You have been studying English for a while, but sometimes you have doubts because of those inconsistencies that can cause more than one confusion. And they are found above all from the spelling point of view. While the best way to learn is to practice reading and writing, you can greatly improve your language skills with certain tactics. In fact, it is possible to gradually acquire the numerous rules (and exceptions) through the use of mnemonic tricks and the constant practice of problematic words. If you put in the effort, you'll soon have a solid understanding of mute vowels, consonants that lend themselves to confusion and crazy pronunciations!
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Spelling Rules
Step 1. Learn the rule that sees the i and e as protagonists
This useful rule states that, in a word, the i precedes the e, except after the c. This means that the i should always go before the e when they are next to each other in a word (like friend or piece). The exception occurs when they follow the c: in this case, the e should precede the i (example: receive). Memorizing this rule can help you spell many commonly used words where the position of the i and the e causes confusion.
- Pronounce it out loud. Another useful way to remember the position of the i and e is to say the word aloud. If the combination of e and i resembles the ei sound, then the e should be placed before the i. For example, think of words like eight or weigh.
- Understanding the exceptions. However, as with most rules, there are no shortage of exceptions. There are words that do not follow the norm explained above. Here are a few: either, leisure, protein, their and weird. Unfortunately, there are no tricks that can help you memorize them, you just have to learn them.
- Additional exceptions. Among other exceptions, we include words containing the syllable cien, including ancient, efficient and science, as well as terms that have the syllable eig (even when e and i do not make a sound that looks like ei), such as height and foreign.
Step 2. Learn how to use combinations of two vowels correctly
When you find yourself faced with a word containing a diphthong, it can sometimes be difficult to remember which letter should be written first. Thankfully, there is a useful rhyme that can help you determine this. That's how:
- When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking, literally, This means that the vowel to be pronounced, the one you actually hear when the word is said, is the first in graphic order, followed by the silent one.
- Pay attention to understand what the pronounced vowel is. In other words, when you are faced with a diphthong, the first letter represents the long vowel sound, while the second is silent. When you say the word boat, for example, you pronounce the o, the a remains silent.
- So, if you don't know how to write the diphthong of a word, just say it out loud: which vowel do you hear first? Write it down and continue with that blank. Here are some words that demonstrate this rule: team (hear the e), mean (hear the e) and wait (hear the a).
- Exceptions. As always, there are exceptions to the rule that just need to be remembered. Some of them include words like you (hear the u, not the o), phoenix (hear the e, not the o), and great (hear the a, not the e).
Step 3. Pay attention to the pairs of consonants
It is not uncommon that when a combination of consonants is pronounced one of them remains silent, as if it were "straddling" the other.
- This phonetic manifestation can make it difficult to write consonant pairs, because it is easy to forget the silent letter, writing only the voiced one.
- Consequently, it is important to familiarize yourself with these pairs of consonants and learn some of the more common combinations, so that you can write them correctly.
- Some of the more common combinations include the following:
- Gn, pn and kn. In these pairs of consonants, you can hear only the sound of the n, the previous letter is silent. Here are some words that contain them: gnome, pneumonia and knife.
- Rh and wr. In these pairs, you can hear only the r, while the other consonants are silent. Here are two words that contain them: rhyme and wrestle.
- Ps and sc. In these couples, it is possible to hear only the s; the p and c are silent. Here are two words that contain them: psychic and science.
- Wh. In this pair, only the h can be heard; the w is silent. The word whole is an example.
Step 4. Keep an eye on homonyms and homophones
There are two types of words that can cause difficulties for those who write in English. But before you can pay attention to them, you need to learn their definitions.
- The words homonymous they have the same sound and the same spelling, but the meaning is different. The words bank (which means "margin") and bank (which means "bank") are a good example of this.
- The words homophoneinstead, they sound the same, but the meaning is different. Consider, for example, night and knight. Sometimes, these words have the same spelling (like rose, “rosa”, and rose, past tense di rise), others don't (like to, too and two).
- Consequently, all homonyms are also homophones, since they are pronounced the same way. However, not all homophones are homonyms, because in fact not all homophones are written in the same way (while homonyms are).
- Examples. Here are some homophones: here and hear, eight and ate, wear, ware and where, lose and loose, sent, scent and cent.
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Here's how to learn more about confusing homophones, so you can learn more about their use:
- Read How to Use You're and Your.
- Practice using there, their, and they're.
- Read How to Use Than and Then in English.
- Read How to Understand the Difference Between "Affect" and "Effect" in English.
- Read How to Use It's and Its.
Spell Step 5 Step 5. Pay attention to the prefixes
Prefixes are particles added to the beginning of a word in order to change its meaning. For example, adding the prefix un- to the word happy makes it unhappy, which means not happy. Adding a prefix to a word can make spelling a little more complicated, although there are rules you can follow to make it easier.
- Do not add or remove letters. Remember that the spelling of a word does not change, whatever prefix or suffix you add. In other words, never add or remove letters to the base word, even though you think the final result is vaguely strange. For example, take a look at writing words like misstep, preeminent, and unnecessary.
