Spelling

Why is spelling difficult?

The smallest single element in the English language is the letter.  Each alphabet letter is a symbol, called a “grapheme.”

There is a basic problem with the English spelling system.  There are only twenty-six letters in English to represent about fifty sounds, or “phonemes.”  A sound (phoneme) is not always spelled with the same letter or letters.

For example, look at the following words:

                                sail                         scene                      cent                        psalm

Each of these words begins with the same sound, but we have four different ways of spelling that sound.  English is full of such confusing examples – on reason why spelling can be such a problem.

Suggestions for improving your spelling

Sound out syllables carefully and individually.

ac-ci-dent-al-ly                                                gov-ern-ment

ath-let-ics                                                lab-o-ra-to-ry

cal-en-dar                                                li-bra-ry

en-vi-ron-ment                                                math-e-mat-ics

Feb-ru-a-ry                                                mus-cle

pre-tend                                                                soph-o-more

Pronounce words carefully.

affect – effect                                                elicit – illicit

Calvary – cavalry                                                finally – finely

carton – cartoon                                                marrying – marring

celery – salary                                                shoulder – soldier

diary – dairy                                                shudder – shutter

Fix each letter of a word in your mind’s eye.

In each of the following pairs of words, notice the way the second word is different from the first.

Accept – except                                                lose – loose

Advice – advise                                                past – passed

Already – all ready                                personal – personnel

Altogether – all together                                precede – proceed

Beach – beech                                                principal – principle

Breath – breathe                                                quiet – quite

Council – counsel                                stationery – stationary

Desert – dessert                                                than – then

Envelop – envelope                                there – their – they’re

Formally – formerly                                to – two – too

Its – it’s                                                                want – wont – won’t

Use the dictionary whenever in doubt.

List and study words you most frequently misspell.

Look for helpful books on spelling by checking the library’s card catalog.

Learn five basic spelling rules.

Five Basic Spelling Rules

Rule 1:  The IE – EI Rule.

A.   When the –ie or –ei combination has an “ee” sound, write i before e except after c.

achieve                                   ceiling

believe                                    conceit

cashier                                   conceive

chandelier                               deceit 

hygiene                                   perceive

handkerchief                            receive

reprieve                                   receipt

retrieve

B. When the –ei combination has a long “a” or long “i” sound, write e before i.

eight                                        reign

feint                                         rein

freight                                      sleigh

neighbor                                   sleight

height                                      stein

veil                                          weight

C.                   When the –ei combination is so slightly sounded as to be obscure (like the i in devil), write e before i.

forfeit                                                foreign                                     sovereignty

surfeit                                               sovereign                                counterfeit

Some exceptions to the –ei, -ie rule:

                                caffeine                                  leisure

                                codeine                                  neither

                                either                                      seize

                                financier                                 protein

                                fiery                                        weird

Rule 2:  The Silent Final –E Rule.

A.            Drop the silent final –e when adding a suffix beginning with a vowel.

advise + ing = advising

amuse + ing = amusing

argue + ing = arguing

arrive + al = arrival

believe + able = believable*
come + ing = coming

ice + y = icy**

imaging                + ative = imaginative

* Possible exceptions for the suffix able:  Some sources claim that current practice ignores this rule when the suffix able is added to a word ending in a silent –e.  these sources maintain that either spelling is correct.  Some words, however, like noticeable, peaceable, and serviceable always retain the –e­ in order to retain the soft sound of c.

