Rules / Tips for Correct Spellings

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The one word which  most students dread in any competitive exam is "English", and more so "grammar!". Grammar is an integral and indispensable part of English (or any language, for that matter) and words / vocabulary are an integral part of grammar. And, when we talk of words, can spellings be far behind ? Identifying the wrong spellings is a part of the evaluation process, in the English section, in most competitive exams - bank PO and clerical exams, SSC, IB and other exams.

The 'beauty' of English is that words are not spelled the same way they are pronounced and vice-versa. As Ambrose Bierce, American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, and one of America's greatest satirist, once said, "Orthography is the science of spelling by the eye instead of the ear." This implies that words that are written are not necessarily pronounced the same way! Under such circumstances, mastering spellings becomes critical to your success, not only in competitive examinations - where both your oral and written communications is tested - but also in your career and life.

Here are some Tips / Rules for Correct Spellings

There are certain rules / tips for correct spellings, and it will do you a 'world of good' if you can remember these rules / tips, and apply them accordingly while practicing the spellings of words.

1. 'ie' and 'ei' : When 'ie' is pronounced 'i:' as in 'bee', the 'i' comes before the 'e'.

Believe

Belief

Brief

Achieve

Aggrieved

Fierce

Field

Grieve

Relief

Relieve

Chief

Hygiene

when 'ei' is pronounced 'i:' as in 'bee', 'ei' comes after the 'c'.

Deceive

Deceit

Conceive

Conceit

Misconceive

Perceive

Preconceived

Receive

However, some exceptions to this rule are :

Counterfeit, Plebeian, Weird, Seize, where the 'ei' spelling doesn't follow a 'c'. YOu need to learn the spellings for these.

2. The consonant 'l' is usually doubled, even when the stress does not fall on the last syllable. This rule is applicable for UK English spellings. However, the US spellings have also been shown below for your benefit and understanding.

Word	Change in the word after Applying the rule (UK Spelling)	US Spelling
Travel	Traveller	Traveler
Signal	Signalling	Signaling
Distil	Distiller	Distiller
Quarrel	Quarrelled	Quarreled

Note : An Exception is 'paralleled'.

3. Doubling Consonants : When adding 'ed' and 'ing' endings to verbs that end with a single vowel plus a consonant, do not double the final consonant if the stress doesn't fall at the end of the word.

Word	‘ing’ form	‘ed’ form
Budget	Budgeting	Budgeted
Inherit	Inheriting	Inherited

when adding 'ed' and 'ing' endings to verbs that end with a single vowel plus a consonant, double the final consonant if the stress falls at the end of the word.

Word	‘ing’ form	‘ed’ form
Commit	Committing	Committed
Admit	Admitting	Admitted
Refer	Referring	Referred
Defer	Deferring	Deferred

 4. Adding endings to words that end with a double "l" : Drop the final "l" from words that end with a double "l" before adding endings which begin with a consonant. (Such as 'ment', 'ful' and 'li')

Word	‘ly’, ‘ful’ & ‘ment’ endings
Dull	Dully
Chill	Chilly
Will	Wilful (willful in US English)
Skill	Skilful (Skillful in US English)

Note : The ending 'ness' is an exception to this rule :

• Small- Smallness;
• Ill - illness

5. You must have come across the expression" "When two vowels go walking, the first one does not talking". This means that when there are two vowels in a row, the first one usually has a long sound, and the second is silent. "That's why it's 'lean', not 'laen'; 'team', not 'taem'; 'coat', not 'caot', 'boat' not 'baot'; and 'wait' not 'wiat'

6. You will be at your best at learning words when you make an effort to understand them. A good way to understand a word is to break it into syllables. Look for prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Practice each short part, and then the whole word.

disappearing ---> dis-ap-pear-ing

traditional ------> tra-di-tion-al

After you break apart a word, ask yourself: How is this world like other words I know ? 

Spelling the word "traditional" may make you think of the spellings, 'functional' and 'national'. Finding patterns among words is one of the best ways to learn spelling.

7. It's also helpful when you try making up funny memory aids. For instance, do you have trouble remembering which has two s's - desert (dry land) or dessert (a sweet course) ? Remember that with 'desert' you'd like a second one ;)

Similarly, do you have trouble remembering how to spell separate ? Remember that there is a 'rat' in the middle.

8. Compile a list of words that you find difficult to spell. Go over a few previous papers and spelling exams to track down the trouble makers. Once you've got your list in hand, see if some of the above mentioned tips can help you.

9. Another kind of memory aid is to make up a sentence in which the first letter of each word can be used to make the spelling word. The sillier, the better - goofy sentences may be easier to remember!

Chili - Cats  have  interesting  little  ideas

Physical - please have your strawberry ice cream and lollypops

Weird - We entered India running directly 

Seize - She entered into zoo everyday

10. Make  sure that you are pronouncing the words correctly. This can help you avoid some common spelling errors. Remember, that there are many words (and phrases) in English that are not spelled the way they are pronounced, and vice-versa. For example: imborglio, colonet, plumber, encore, melee, double entendre, Coup d'état, corps, coxcomb, ricochet, rapprochement, communiqué, laissez, faire, lagniappe, gaol etc.

How to master correct spellings ?

One way of mastering correct spellings is to be aware of various kinds of words that are frequently used in written form, such as in news papers, magazines, journals, novels, biographies, autobiographies, websites / internet, etc.  Practice correct spelling through reading, by paying attention to the way words are written, and jot down those you didn't know. Whenever you have any doubt about the spelling of any word, look up a dictionary immediately, and try to remember the spellings of such words.

Every day, at least for about half an hour, you should play vocabulary games such as anagrams, word games, cross word puzzles, scrabble, boggle etc.

That's all for now friends.  Hope this article helped you improving your English spelling skills. Now lets have a look at some useful books for improving spellings. 

 

Here are some reference books for improving Spellings 

1. Webster's Reference Library - Concise Edition Spelling, Grammar & Usage.
2. Basic English Usage - Michael Swan (Oxford University Press).
3. High School English Grammar and Composition - Wren & Martin.