Welcome to Spelling!
The spelling test will be on Thursdays. The list for the next week goes home with the "Class Review" on the Friday before the test. That gives students a week to study. Spelling homework bingo is due stapled together on Friday.
In spelling we work on the following types of words.
spelling lists
high frequency words
word families
regular plurals
r-controlled
diphthong
consonant digraphs
CVC words
CCVC words
CVCC words
affixes
homonyms
Although English is made up of many different base languages, there are a few spelling rules that can assist in the correct spelling of words. It must be remembered, however, that not all words will follow the rules; these exceptions are referred to as irregular words. You can improve your spelling by improving your study method. Try the following method to learn how to spell new words. You can also improve your spelling by learning certain common but frequently misspelled words.
Ways to Practice
1. Look at the printed word and say it out loud. Repeat it, pronouncing each syllable
correctly.
2. Picture the word in your mind and try to visualize its shape. Avoid looking at the printed
word on the page. Try to visualize the word letter by letter.
3. Look at the printed word again; write it two or three times. Then write the word without
looking at the printed spelling.
4. Check your spelling. Did you spell the word correctly? If not, repeat each step until you
can spell the word easily.
Dictionary: Think of how the word might be spelled and look up this combination of letters in
the dictionary.
Computer: A word-processing program will have a spell checker that will recognize an attempt
to spell a word. Although spell checkers are handy, they can't do the whole job.
A computer can only search its own memory for similarly spelled words and offer
these as choices. But the choice it up to you, so you still need to know how to
spell the word.
Rules with Wide Application
These rules have been validated by research as having wide application. Other rules may exist which may be more helpful and should be used instead, if deemed apropriate.
1. Words ending in "silent" e
a. A one-syllable word in which the vowel has the long-vowel sound followed by a
consonant sound often ends with a "silent" e (examples: make, write, hole, use).
This rule is generally true for the final syllable of a polysyllabic word (examples:
mistake, invite, before, perfume). Words with some other vowel sound usually
do not end in a "silent" e (examples: hit, hat, help).
b. In some one-syllable words or in some final syllables, the long-vowel sound is
sometimes spelled by a combination of two vowels without a final "silent" e
(examples: feed, coat, unload, repeat).
2. Spelling the i sounds as i or y
a. When the sound, either long or short, comes at the beginning or in the
middle of a word or final syllable, the letter i is usually the correct letter to use
(examples: ice, advice, bring, admit). This rule does have two exceptions:
system, mystery.
b. When th i sound, long or short, comes at the end of the word,
it is usually spelled with a y (examples: fry, why, defy, rely, ready, many, very).
3. Spelling the ai sound as ai or ay
a. When the long a sound occurs in the middle part of the word,
it usually is spelled ai (examples: train, bait, tail, retain, explain, entertainment).
b. When this sound occurs at the end of a word,
it is usually spelled ay (examples: day, hay, bay, pay, anyway, holiday).
4. Words ending in ful
a. If the ful is a suffix, it is spelled with one l
(examples: beautiful, powerful, wonderful, graceful, careful).
5. Spelling the k sound as c or k
a. The k sound is generally spelled with a c before the vowel a, o, and u
(examples: camel, company, custom, scale, scare, scuffle, delicate, acorn,
difficult).
b. The k sound is usually with a k before the vowels e and i
(examples: kettle, kid, sketch, skill, blanket, unkind).
c. When the k sound follows a long vowel sound, the k is usually spelled with a k
(examples: awake, duke, hike, joke, creek, leak, soak, crook).
6. Spelling the Q followed by u. In English words, q is always followed by u.
7. Adding suffixes to words ending in y
a. When final y is preceded by a consonant, the y is usualy changed to i
before adding any suffix that does not begin with i (examples: relied, reliable).
When the suffix begins with i, the y does not change (example: relying).
b. When y is preceded by a vowel, the y does not change when adding a suffix
(examples: played, staying).
c. Another way of saying the above two points is that when adding a suffix,
change y to i except when (1) y is preceded by a vowel; (2) the suffix begins with i.
d. Exception: When adjectives of one syllable end in y, retain the y before ly and ness
(examples: spryly, dryness).
