Grades K–2 · Language
Why are there little spaces between words?
A page can hold a long line of letters. Little empty spaces help us see where one written word ends and the next begins. In ordinary written English, letters in the same word sit together.
In the diagramSmall gaps show word boundariesThecatsat.Without spacesThegapcatsat.3 written words · 2 spaces between themThis picture shows ordinary written English.
The sentence “The cat sat.” has three words. A space comes after “The” and another comes after “cat.” The full stop sits beside “sat” to mark the end of the sentence. It is not another word in this sentence. The picture adds boxes to show the groups; real books do not need those boxes.
Spaces are useful marks made by leaving a tiny place empty. They do not add a spoken sound. Writers of different languages do not all separate words in the same way. This picture shows one way that written English helps a reader follow a sentence.
About this explanation
Starting knowledge: Recognizes that written words carry meaning; an adult may read aloud.
Sources
- Reading Rockets — Basics: Print Awareness