Download WC Spelling Rules

SPELLING RULES
Prefixes
A prefix is a language form which is placed at the beginning of a word to change its
meaning:
Prefix
disreunmispre

Meaning
opposite
again
not
wrongly
before
Example
disagree, dissatisfied
return, review
unfriendly
misspell
preview
When a prefix ends with the same letter that begins the word that it is attached
to, do not drop either letter
e.g. ir + relevant = irrelevant
un + necessary = unnecessary
When prefixes are added to words ending in double consonants, the double
consonant is often kept
e.g. re + call = recall
en + roll = enroll
fore + tell = foretell
THE EXCEPTION: un + till = until
Suffixes
A suffix is a form placed at the end of a word to change its use, meaning, or both:
Suffix
-ed
-ing
-ly
-er, -est
-ful
-less

Use/Meaning
past-tense verbs
present participle verb form
characteristic of
comparative
full of
without
Example
dropped
running
quickly
higher, biggest
careful
fearless
Words ending in a silent e must have the e dropped before adding a suffix
beginning with a vowel
e.g. cure – curable
pure – purity
convince – convincing
THE EXCEPTION: keep the e if the word ends in ge or ce and the suffix begins
with a, o, u, or a consonant
e.g. manage – manageable/management
notice – noticeable




Words ending in c must be followed by a k before adding a suffix beginning with
e, i, or y
e.g. mimic – mimicked
panic – panicking
shellac – shellacking
Words ending in the letter y must have the y changed to i before adding a suffix
e.g. greedy – greedily
hurry – hurried
plenty – plentiful
Words ending in ie must have the e dropped and i changed to y before adding
the suffix -ing
e.g. lie – lying
die – dying
tie – tying
When a word ends in ic, add al before adding the suffix –ly
e.g. drastic – drastically
scientific – scientifically
The Golden Rule:
i before e except after c, unless sounding like A as in neighbor or weigh