8. Adding suffixes to words ending in "silent" e
a. If the suffix begins with a consonant, generally retain the "silent" e
(examples: lonely, settlement).
b. If the suffix begins with a vowel, generally drop the "silent" e
(examples: lovable, moving, movable, caring, arguing, guidance).
c. Exception: Words that end in ce and ge generally reverse these two rules
when the suffix begins with a or o (examples: noticeable,
changeable, courageous; also in a few other words such as dyeing,
argument, duly, truly, wholly, judgement).
9. Doubling the final consonant when adding suffixes
a. Words ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel usually
double the final consonant before adding the suffix (examples: chopped, setting).
This rule also applies to longer words when the last syllable is accented
(example: forgotten).
10. There are seven ways to form plurals:
a. By adding s (Most words follow this rule.)
b. By adding es when the pronunciation requires it, such as s, ss, ch, sh, x.
c. By changing y to i and adding es when the final y is preceded by a consonant
(This rule is the same aforementioned rule (#7) for adding a suffix to words ending in y.)
d. By changing final f or fe to v and adding es (examples: scarves, calves).
e. By changing the internal vowels, as in foot, tooth, mouse, man.
f. A few words are spelled the same in both singular and plural (examples: deer, sheep).
g. A few words change the letters ending the word to form the plural
(examples: datum-data, radius-radi, gymnasium-gymnasia, phenomenon-phenomena,
criterion-criteria). These words are of foreign derivation and are not encountered
greatly by elementary-school children.
11. Rules for i before e
The vowel i comes before e except after c and in such words that have a long-a
sound as in neighbor and weigh. (Exceptions: either, neither, foreign, their, height,
leisure, weird, seize).
12. Abbreviations are followed by a period.
13. Proper nouns and adjectives formed from proper nouns begin with a capital letter.
14. Adding the suffix ly
a. Most words add the suffix ly without change in the base word.
b. The exception occures when a word ends in y or le.
(1) If the word ends in y, change y to i and add ly (examples: busily, luckily).
This rule is actually the aforementioned rule (#7) for adding suffixes to words
ending in y.
(2) If the word ends in le, drop the le and add ly (examples: capably, respectably).
In spelling we work on the following types of words.
spelling lists
high frequency words
word families
regular plurals
r-controlled
diphthong
consonant digraphs
CVC words
CCVC words
CVCC words
affixes
homonyms
Although English is made up of many different base languages, there are a few spelling rules that can assist in the correct spelling of words. It must be remembered, however, that not all words will follow the rules; these exceptions are referred to as irregular words. You can improve your spelling by improving your study method. Try the following method to learn how to spell new words. You can also improve your spelling by learning certain common but frequently misspelled words.
Ways to Practice
1. Look at the printed word and say it out loud. Repeat it, pronouncing each syllable
correctly.
2. Picture the word in your mind and try to visualize its shape. Avoid looking at the printed
word on the page. Try to visualize the word letter by letter.
3. Look at the printed word again; write it two or three times. Then write the word without
looking at the printed spelling.
4. Check your spelling. Did you spell the word correctly? If not, repeat each step until you
can spell the word easily.
Dictionary: Think of how the word might be spelled and look up this combination of letters in
the dictionary.
Computer: A word-processing program will have a spell checker that will recognize an attempt
to spell a word. Although spell checkers are handy, they can't do the whole job.
A computer can only search its own memory for similarly spelled words and offer
these as choices. But the choice it up to you, so you still need to know how to
spell the word.
Rules with Wide Application
These rules have been validated by research as having wide application. Other rules may exist which may be more helpful and should be used instead, if deemed apropriate.
1. Words ending in "silent" e
a. A one-syllable word in which the vowel has the long-vowel sound followed by a
consonant sound often ends with a "silent" e (examples: make, write, hole, use).
This rule is generally true for the final syllable of a polysyllabic word (examples:
mistake, invite, before, perfume). Words with some other vowel sound usually
do not end in a "silent" e (examples: hit, hat, help).
b. In some one-syllable words or in some final syllables, the long-vowel sound is
sometimes spelled by a combination of two vowels without a final "silent" e
(examples: feed, coat, unload, repeat).
