Tips to help you become

a better speller

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Introduction

Spelling can be complex. For example, there are eleven different ways of representing the sh sound: shoe, sugar, ocean, issue, nation, schist, suspicion, conscious, nauseous, mansion, and fuchsia.

One thing to remember is that the regularity in spelling relates not only to sound-letter connections but also to our stored visual memory of related words. We know that president is not spelled « presadent, » because we recognize its relation to the word preside.

Paying attention to guidelines of spelling can help you avoid spelling errors.

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20 Most Commonly Misspelled Words

A study revealed the following twenty words as being the most common misspelled words. Look them over carefully and compare them to words you have trouble spelling correctly.

1. their/there/they’re 2. too/to

3. a lot 4. noticeable

5. receive/d/s 6. lose

7. you’re/your 8. an/and

9. develop/s 10. definitely

11. than/then 12. believe/d/s

13. occurred 14. affect/s

15. cannot 16. separate

17. success 18. through

19. until 20. where

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Recognizing Homonyms

Definition: Words that sound alike but have different

spelling and meaning.

their (possessive form of they)

there (in that place)

they’re ( contraction of they are)

to (in the direction of)

too (in addition; excessive)

two (number between one and three)

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Homonyns (continued)

your (possessive form of you)

you’re (contraction of you are)

affect (to have an influence)

effect (noun: result, verb: to cause to happen)

accept (to take or receive)

except (to leave out)

who’s (contraction of who is or who has)

whose (possessive form of who)

its (possessive form of it)

it’s (contraction of it is or it has)

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Spelling Rules

i before e except after c

or when pronounced ay as in neighbor or weigh

or in weird exceptions like either

i BEFORE e

achieve experience piece

believe friend relieve

brief field thief

chief

EXCEPT AFTER c

ceiling deceive perceive

conceive receive

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OR WHEN PRONOUNCED « AY »

neighbor weigh eighth

freight reign sleigh

OR IN WEIRD EXCEPTIONS

weird leisure height

either seize caffeine

neither foreign protein

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Adding Prefixes

Prefixes are verbal elements placed the beginning of

words to add to or qualify their meaning. The prefix

re-, for example, adds repetition to the meaning of a

word: reappear means « appear again. » Prefixes do

not change the spelling of the words they are added to,

even when the last letter of the prefix and the first

letter of the word it is added to are the same. In such

cases, keep both letters:

dis + service = disservice over + rate = overrate

*Some prefixes require the use of hyphens. When in

doubt, check the dictionary.

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Adding Suffixes

Suffixes are verbal elements placed at the end of

words in order to form related words. For example,

we can build on the basic word short to get the

following words:

shortage shorten shorter

shortly shortness

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Dropping the final e

For words ending in an unpronounced e (receive, lose, definite),

you must decide whether or not to drop the e when adding a

suffix. In general, if the suffix starts with a vowel, drop the e.

explore + -ation=exploration future + -ism=futurism

imagine + -able=imaginable exercise + -ing=exercising

continue + -ous=continuous productive + -ity=productivity

Exceptions

• To distinguish homonyms or potentially confusing words

dye + -ing = dyeing (not dying)

singe + -ing = singeing (not singing)

• To clarify pronunciation

be + -ing = being (not bing)

shoe + -ing = shoeing (not shoing)

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More exceptions . . .

To keep the sound of C or G soft

notice + -able = noticeable

marriage + -able = marriageable

courage + -ous = courageous

peace + -able = peaceable

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Keeping the final e

If the suffix starts starts with a consonant, keep the e.

force + -ful = forceful

excite + -ment = excitement

state + -ly = stately

same + - ness = sameness

Exceptions

argue + -ment = argument

true + -ly = truly

whole + -ly – wholly

nine + -th = ninth

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Exercise

Combine each of the following words and suffixes,

dropping the unpronounced e when necessary.

1. future + -ism 2. hope + -ful

3. lone + -ly 4. malice + -ous

5. outrage + -ous 6. exercise + -ing

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Using –ally Using –ally

Use –ally if the base word ends in ic. Examples:

drastic + -ally = drastically basic + -ally = basically,

characteristic + -ally = characteristically,

dramatic + -ally = dramatically

**Exception: public + -ly = publicly

Using –ly

Use –ly if the base word does not end in ic. Examples:

apparent + -ly = apparently certain + -ly = certainly

conscious + -ly = consciously quick + -ly = quickly

supposed + -ly = supposedly

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Doubling the final consonant

When a word ends in a consonant, the consonant is

sometimes doubled when a suffix is added. If the word

ends in consonant-vowel-consonant, the suffix begins

with a vowel, and the word contains only one syllable or

ends in an accented syllable, double the final consonant.

stop + -ing = stopping slap + -ed = slapped

hot + -est = hottest run + -er = runner

begin + -ing = beginning refer + -ing = referring

occur + -ence = occurrence

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EXCEPTION

Double the final l even in words that do not end in an

accented syllable.

counsel + -or = counsellor

travel + -ed = travelled

label + -ing = labelling

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DO NOT DOUBLE THE CONSONANT

If it is preceded by more than one vowel or by another

consonant

bait + -ing = baiting sleep + -ing = sleeping

fight + -er = fighter start + -ed = started

If the suffix begins with a consonant

ship + -ment = shipment fit + -ness = fitness

If the word is not accented on the last syllable

benefit + -ing = benefiting fasten + -er = fastener

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If the accent shifts from the last to the first

syllable when the suffix is added.

infer + -ence = inference

prefer + -ence = preference

**If the last letter of the word and the first letter

of the suffix are the same, keep both letters:

mortal+ -ly = mortally room + -mate =roommate

rotten + -ness = rottenness usual + -ly = usually

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