Orthographic Skills and Dyslexia: Understanding Written Words
Updated: Oct 28
Orthographic skills concern the written form of language: the letters in words, their order and the patterns used in a writing system. The term often appears in dyslexia reports. In everyday language, it helps describe how knowledge of written words contributes to recognising and spelling them.
An example from ordinary spelling
The words “rain”, “train” and “paint” share the letter group “ai”. A learner builds knowledge of how letter groups work across words, alongside the sounds and meanings involved. Spelling also draws on knowledge of word parts: noticing how “help” connects with “helpful”, for example.
These examples explain what written-word knowledge can involve. They are not assessment items or rules that explain every English spelling. A child needs teaching and opportunities to use this knowledge; remembering a word is more than storing a photograph of its outline.
Why sounding a word out may not be enough
Speech sounds provide an important route into spelling, but English often offers more than one way to write a sound. A learner may produce a spelling that is understandable when read aloud but does not match the conventional spelling. Knowing the intended word and being able to spell it independently are different achievements.
For a discussion with school, bring a small sample of ordinary written work. Explain whether the child can recognise a word when reading it, choose between written alternatives, or generate the spelling without a model. Those situations place different demands on the learner.
How does written-word knowledge support reading?
With developing reading experience, familiar words can be recognised more efficiently. If a learner repeatedly needs to work through words that seem familiar, reading can remain effortful. However, that visible pattern does not identify an isolated orthographic cause: vocabulary, sound-based skills, teaching and familiarity also need consideration.
A parent might notice smooth reading in a familiar book and much slower reading in a new science text. Describe what changes between the two: vocabulary, length, print, topic and required pace. The contrast is useful information without being a diagnosis.
Does orthographic mean eyesight or visual stress?
No. Knowing how written words are formed is different from how clearly someone can see the page or whether reading causes visual discomfort. An orthographic difficulty should not be translated into a claim that the eyes are causing dyslexia.
If a child reports blurred print, pain or other visual symptoms, discuss those with an appropriate eye-care professional. A dyslexia assessment and an eye examination address different questions. Neither an overlay nor a visual-memory label explains every spelling difficulty.
Where do orthographic skills fit in the Delphi definition?
The Delphi definition recognises that orthographic skills can contribute to the impact of dyslexia. They sit within a wider account of reading and spelling development. The definition does not present orthographic difficulty as a separate diagnosis or a required weakness in every dyslexic person.
The assessment research also cautions against claiming to establish a single cause from a profile. The useful question is how the findings relate to the young person’s literacy and what they suggest for support.
What can parents discuss with school?
Ask which spelling patterns and word parts are being taught, how previous learning is revisited and whether the child can use it in everyday writing. Ask to see progress over time rather than judging a week from one spelling-list score.
For example, a child may spell a practised word correctly on Friday but struggle to use it in an independent paragraph. Discussing the change in task can be more useful than assuming carelessness. Keep examples manageable and include successful work so the conversation reflects both strengths and needs.
Discussing an assessment
Mark Trewby offers diagnostic dyslexia assessments online across the UK for ages 11–21 and face-to-face in Bournemouth for ages 8–21. The £400 fee includes the assessment, personalised report within seven working days, recommendations and feedback.
Bournemouth appointments take place in a suitable client home or a hired Bournemouth library room, with Bournemouth travel and agreed room hire included.