2. Spelling the i sounds as i or y
a. When the sound, either long or short, comes at the beginning or in the
middle of a word or final syllable, the letter i is usually the correct letter to use
(examples: ice, advice, bring, admit). This rule does have two exceptions:
system, mystery.
b. When th i sound, long or short, comes at the end of the word,
it is usually spelled with a y (examples: fry, why, defy, rely, ready, many, very).
3. Spelling the ai sound as ai or ay
a. When the long a sound occurs in the middle part of the word,
it usually is spelled ai (examples: train, bait, tail, retain, explain, entertainment).
b. When this sound occurs at the end of a word,
it is usually spelled ay (examples: day, hay, bay, pay, anyway, holiday).
4. Words ending in ful
a. If the ful is a suffix, it is spelled with one l
(examples: beautiful, powerful, wonderful, graceful, careful).
5. Spelling the k sound as c or k
a. The k sound is generally spelled with a c before the vowel a, o, and u
(examples: camel, company, custom, scale, scare, scuffle, delicate, acorn,
difficult).
b. The k sound is usually with a k before the vowels e and i
(examples: kettle, kid, sketch, skill, blanket, unkind).
c. When the k sound follows a long vowel sound, the k is usually spelled with a k
(examples: awake, duke, hike, joke, creek, leak, soak, crook).
6. Spelling the Q followed by u. In English words, q is always followed by u.
7. Adding suffixes to words ending in y
a. When final y is preceded by a consonant, the y is usualy changed to i
before adding any suffix that does not begin with i (examples: relied, reliable).
When the suffix begins with i, the y does not change (example: relying).
b. When y is preceded by a vowel, the y does not change when adding a suffix
(examples: played, staying).
c. Another way of saying the above two points is that when adding a suffix,
change y to i except when (1) y is preceded by a vowel; (2) the suffix begins with i.
d. Exception: When adjectives of one syllable end in y, retain the y before ly and ness
(examples: spryly, dryness).
8. Adding suffixes to words ending in "silent" e
a. If the suffix begins with a consonant, generally retain the "silent" e
(examples: lonely, settlement).
b. If the suffix begins with a vowel, generally drop the "silent" e
(examples: lovable, moving, movable, caring, arguing, guidance).
c. Exception: Words that end in ce and ge generally reverse these two rules
when the suffix begins with a or o (examples: noticeable,
changeable, courageous; also in a few other words such as dyeing,
argument, duly, truly, wholly, judgement).
9. Doubling the final consonant when adding suffixes
a. Words ending in a single consonant preceded by a single vowel usually
double the final consonant before adding the suffix (examples: chopped, setting).
This rule also applies to longer words when the last syllable is accented
(example: forgotten).
10. There are seven ways to form plurals:
a. By adding s (Most words follow this rule.)
b. By adding es when the pronunciation requires it, such as s, ss, ch, sh, x.
c. By changing y to i and adding es when the final y is preceded by a consonant
(This rule is the same aforementioned rule (#7) for adding a suffix to words ending in y.)
d. By changing final f or fe to v and adding es (examples: scarves, calves).
e. By changing the internal vowels, as in foot, tooth, mouse, man.
f. A few words are spelled the same in both singular and plural (examples: deer, sheep).
g. A few words change the letters ending the word to form the plural
(examples: datum-data, radius-radi, gymnasium-gymnasia, phenomenon-phenomena,
criterion-criteria). These words are of foreign derivation and are not encountered
greatly by elementary-school children.
11. Rules for i before e
The vowel i comes before e except after c and in such words that have a long-a
sound as in neighbor and weigh. (Exceptions: either, neither, foreign, their, height,
leisure, weird, seize).
12. Abbreviations are followed by a period.
13. Proper nouns and adjectives formed from proper nouns begin with a capital letter.
14. Adding the suffix ly
a. Most words add the suffix ly without change in the base word.
b. The exception occures when a word ends in y or le.
(1) If the word ends in y, change y to i and add ly (examples: busily, luckily).
This rule is actually the aforementioned rule (#7) for adding suffixes to words
ending in y.
(2) If the word ends in le, drop the le and add ly (examples: capably, respectably).