What does handwritten mean?
Word: Handwritten
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Handwritten means put down on paper by a person's own hand, using a pen or a pencil.
How do you spell handwritten?
Syllables: hand - writ - ten
Tricky part: Pupils often write only one t, because the verb it comes from has just one. After the short i sound in the middle, the t doubles.
Watch out for: handwriten, hanwritten
Memory tip: The end of handwritten sounds like kitten, and both keep a double t after the short i.
Handwritten in a sentence
Example 1: Mum keeps every handwritten letter her grandmother ever sent her.
Example 2: The museum shows a handwritten page from an old ship's log.
Example 3: Leo stuck a handwritten sign on his bedroom door asking visitors to knock first.
Fun Fact
Before printing reached Europe in the 1400s, books there were handwritten, copied out page by page by trained scribes.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
A handritten note on the fridge reminded us to water the tomatoes.
a) handritten
b) water
c) reminded
d) tomatoes
Show answer
a) handritten. The w is silent here, but it still has to be written.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
handwrritten
a) r
b) t
c) w
d) n
Show answer
a) r. Only one r sits between the w and the i; take away the second one and the word is right.
Word Makeup
Only one of these compound words is spelt correctly. Choose it:
a) bookworm
b) handwrittin
c) newspapper
d) noticebord
Show answer
a) bookworm. Handwritten ends in en, newspaper has a single p after the s, and noticeboard has oa.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
handwritten
a) pencilled
b) jotted
c) typed
d) scribbled
Show answer
c) typed. Typed words are made on a keyboard; scribbled, jotted and pencilled words are all done by hand.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Leo's birthday card has a handwritten message. How was the message most likely added?
a) his aunt wrote it with a blue pen
b) a sticker with the words was added
c) a rubber stamp pressed the words on
d) a shop printer added the words
Show answer
a) his aunt wrote it with a blue pen
2. Why might a teacher ask for a handwritten letter rather than an email?
a) to let a computer check the spelling
b) to let pupils practise joined-up writing
c) to save the school paper and ink
d) to make the letter arrive sooner
Show answer
b) to let pupils practise joined-up writing
