Home
A Word A Day
f.a.q
What is New ?
Tips
Plain English
Grammar
Intermediary Level
Advanced English
Word Power
Vocabulary
Etymology
Synonyms
Antonyms
Writing Skills
TOEFL
GRE
GMAT
Your English Teacher
Business Letters
English Articles
Difficult Words
History of English
Amazing Facts
Short Stories
Smart Kids
Encyclopedia
Longest Words
A Word A Year
Words List
Phrases
Oxymorons

XML RSS
What is this?
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Add to Google
 

Spelling Rules





There are few Spelling Rules which should be followed in the formation of words.

Final a consonant:

1. For the one-syllable words ending in single vowel + single consonant, double the consonant before a suffix beginning with vowel.

Examples:

• beg + ed = begged
• run + ed =running
• rob + er = robber
• sad + est =saddest

but…

• wish + ed = wished (two consonants)
• fear + ing = fearing ( two vowels)

2. For the words of two or three syllables ending in single vowel + single consonant, double the final consonant if the last syllable is stressed.

Examples:

• Begin + ing =beginning
• Permit +ed =permitted
• Occur +ed =occurred
• Control + er =controller

There are more Spelling Rules that follow.

3. The consonant is not doubled if the last syllable is not stressed.

Examples:

• Benefit +ed = benefited
• Suffer + ing =suffering

Exceptions:

• Worship +ed =worshipped
• Handicap +ed =handicapped
• Kidnap +er =kidnapper

4. The consonant ‘l’ is doubled, even if the stress does not fall on the last syllable.

Examples:

• Quarrel + ed =quarreled
• Signal + ing = signalling
• Travel + er =traveller
• Distil + er =distiller

5. If the word to which suffix ‘ful’ is added ends in‘ll’, the second ‘l’ is dropped.

Examples:

• Skill + ful =skilful
• Will + full =willful

There are more Spelling Rules that follow.

6. For words ending in silent ‘e’, drop the ‘e’ before a suffix beginning with a vowel.

Examples:

• Live + ing =living
• Move + ing =moving
• Drive + ing =driving
• Hope + ing =hoping

NOTE:

The ‘e’ remains before a suffix beginning with a consonant.

Examples:

• Hope + ful =hopeful
• Engage +ment =engagement

Exceptions:

• True + ly +truly
• Whole +ly =wholly
• Due + ly = duly
• Nine + th =ninth
• Awe + ful =awful
• Argue +ment =argument

7. Notice the special case of words ending in ‘ce’ and ‘ge’ which keep the ‘e’ when adding ‘able’ and ‘ous’.

Examples:

• Notice +able =noticeable
• Peace +able =peaceful
• Change +able =changeable
• Courage + ous =courageous

8. Words ending in ‘ee’ do not drop an ‘e’ before a suffix.

Examples:

• See + ing =seeing
• Agree + ment =agreement

9. Words ending in ‘ie’ change the ‘ie’ to ‘y’ when ‘ing’ is added.

Examples:

• Die + ing =dying
• Tie + ing =tying
• Lie + ing =lying

There are more Spelling Rules that follow.

10. A final ‘y’ following a consonant changes to ‘i’ before a suffix except ‘ing’.

Examples:

• Happy + ly = happily
• Beauty + ful =beautiful
• Carry + ed = carried
• Marry + ed =married
• Marry +age =marriage
• Carry +ing =carrying
• Marry +ing =marrying

NOTE:

But, ‘y’ following a vowel does not change.

• Pray + ed =prayed
• Play +er =player

Exceptions:

• Pay +ed =paid
• Say +ed =said
• Lay + ed =laid
• Day + ly =daily
• Gay +ly =gaily

11. When ‘ie’ or ‘ei’ is pronounced like ‘ee’ in jeep, ‘i’ comes before ‘e’ except after ‘c’.

Examples:

• Believe
• Relieve
• Achieve
• Grieve
• Yield
• Field

• Receive
• Receipt
• Deceive
• Deceit
• Conceive
• Conceit

Exceptions:

• Seize
• Weird
• Protein
• Surfeit
• Counterfeit
• Plebeian

These are the Spelling Rules which determine the formation of words of different kinds.

Go to the Advanced English Index to continue



HOME PAGE






footer for Spelling rules page