tips to help you become a better spellersites.nbed.nb.ca/wiki/ecc-lcl/anglais10/documents... ·...
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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.
One thing to remember is 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.
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. Look them over carefully and compare them to words you have trouble spelling correctly.
1. their/there/they’re 2. too/to
3. a lot 4. noticeable
5. receive/d/s 6. lose
7. you’re/your 8. an/and
9. develop/s 10. definitely
11. than/then 12. believe/d/s
13. occurred 14. affect/s
15. cannot 16. separate
17. success 18. through
19. until 20. 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 experience piece
believe friend relieve
brief field thief
chief
EXCEPT AFTER c
ceiling deceive perceive
conceive receive
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OR WHEN PRONOUNCED « AY »
neighbor weigh eighth
freight reign sleigh
OR IN WEIRD EXCEPTIONS
weird leisure height
either seize caffeine
neither foreign protein
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Adding Prefixes
Prefixes are verbal elements placed 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:
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 are verbal elements placed at the end of
words in order to form related words. For example,
we can build on the basic word short to get the
following words:
shortage shorten shorter
shortly shortness
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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 future + -ism=futurism
imagine + -able=imaginable exercise + -ing=exercising
continue + -ous=continuous productive + -ity=productivity
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
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 certain + -ly = certainly
conscious + -ly = consciously quick + -ly = quickly
supposed + -ly = supposedly
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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 slap + -ed = slapped
hot + -est = hottest run + -er = runner
begin + -ing = beginning refer + -ing = referring
occur + -ence = occurrence
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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 sleep + -ing = sleeping
fight + -er = fighter 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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