Spelling

SpellingSpelling

What is the need to learn spellings?

What is the need to learn spellings?

• English spellings can be confusing especially for the non-native speakers and writers. In the

following slide presentations, you will find some rules and regulations to help you. Unfortunately there are

exceptions to these rules , but this summary should be helpful.

What are spellings?What are spellings?• “Spelling is the process of

representing language by means of a writing system” ( National Council of

Teachers of English, 1996. p. 51).

• Spelling is the writing of one or more words with letters. it

attempt to transcribe the sounds of the language into alphabetic

letters.

Spelling knowledgeSpelling knowledge• PHONOLOGY – how words

sound• MORPHEMES – how words

are constructed from meaningful elements

• HOMONYMS – words that sound similar, but have different meanings and spellings

Spelling knowledgeSpelling knowledge• HOMOPHONE – a word (type of

homonym) that is pronounced the same as another word. The words may be spelled differently or the same.

• CONTRACTION -- A word or phrase that has been shortened by leaving out some of the letters is called a contraction

HomonymsHomonyms• HOMONYMS – words that sound

similar, but have different meanings and spellings

Examples: affect-effect; they're-their-there; fell-fail, cite-

sight-site, marry-Mary-merry, pair-pare-pear, there-their-

they're

Homophones Homophones

• HOMOPHONE – a word (type of homonym) that is pronounced the same as another word. The words may be spelled differently or the same.

Examples: foul (odor) / fowl (bird) , rose (flower) / rose (past tense

of “rise”),

Contraction and model assimilationsContraction and model assimilations

• CONTRACTION - An apostrophe is used to show that the letters have been omitted (won’t - will not), (o’clock - of the clock).

example: : *ain’t, can’t, couldn’t, won’t, wouldn’t, shan’t, shouldn’t, *mayn’t, (mightn’t, mustn’t)

• MODAL PLUS "HAVE" ASSIMILATION: coulda, mighta, shoulda, woulda

• MODAL PLUS "TO" ASSIMILATION: gonna, hafta, hasta, supposta, useta

spelling rules..spelling rules..

Short vowel ruleShort vowel rule

To spell a short vowel sound, only one letter is needed:

 Examples: combat  ,

shred , exit , hot , super

Long vowel rules..Long vowel rules..

To spell a long sound you usually must add a

second vowel, or you may use the consonants

y or w in place of the vowel.

Examples: reach , loose , soup , seize , sky

vowel – consonant – e rule

vowel – consonant – e rule

• The silent e makes the vowel long.

Long a – Sneaky e cake ape name

Long o – Sneaky e bone hose nose

vowel – consonant – e rule

vowel – consonant – e rule

• The silent e makes the vowel long.

Long i – Sneaky e bike dime

pile

Long u – Sneaky e cube rule

rude

Some other spelling rules….

Some other spelling rules….

• Almost no English words end in "v"exception: spiv

• "q" is always written as "qu“ .It never stands by itself.

Examples: quick,

queen, quarrel

• "i" comes before "e" when it is pronounced " ee".

EXAMPLES: brief, field , priest.

• "i" before "e" except after " c “, or when sounding like "a" as in "neighbour,

or weigh“. EXAMPLES: receive, deceive,

ceiling

Some exceptions are

Some exceptions are

EXCEPTION sovereign,

seized,

counterfeit,

Forfeited,

leisure

"able" or "ible" endings.

"able" or "ible" endings.

Use "able":• After root words. e.g. available, dependable.

• After root words ending in "e". e.g. desirable, believable,

usable (drop the "e").• After "i". e.g. reliable,

sociable.

"able" or "ible" endings

"able" or "ible" endings

• When other forms of the root word have a dominant "a"

vowel. e.g. irritable, durable, abominable.

• After a hard "c" or "g". e.g. educable, navigable,

practicable.

Exceptions: formidable, inevitable, memorable, probable, indomitable,

insuperable.

"able" or "ible" endings

"able" or "ible" endingsUse "ible"

• After non-root words. e.g. audible, horrible,

possible.

• When the root has an immediate "ion“ form.

e.g. digestible,

suggestible, convertible.

