Spelling Rules
to
Learning English
Double Letters
(A suffix is one or more letters or syllables added to the end of a word
that changes the meaning. A prefix is one or more letters or
syllables added to the beginning of a word that changes the meaning.)
| Doubling consonants + suffix which begins with a vowel
(for
instance--ed, ing, es, er).
|
|
One
syllable (one consonant, one vowel) + V (vowel)
suffix.
|
|
| sit-->sitting
put-->putting |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Polysyllable ( one vowel, accent
on final syllable) + V suffix.
|
|
| refer-->referring
concur-->concurring |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE**
If the suffix does not begin with a VOWEL, the rule does not apply.
|
|
|
entrap-->
entrapping
entrapped
BUT:
entrapment
|
|
|
|
| Doubling consonants + prefix
|
|
|
If prefix ends with the same consonant with which the word begins, leave both consonants in
the word: |
| mis +
spell = misspell dis + sent = dissent
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When two words are joined, if the first word ends with the same consonant with
which
the second word begins, keep both consonants in the
word:
|
| over + reach = overreach
book + keeper = bookkeeper
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Doubling
consonants + suffix (which begins with the same consonant)
|
|
accidental + ly = accidentally
blissful + ly =
blissfully
casual
+ ly = casually |
|
|
|
|
| Doubling vowels
|
|
|
|
When joining two words, if the first word ends in silent
"'e," drop
the "e”
|
|
| where + ever +
wherever
|
|
|
|
When adding a prefix ending in a vowel to a word beginning with the
same vowel, keep both vowels in the word.
|
| co
+ operate = cooperate
re + entry = reentry
|
|
|
Final
Silent E
|
Drop "e" when adding a suffix which begins with a vowel. |
|
| amuse-->
amusing
care-->
caring love--> lovable |
|
|
|
|
|
Exceptions |
|
|
|
If
the stem contains a soft "g" or "c," retain the
"e."
|
|
|
serviceable
changeable
courageous
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTE** practice + able =
practicable (soft
"c" changes to "k" sound)
advise + able = advisable ,
revise + able = revisable (soft "c" sound made by the "s" changes to a
"z" sound)
|
|
More exceptions:
(must be learned by rote)
|
|
argument, hoeing,
singeing (this is the 'ing' form of the verb singe, that is to slightly
scorch or burn), judgment, truly, dyeing, wholly |
i
before e, except after c
| Use "i" before "e" except after
"c," or except when the "ei" combination sounds like
"a."
|
|
EXAMPLES
ARE: |
| "i" before "e" :
achieve,
piece, priest, thief, sieve, belief, niece, relief, wield, chief, yield,
believe |
| except
after "c": ceiling,
conceit , deceit,
receipt, perceive, conceive,
deceive,
receive
|
| sounded
as "a": eighth,
eight, reign, weight, vein, neighbor, freight, sleigh, rein |
|
|
Exceptions |
| Comparisons that end in "Y" (change the
"y" to "i" even if it puts that "i" immediately
after a "c"
) |
| fancy + er = fancier |
|
|
More exceptions:
(must
be learned by rote):
neither,
either, weird, sheik, leisure, seize, financier
|
Words ending in
Y
| Nouns--plurals
|
|
|
|
| Retain the
"y" and add "s" if the "y" is preceded by a vowel.
|
|
| valleys
birthdays boys ways
|
|
|
|
| Change the
"y" to "i" and add "es" if the "y" is
preceded by a consonant.
|
|
| army = armies
antibody = antibodies
gravy = gravies |
|
|
|
| Proper names
ending in "y" are made plural by adding "s"
|
|
| Marys
Larrys Harrys
(There were three Marys at the party.) |
|
|
|
|
Verbs--third person singular
|
|
|
|
| Retain "y" and add "s" if the "y"
is preceded by a vowel.
|
|
| says
rays annoys
frays
trays grays
|
|
|
|
| Change the "y" to "i" and add "es" if the
"y" is preceded by a consonant.
|
|
| worries buries
carries
marries ferries
|
|
|
|
| Adjectives--comparative/superlative
|
|
|
|
| Add "er" or "est" to "y" if the
"y" is preceded by a vowel.
|
|
| gay =
gayer, gayest
|
|
|
|
| Change "y" to "i" and add "er" or "est"
if the "y" is preceded by a consonant.
|
|
| pretty
= prettier,
prettiest
messy = messier, messiest
|
|
|
|
| Other suffixes
|
|
|
|
| Change the "y" to “i”.
|
|
| gaiety bountiful
tarries
wittier satisfies
|
|
Words ending in
O
| Usually you add "s" to form the plural.
(especially when the "o" is preceded by a vowel) |
|
| barrios, studios, radios, ratios |
|
|
|
| Sometimes, you must add "es."
(especially when the "o" is preceded by
a consonant) |
|
| potatoes, tomatoes, heroes, echoes,
mosquitoes |
|
|
|
| Exceptions (oddly,
many of these exceptions refer to music) |
|
| altos, silos, sopranos, pianos, solos,
avocados |
|
|
|
| Some words allow you to do either
change.
|
|
| buffalos/buffaloes
zeros/zeroes
mottos/mottoes hobos/hoboes
ghettos/ghettoes |
|
Silent
letters
There is no rule for these words.
