You can teach yourself to be a better speller. It is important to realize that learning to spell is a process that is never complete. Spelling is something that everyone has to pay attention to and keep working at it.
Basic spelling rules
- Short-Vowel Rule: When one-syllable words have a vowel in the middle, the vowel usually has a short sound. Examples: cat, dog, man, hat, mom, dad, got. If the letter after the vowel is听f, l, or听s, this letter is often doubled. Examples: staff, ball, pass.
- Two-Vowels Together: When two vowels are next to each other, the first vowel is usually long (the sound is the same as the sound of the letter) and the second vowel is silent. Examples: meat, seat, plain, rain, goat, road, lie, pie.
- Vowel-Consonant-e听笔补迟迟别谤苍: When a short word, or the last syllable of a longer word, ends in this pattern听vowel-consonant-e, then the first vowel is usually long and the听e is silent. Examples: place, cake, mice, vote, mute.
- Y听as a long听I: The letter听y听makes the long sound of听i听when it comes at the end of a short word that has no other vowel. Examples: cry, try, my, fly, by, hi.
- Y听as a long听E: When听y听辞谤听ey听ends a word in an unaccented syllable, the听y听has the long sound of听e. Examples: money, honey, many, key, funny.
- I听产别蹿辞谤别听E: Write听i听产别蹿辞谤别听e听when the sound is long听e听except after the letter听c. Examples: relieve, relief, reprieve. When there is a听c听preceding, then it is听ei听: receipt, receive, ceiling, deceive, conceive.
- E听产别蹿辞谤别听I: Write听e听产别蹿辞谤别听i听when the sound is long听a. Examples: weight, freight, reign. Another way to remember this is: “I听产别蹿辞谤别听e听except after听c, or when sounding like听a听as in听neighbor听补苍诲听weigh.” When the听ie/ei听combination is not pronounced听ee, it is usually spelled听ei.
- Oi听辞谤听Oy: Use听oi听in the middle of a word and use听oy听at the end of a word. Examples: boil, soil, toil, boy, toy.
- Ou听辞谤听Ow: Use听ou听in the middle of a word and use听ow听at the end of words other than those that end in听n听辞谤听d. Examples: mouse, house, found, mount, borrow, row, throw, crow.
- Double Consonants: When听b, d, g, m, n, or听p听appear after a short vowel in a word with two syllables, double the consonant. Examples: rabbit, manner, dagger, banner, drummer.
- 罢丑别听ch听蝉辞耻苍诲: At the beginning of a word, use听ch. At the end of a word, use听tch. When the听ch听蝉辞耻苍诲 is followed by听ure听辞谤听ion, use听t. Examples: choose, champ, watch, catch, picture, rapture.
Suffix and inflection rules
- Words ending with a silent听e: Drop the e听before adding a suffix which begins with a vowel: state,听stating; like,听liking.
- Keep the听e听when the suffix begins with a consonant: state, statement; use, useful.
- When听y听is the last letter in a word and the听y is preceded by a consonant,听change the y听to听i听before adding any suffix except those beginning with听y: beauty, beautiful; fry, fries; lady, ladies.
- When forming the plural of a word which ends with a听y that is preceded by a vowel,听add听s: toy, toys; monkey, monkeys.
- When a one-syllable word ends in a consonant preceded by one vowel,听double the final consonant before adding a suffix which begins with a vowel. This is also called the 1-1-1 rule, i.e., one syllable, one consonant, one vowel! Example: bat, batted, batting, batter.
- When a multi-syllable word ends in a consonant preceded by one vowel, and the final syllable is accented, the same rule holds true鈥攄ouble the final consonant. Examples: control, controlled; begin, beginning.
- When the final syllable does not have the end-accent, it is preferred, and in some cases required, that you NOT double the consonant. Examples: focus, focused; worship, worshiped.