                ** In English, y is frequently considered a vowel.

B.            Keep the final silent –e­ when adding a suffix beginning with a consonant.

amuse                             +ment                        =amusement

bare                                +ly                                =barely

care                                +ful                                =careful

safe                                +ty                                =safety

whole                             +some                          =wholesome

Rule 3:  The Final –Y Rule

A.                  Words ending in –y preceded by a consonant (such as dignify) usually change y to i before any suffix except one beginning with i (such as dignigying).

angry + ly = angrily                    dignify + ed = dignified

beauty + ful = beautiful             dignify + ing = dignifying

carry + es = carries                    happy + er = happier

carry + ing = carrying                 happy + ness = happiness

lovely + er = lovlier                     lucky + er = luckier

marry + ed = married                   luck + ly = luckily

B.                   Words ending in –y preceded by a vowel (such as annoy) usually change y to i before other endings that might be added to them.

annoy + ance = annoyance       buy + er = buyer

annoy + ed = annoyed               buy + ing = buying

annoy + s = annoys                   buy + s = buys

betray + al = betrayal                  pay + able = payable

employ + er = employer              stay + ed = stayed

Exceptions to the Final –Y Rule:

baby + hood = babyhood                lay + ed = laid

busy + ness = business                   pay + ed = paid

day + ly = daily                                  say + ed = said

gay + ly = gaily

Rule 4:  Doubling the Final Consonant Rule

                IF a word

                                · ends in a single consonant,

                                · preceded by a single vowel,

                                · and is accented on the final syllable,

double this consonant when adding a suffix that starts with a vowel,

                                · SO LONG AS the accent remains on what was the final syllable of the original word.

compél                                   compélling                           compélled

refér                                        reférring                                 reférred

commít                                   commítting                           commítted

If you go back and re-read Rule 4, you’ll notice that it still (even after these examples) does not make a great deal of sense.  Let’s break the rule down into five conditions that a word must satisfy before you can apply the rule.

                · Condition 1:                IF a word ends in a single consonant;

                                                (refer, but not resist)

                · Condition 2:                Preceded by a single vowel;

                                                (refer, but not appear)

                · Condition 3:                And is accented on the last syllable;

(refér , but not prófit)

· Condition 4:                Double this consonant when adding a suffix that begins with a vowel;

allot + ed = allotted, but
allot + ment = allotment

because the ment suffix begins with a consonant.

· Condition 5:                So long as the accent remains on what was the final syllable of the original word.

                 occúr + ence = occúrrence, but

refér + ence = reférence

                occur + ed = occurred                        confer + ed = conferred

                annul + ed = annulled                        expel + ed = expelled

                commit + ed = committed                     regret + ed = regretted

                compel + ed = compelled

In qu combinations, the u is pronounced as a w.  therefore, only the i functions as a true vowel:

                                acquit + ed = acquitted

                                equip + ed = equipped

Also note:

a.             All one-syllable words ending in a single consonant always double the consonant when a suffix beginning in a vowel is added.

beg > beggar                                                                bug > buggy

bid > bidding                                                                get > getting

hop > hopping                                                              plan > planning

quiz > quizzes                                                              sob > sobbed

b.              Words with more than one syllable that do not have the accent on the last syllable do not double the final consonant.

Cáncel > cánceled                                                cóunsel > cóunseled

Envélop > envéloped                                                márvel > márveled

Prohíbit > prohíbited                                                prófit > prófited

c.              The final consonant is never doubled if a suffix beginning with a consonant is added.

annul > annulment                                                commit > commitment

defer > deferment                                                                equip > equipment

Rule 5:  The “One-Plus-One” Rule

A.            Include both letters when adding a prefix that ends in the same letter with which the word begins.

un + necessary = unnecessary                                dis + satisfied = dissatisfied

ir = responsible = irresponsible                                mis + spell = misspell

B.            Include both letters when adding a suffix that begins with the same consonant as that with which the word ends.

accidental + ly = accidentally                                mean + ness = meanness

drunken + ness = drunkenness                                sudden + ness = suddenness

C.            Include both letters when two words are combined, the first of which ends in the same letter as that with which the second word begins.

bath + house = bathhouse                                                news + stand = newsstand

book + keeping = bookkeeping                                over + ride = override

room + mate = roommate                                                with + hold = withhold

Paraphrased, with examples, from Pattern Practice and Learn to Write by … Level II, by Marilyn Birkley, James Birkley and Louis Rivers.  New York, College Skills Center, Inc., 1972.  Pp. 197 – 205.