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Some Spelling Rules

English spelling rules for English learners

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31 views4 pages

Some Spelling Rules

English spelling rules for English learners

Uploaded by

hhubacker
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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USING SPELLING

To Predict

VOWEL QUALITY

Edited and Prepared by


HARRIET HUBACKER

[email protected]
713-681-1762
SOME GENERAL SPELLING RULES

ALTERNATE SPELLINGS

1. Ū has 2 sounds and 3 spellings


a. Ū in open and V-C-e syllables and EU and EW in 2-V syllables are
pronounced YŌŌ primarily after c, m, f, h cute, mute, feud, few, huge
b. Otherwise, they are pronounced ŌŌ jury, rule, chew, deuce

2. OI and OY are 2 spellings for the same sound.


a. “oi” is used at beginning or mid word oil, soil, boil, ointment
b. “oy” is used at the end of a word boy, joy, toy, employ

3. OU and OW are 2 spellings for the same sound.


a. “ou” is used at beginning or mid word out, house, mouse, our
b. “ow” is used:
(1) When followed by: l, n, el, er fowl, town, towel, cower,
(2) Sometimes at the end of a word: cow, now, how
However, the more usual word-end sound for ow is ō: snow, row, show

4. J and CH are spelled DGE and TCH at the end of a word or syllable
a. When following a short vowel.
b. j judge, fudge, lodge, badge
c. ch watch, match, witch, fetch

5. CI, TI, and SSI/SSU are additional spellings for SH at end or in suffix of words.
a. ci official, social,
b. ti patient, potential, action
c. ssi permission, admission
d. ssu assurance, pressure

6. SI and SU are spellings for ZH is never at the beginning of words.


a. si vision, division
b. su leisure, casual

7. TU is an additional spelling for CH only at end or in suffix of words.


a. chū actual, punctual
b. chūr picture, rapture

8. DU is an additional spelling for J only at end or in suffix of words.


a. procedure

9. S between 2 vowels us usually pronounced /Z/


a. surprise
10 C and G follow and same rule.
a. C = /k/ except when followed by e, i, or y when C = /s/ city, receive, cycle
(This is true 90-95% of the time.) This is why cc can have 2 sounds (accept).
b. G = /g/ except when followed by e, i, or y when G = /j/ garage, gym, gist
(This is true 60-65% of the time) This is why g is sometimes followed by u (guest) or e (garage).

11. Q must be followed by U


a. QU is most often pronounced /KW/ queen
b. QUE at the end of a word is usually a K sound clique, unique

12. Vowel spellings are covered in the section on syllable shapes.

PLURALS

1. Usually, just add s. hands, pets, snakes

2. Add es to words ending in sibilants (hissing sounds):


s buses, kisses, glasses
x boxes, foxes,
z buzzes, waltzes,
ch matches, watches, inches
sh wishes, dishes, brushes

3. When the noun ends in y,


a. Add s if the y is the 2nd vowel: toys, keys, days
b. If the y follows a consonant, change the y to i and add es.
try + es = tries

4. When the noun ends in f or fe, change the f to ves.

5. Nouns ending in o are irregular.


a. Some add s cameos, euros
b. Others add es potatoes, tomatoes

6. Irregular plurals do not add s and must be memorized


man, men; child, children; sheep, sheep

DOUBLE LETTER ONE-SYLLABLE WORDS

1. When one-syllable words end in L, S, or F, that letter is doubled:


a. hill, pill, mill. full, doll, dell, fell
b. mess, fuss, miss, kiss, cross, bliss
c, puff, muff, cliff, buff, whiff, chaff

2. Sometimes Z: buzz, fuzz, fizz, razz, jazz


ADDING SUFFIXES

1. Words ending in silent e.


a. If the suffix begins with a consonant, just add the suffix:
whole + ly = wholely.
b. If the suffix begins with a vowel, drop the silent e, then add suffix:
hope + ing = hoping. The single consonant identifies the long sound
as the consonant is doubled after closed syllables (hŏpping, hōping)
c. Exception: When a final c or g needs the e to make it soft,
the e is not dropped: traceable, outrageous.

2. Words ending in a consonant.


a. Simply add the suffix (whether it begins with a vowel
or a consonant) most + ly = mostly, feast + ing = feasting
b. Unless the base word is a 1+1+1, doubling word.
(1) Doubling words have 1 syllable (closed or r-controlled)
(2) 1 vowel and
(3) End with 1 consonant

3. Doubling rule: Adding suffixes to 1+1+1 words:


a. If the suffix begins with a consonant, just add the suffix:
cup + ful = cupful.
This results in a doubling only if the word-ending and suffix-beginning
letters are the same: helpful + ly = helpfully.
b. If the suffix begins with a vowel, “close in” the first syllable
by doubling the final consonant: hop + ing = hopping
This is necessary to retain the short or r-controlled vowel
sound since: hope + ing = hoping).
c. Never double h, j, k, v, w, x, or y.
d. c becomes ck rather than doubling: picnic + ing = picnicking.

4. The doubling rule also applies to 2-syllable words when the accent is on
the last syllable. pre·FER + ed = preferred, BUT SUF·fer + ed = suffered.

5. Adding suffixes to words ending in y:


a. Open Syllables: When y follows a consonant, change
the y to i when adding any suffix except those beginning with i:
cry + ed = cried, BUT cry + ing = crying.
b. 2 Vowel Syllables: When y is the 2nd vowel, just add the suffix:
play + ed = played, play + ing = playing

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