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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.
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Remember 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.
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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. Compare them to words
you have trouble spelling correctly.
1.
3.
5.
7.
9.
11.
13.
15.
17.
19.
their/there/they’re
a lot
receive/d/s
you’re/your
develop/s
than/then
occurred
cannot
success
until
2.
4.
6.
8.
10.
12.
14.
16.
18.
20.
too/to
noticeable
lose
an/and
definitely
believe/d/s
affect/s
separate
through
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
believe
brief
chief
experience
friend
field
piece
relieve
thief
EXCEPT AFTER c
ceiling
conceive
deceive
receive
perceive
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OR WHEN PRONOUNCED « AY »
neighbor
freight
weigh
reign
eighth
sleigh
OR IN WEIRD EXCEPTIONS
weird
either
neither
leisure
seize
foreign
height
caffeine
protein
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Adding Prefixes
Prefixes-letters placed at 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. Example
next page . . .
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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 – letters placed at the end of words in
to form related words. For example, we can build on
basic word short to get the following words:
shortage
shorten
shortly
shortness
shorter
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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
imagine + -able=imaginable
continue + -ous=continuous
future + -ism
futurism
exercise + ing=
exercising
productive + ity
productivity
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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
salvage + -able = salvagable
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
conscious + -ly = consciously
supposed + -ly = supposedly
certain + -ly = certainly
quick + -ly = quickly
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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
hot + -est = hottest
begin + -ing = beginning
occur + -ence = occurence
slap + -ed = slapped
run + -er = runner
refer + -ing = referring
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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
fight + -er = fighter
sleep + -ing = sleeping
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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