Just learn them, one by one.
|
Examples: |
hymn
|
balm |
condemn
|
gnat |
|
acknowledge |
muscle |
often |
raspberry |
scene |
|
pneumonia
|
aisle |
debt |
knife |
ghost |
|
fascinated
|
walk |
yacht
|
salmon
|
knee |
| answer |
Wednesday |
|
|
|
Miscellaneous
Guidelines
Words ending in
c
Add "k" when adding a suffix
ending in "e," “i” or “y”.
Examples: mimic + ed = mimicked
panic + ed = panicked traffic + ing = trafficking
able vs. ible
Learn these words by studying
them, one by one.
| Examples: |
accessible |
admissible |
audible |
remarkable |
| credible |
forgivable |
discernible |
palatable |
forcible |
| attainable |
blamable |
measurable |
mutable |
comparable |
| curable |
imaginable |
lovable |
manageable |
serviceable |
| defendable |
drinkable |
feasible |
edible |
compatible |
| citable |
incredible |
defensible |
printable |
useable |
-cede, -ceed, -sede
There is only one
word in English that ends with -sede: supersede.
Three
words end in -ceed: exceed,
proceed, succeed.
All other words that have
this sound ends in -cede:
EXAMPLES:
precede, concede, recede
The
Plural of Nouns
-
The
regular way to make a noun plural is to add an s.
-
Some plural nouns are formed by adding
es. If the noun ends in s, sh, ch, z, or x, you need
to add es
to form the plural. EXAMPLES:
dress----dresses, dish--dishes, fox----foxes
-
Nouns
ending in y preceded by a consonant is formed by changing the
y to i and adding es. EXAMPLES:
butterfly----butterflies, comedy----comedies,
country----countries
-
If
the noun ends in y preceded by a vowel, just add s
to form the plural. EXAMPLES: toy----toys, tray----trays, play----plays,
foray----forays
-
Most nouns ending in fe or f only need an s
to form the plural. For others however, change the f or fe to
v, then add an s or es.
EXAMPLES: leaf----leaves,
wife----wives, life----lives
-
Nouns
ending in o (see Spelling rules above).
-
Some
nouns have irregular plural forms. There are no rules to explain
these nouns. EXAMPLES: child----children, mouse----mice, tooth----teeth, die----dice
-
Compound
nouns written as one word need an s or es in
order to form the plural. EXAMPLES: handful---handfuls (also 'handsful'), spoonful---spoonfuls (also spoonsful),
paperweight----paperweights, strongbox----strongboxes
-
If
a compound noun is made up of a noun and a modifier, make the modified
word plural. EXAMPLES:
mother-in-law---mothers-in-law, chief of state--chiefs of
state, chairman of the board--chairmen of the board,
runner-up---runners-up
-
Some
compound nouns have irregular plural forms. EXAMPLES:
nine-year-old--nine-year-olds, hang-up--hang-ups,
drive-in---drive-ins
-
Some
nouns are the same whether singular or plural. EXAMPLES:
deer, fowl, sheep, Chinese
-
Foreign
words have the plural as it is formed in the original language, or may add
s or es for the plural form. EXAMPLES:
medium---media, alumnus---alumni (masculine form), index--indices or indexes
(American English uses the latter), appendix---appendices or appendixes
(American English uses the latter)
-
The
plural of numbers, signs, letters, and words considered as words is formed
by adding
apostrophe and an s ('s)
or an s with
no apostrophe.
It is
becoming more common to just add the s alone however.
( 3's/3s, 1970's/1970s, the PhD's/the PhDs. There were two v's
in the spelling word. Mathias
had too many and's in his sentence.) If you are using
lowercase letters, symbols, abbreviations with periods, or anything where
your reader could get confused if you use s alone, add the
apostrophe!
Phonic
Generalizations
1.
Short words ending in a consonant & e usually have the
e silent and
the preceding vowel long. (silent E
rule) e.g.
cute,
male, tube.
2. Two vowels together usually have the first long &
the second silent, e.g. pail,
grail, goat.
3. If lone vowel is at end of word or syllable, it's usually
long, e.g. tomato, potato.
4.
Consonant-vowel-consonant--a
single vowel word or syllable followed by a consonant is usually short,
e.g. cat, get,
pin.
5. A single vowel in a word or accented syllable followed by
r is
usually controlled by the r sound,
e.g. birds, garb.
6. All followed by l, w, or u is usually pronounced as the
au in haul, e.g. fall,
gall .
7. C
before i, e, y, is usually soft (S sound),
e.g. receive, cell.
C
before o, a, u, is
usually hard (K sound), e.g.
cough, care, cut,
8.
G
before e, i, y is usually soft (J sound),
e.g. gel, gyro.
G before o, a, u, is usually hard (G sound), e.g. garb, grab, gob, gut.