0708-1300/English Spelling

Spelling!

To speak English well, you need grammar. To write English well, you need grammar, punctuation and spelling.

In Old England words were written as they sounded (phonetically) and so one word could often be spelt in many different ways. In addition English has adopted words from many other languages. Eventually spelling was standardised, and although many English words have irregular spellings there are some rules that can help you. Watch out though, for every rule there are always some exceptions! English has over 1,100 different ways to spell its 44 separate sounds, more than any other language.

How to Improve Your Spelling

  1. Keep a notebook of words you find difficult to spell. Underline the part of the word that you find most difficult.
  2. Use a dictionary, not a spell-checker! OK use a spell-checker, but don't rely on it. Spell-checkers don't check for meaning, the most common misspelt words I have seen on the net are there and their.
  3. Learn words with their possible prefixes and suffixes.
  4. Learn the rules, but don't rely on them. As I mentioned earlier for every rule there is at least one exception. For example:-

i before e except after c

One of the first English spelling rules learnt in most schools is "i before e except after c". This only works when the pronunciation of the word is like a long ee as in shield. For example:- piece, relief, niece, priest, thief but after c conceive, conceit, receive, receipt when A or I is the sound it's the other way round

with an 'a' sound - deign, eight, neighbour, feign, reign, vein, weight

with an 'i' sound either, feisty, height, neither, sleight Exceptions: seize, weird, conscientious, conscience, efficient . . .

Silent Letters

What is a silent letter? A silent letter is a letter that must be included when you write the word even though you don't pronounce it. Over half the alphabet can appear as silent letters in words. They can be found at the beginning, end or middle of the words and, from the sound of the word, you wouldn't know that they were there. For example:- a - treadle, bread b - lamb, bomb, comb c - scissors, science, scent d - edge, bridge, ledge e - see below h - honour, honest, school k - know, knight, knowledge l - talk, psalm, should n - hymn, autumn, column p - pneumatic, psalm, psychology s - isle, island, aisle t - listen, rustle, shistle u - biscuit, guess, guitar w - write, wrong, wrist

Silent e

Silent e is the most commonly found silent letter in the alphabet. There are some hard and fast rules for spelling when a word ends with a silent e. When you wish to add a suffix to a word and it ends with a silent e, if the suffix begins with a consonant you don't need to change the stem of the word. For example: force + ful =forceful manage + ment =management sincere + ly =sincerely

If however the suffix begins with a vowel or a y, drop the e before adding the suffix. For example: fame + ous =famous nerve + ous =nervous believable + y =believably criticise + ism =criticism Exceptions: mileage, aggreeable Prefixes and Suffixes

Adding a prefix to a word doesn't usually change the spelling of the stem of the word. For example:- anti + septic antiseptic auto + biography autobiography de - sensitize desensitize dis - approve disapprove im - possible impossible inter - mediate intermediate mega - byte megabyte mis - take mistake micro - chip microchip re - used reused un - available unavailable

Adding a suffix to a word often changes the spelling of the stem of the word. The following may help you work out the changes. Again there are exceptions, so if you're not sure - look it up in your dictionary. Words ending in a consonant When the suffix begins with a consonant, just add the ending without any changes. For example:- treat + ment treatment

Doubling the consonant

For most words with a short vowel sound, ending with a single consonant, double the consonant when adding a suffix that starts with a vowel, such as er, ed or ing. For example:- mop + ing mopping big + est biggest hot + er hotter For words endling in l after a vowel, double the l before adding er, ed or ing. For example:- carol + ing carolling travel + er travelling Exceptions: Some words ending in r, x, w or y are exceptions to the doubling rule tear + ing tearing blow + ing blowing box + er boxer know + ing knowing

And if your main word has two consonants at the end, or more than one vowel, don't double the consonant. rain + ing (two vowels a + i) raining keep + er (two vowels e + e) keeper break + ing (two vowels e + a) breaking hang + er (two consonants n + g) hanger

Word Endings

Words ending in ce and ge When you want to add a suffix starting with a or o leave the e in. For example:- manage + able manageable notice + able noticeable courage + ous courageous Exceptions: prestige + ous prestigious

Words ending in ie

When you want to add ing to verbs ending in ie, drop the e and change the i to a y. For example:- die - dying lie - lying tie - tying

Words ending in y after a consonant

When you want to add suffixes such -as, -ed, -es, -er, -eth, -ly, -ness, -ful and -ous to a word ending in y after a consonant, change the y to an i before adding the suffix. For example:- eighty + eth eightieth duty + es duties lazy + ness laziness mystery +ous mysterious beauty + ful beautiful multiply + ed multiplied busy + ly busily

Words ending in y after a vowel

Keep the y when adding suffixes such as er, ing or ed. For example:- destroy destroying destroyed pry prying pried buy buying buyer play playing player