.”
48
hemispherehemispher ✗⭐⭐
HEM-ih-sfeer
Half of Earth
💡 HEMI + SPHERE
“Western hemisphere.”
49
equinoxequanox ✗⭐⭐
EE-kwih-noks
Equal day and night
💡 EQUI + NOX (equal night!)
“The spring equinox.”
50
topographytopografy ✗⭐⭐
toh-POG-ruh-fee
Land surface features
💡 TOPO + GRAPHY (PH=F!)
“Mountain topography.”
📐 5 Spelling Rules
Break Words Into Parts
Long words become easy: ex+peri+ment, temper+a+ture, geo+graphy.
✅ experiment, temperature, geography, atmosphere
Greek/Latin Roots Help
GRAPH=write, SCOPE=see, PHOTO=light, GEO=earth, HYDRO=water.
✅ geography, microscope, photosynthesis, hydroelectric
PH Always = F
Greek words use PH for the F sound: photograph, atmosphere, chlorophyll.
✅ photograph, atmosphere, chlorophyll, phenomenon
Don’t Skip Middle Syllables
temper-A-ture (not temprature), labor-A-tory (not labratory).
✅ temperature, laboratory, literature, comfortable
Practise Topic Word Lists
Before exams, review spelling of topic-specific words. These are often tested!
✅ Write each word 3 times, use in a sentence, test with a partner
🐝 Spelling Quiz
1. Which is correct?
2. Which is correct?
3. Which is correct?
4. Which is correct?
5. Which is correct?
6. Which is correct?
7. Which is correct?
8. Which is correct?
9. Which is correct?
10. Which is correct?
🔀 Word Scramble
Unscramble the letters
YARLBRI
RETUEMTAERP
NTIENNCOT
XEMTPINEER
CLAONVO
✏️ Fill in Missing Letters
Type the missing letters
libr_ry
temp_rature
exp_riment
pen_nsula
labor_tory
❓ FAQ
Why are geography spelling words hard to spell?
Many come from Latin/Greek (experiment, geography, chromosome) with foreign spelling patterns. Plus, we skip syllables when speaking (temprature vs temperature) but must include them when writing.
How to prepare topic spelling for exams?
Before exams, make a list of 20 key topic words. Write each 3 times, spell aloud, and use in sentences. Test yourself or have a friend quiz you.
Does knowing word roots help?
Enormously! GEO=earth, GRAPH=write, PHOTO=light, SCOPE=see, HYDRO=water. Knowing 20 common roots helps you spell hundreds of words.
What about technical words?
Technical words follow the same patterns: break into parts, learn the root, remember silent letters. photosynthesis = PHOTO+SYNTHESIS.
How many topic words should I know?
50 per topic is excellent! This page covers the most commonly tested words. Combined with general spelling rules, this gives you very strong exam preparation.
🐝 All Spelling Bee Guides — 49 Topics
By Grade Level
Spelling Rules
I Before E Rule — When It Works & When I
Silent E Rule — Magic E Changes Everythi
Doubling Consonants — When to Double the
Plurals — S, ES, IES & Irregular Plurals
Suffixes — When to Drop E & When to Keep
Y to I Rule — When Y Changes to I
Prefixes — No Spelling Change!
IE vs EI — Complete Word List
-Able vs -Ible — Which Ending Is Correct
-Tion vs -Sion vs -Cian — Which Ending?