"able" or "ible" endings

"able" or "ible" endings

• After a root ending in "ns" or "miss". e.g. responsible, comprehensible, permissible.

• After a soft "c" or "g". e.g. legible, negligible, forcible,

invincible.• Exceptions: contemptible,

resistible, collapsible

flexible.

SOME PHONETIC VIOLATIONS

SOME PHONETIC VIOLATIONS

SAME PRONUNCIATION BUT DIFFERENT SPELLINGS (DIFFERENT MEANINGS): cite-sight-site, marry-Mary-merry, pair-pare-pear, there-their-they're

SAME SPELLINGS BUT DIFFERENT PRONUNCIATIONS (SAME WORD FAMILIES): nation-national, obscene-obscenity, sign-signature, go-gone, ct. soup-supper

Keeping a spelling constant

Keeping a spelling constant

• Keeping a constant spelling may involve the use of so- called “silent”

letters.

• Sign resignation, signal, signature.

Keeping a spelling constant

Keeping a spelling constant

• In some cases the “g” and “k” are quite empty letters.

• “g” gnarled, gnat, gnome.

• “K” knee, knife, knock, know.

We double "l, f, and s" after a single

short vowel at the end of a word.

We double "l, f, and s" after a single

short vowel at the end of a word.

EXAMPLES: EXCEPTIONS:

miss us, stiff, bus, stuff. gas, call, of, tall, this, toss yes, plus, nil, pal.

For words ending in a single "l" after a single vowel,

double the "l" before adding a suffix, regardless of

accent.Examples:

Cancelled, traveller,

signalling, metallic.

"all" and "well" followed by another syllable only have

one "l".

Examples: also,

already, although,

welcome,

Silent e rule…..Silent e rule…..

• When a word ends in silent -e, usually drop the

-e if you areadding a suffix that

begins with a vowel, but retain the -e

when you are adding a suffix that begins with a

consonant

Examples:• Silent -e is an -e such as the one

in love, which you do not hear when love is pronounced. Since

love ends in silent e and the suffix -able begins with a vowel, drop -e when joining love and -

able: love + able = lovable• However, since the suffix -less

begins with a consonant, retain the -e in love when joining love and -less:

love + less = loveless

In words ending in -ce or

-ge , -e is not dropped when you add -

able or -ous:

In words ending in -ce or

-ge , -e is not dropped when you add -

able or -ous:

Examples are:

courageous, manageable, noticeable,

outrageous, peaceable, serviceable, Traceable.

When a word ends in -y, usually change the -y to -i

when you are adding a suffix if the -y is preceded by a consonant, but do not

change it if the -y is preceded by a vowel or if you are adding the suffix -

ing. Examples

study+ -ed = studied destroy + -ed = destroyed

study+ -ing = studying destroy + -ing = destroying

A final Y changes to i when an ending is added.

Supply become suppliesWorry become worriedMerry become merrier

……except when that ending is ing….

Crying, studying.

……..and when Y is preceded by a vowel....

Obeyed , saying.

When a one-syllable word ends in the cvc combination, usually

doublethe final consonant

when adding a suffix that begins with a

vowel butdo not double it when adding a suffix that

begins with a consonant.

When a one-syllable word ends in the cvc combination, usually

doublethe final consonant

when adding a suffix that begins with a

vowel butdo not double it when adding a suffix that

begins with a consonant.

Examples are........Examples are........

Ship is a one-syllable word that ends in the cvc

combination. ship + -ing =

shipping(a suffix begins with a vowel)

ship + -ment = shipment

(a suffix that begins with a consonant

ASSIMILATION: PALATALIZATION ASSIMILATION: PALATALIZATION

• When a word that ends with a /t/ is followed by a –ual, -

ial, or -ion ending, the palatal vowel <y-> changes

the /t/ sound into a /č/ sound.

addict addictionact actual or action

part partial predict prediction

ASSIMILATION: PALATALIZATION ASSIMILATION: PALATALIZATION

• Because /k/ is a stop, and vowels are

continuants, an affix beginning with a vowel often changes /k/ to /s/.

critic criticize or criticism

fanatic fanaticismromantic romanticism

Thank you for the

co-operation.