- Know when to use hyphens. In some cases, it is necessary to put a hyphen between the prefix and the base word. Here are some of them: when the prefix precedes a proper name or a numeral (example: un-American), when you use the prefix ex meaning "previous" (example: ex-military), when you use the prefix self- (examples: self -indulgent, self-important), when it is necessary to separate two a's, two i's or other letter combinations in order to improve readability (examples: ultra-ambitious, anti-intellectual or co-worker).
Spell Step 6 Step 6. Learn the correct method for forming the plural of nouns
This is another important aspect of knowing how to write, and it often causes difficulties. In fact, there are many different ways to form the plural of terms in the English language (the easiest one involves just adding an s).
- Look at the last two letters of the word. The trick to correctly form the plural of nouns is to take a look at the last letter or the last two letters of a word, because this will allow you to understand how to form the plural. Some of the more common rules are as follows.
- Most singular nouns ending in ch, sh, s, x or z can be converted to the plural by adding the letters eg. Examples: box becomes boxes, bus becomes buses and prize becomes prizes.
- Most singular nouns that end in a vowel followed by the letter y it can be converted to the plural by adding the letter s. Examples: boy becomes boys and day becomes days.
- Most singular nouns ending in a consonant followed by the letter y it can be converted to the plural by removing the y and adding the letters i and s. For example, baby becomes babies, country becomes countries and spy becomes spies.
- Most singular nouns ending in f or fe it can be converted to the plural by removing the f or fe and adding the letters ves. For example, elf becomes elves, loaf becomes loaves, and thief becomes thieves.
- Most nouns ending in or it can be converted to the plural by adding only one s. For example, kangaroo becomes kangaroos and piano, pianos. However, sometimes, when a word ends with a consonant followed by the letter o, the correct way to form the plural is by adding the letters eg. For example, potato becomes potatoes and hero, heroes.
Part 2 of 2: Spelling Exercises
Spell Step 7 Step 1. Break words into syllables and look for microwords within them
A word may be long, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's hard to write. All you have to do is break it down into syllables and look for smaller words within it.
- Break them down into shorter words. For example, the word together can be broken down into three shorter terms: to, get, her. As you can see, it's not at all complicated to write!
- Break them down into syllables. While failing to form actual words, dividing a long word into shorter syllables can be very useful. For example, you can break the term hospital into hos-pit-al, or university into u-ni-ver-si-ty.
- Break them into parts. You can easily remember a seemingly difficult 14-letter word like hypothyroidism by breaking it into parts: a prefix, a complete word and a suffix, namely hypo-, thyroid and -ism.
- Remember that you can greatly improve your language skills by learning all the most frequent prefixes and suffixes, as well as a good amount of words that contain one or both of them.
Spell Step 8 Step 2. Say the words aloud, but spell them out well
This trick can help you understand how they are spelled. However, this is only valid if you can pronounce them correctly.
- Consequently, you should do your best to get into the habit of pronouncing words well (don't skip consonants or vowels), only then you can also spell them right.
- Examples. Here are some commonly mispronounced and often misspelled words: probably (usually pronounced probly), different (usually pronounced difrent), Wednesday (usually pronounced wensday), and library (usually pronounced laibri).
- The other words you need to pay attention to when using this method are those we tend to say too quickly, such as interesting or comfortable. As we often rush in pronunciation, it can be difficult to spell them correctly.
- Slows. When you say these words aloud, try to take it easy and spell them out letter by letter. Pronounce the word interesting like this: in-ter-esting. You will not forget the e in the center. Pronounce the term comfortable like this: com-for-ta-ble. It will help you remember where each vowel goes.
Spell Step 9 Step 3. Use mnemonic tricks
These are techniques that allow you to remember important information, such as the pronunciation of a word. There are different types, here we describe some of them:
- Silly phrases. A nice mnemonic trick for remembering specific problem words is to invent sentences in which the first letter of each word matches the components of the word you are trying to write. For example, to remember how to write because, you can use the phrase Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants. Or, to remember the word physical, you could use the phrase Please Have Your Strawberry Ice Cream and Lollipops. The sillier the sentence, the better. Preferably, it should be in English, so you will practice the language even more.
- Clever clues. The words themselves contain creative memory tricks that can help you spell them well. For example, if you have trouble remembering the difference between desert and dessert, remember that dessert has two s's because you always want a second serving of the dessert.
- If you have difficulty with the word separate, remember that in the middle you find a rat. If you always miss the difference between stationery and stationary, don't forget that the former is written with an e, to which you can connect the English word envelopes and other stationery items. Having trouble distinguishing between principal (the most authoritative person in a place) and principle ("principle")? Try to think that the principal, or boss of the company you work for, is your pal, "friend".
Spell Step 10 Step 4. Try to memorize frequently misspelled words
Although you learn all the rules and look for numerous mnemonic tricks, there are probably still words that cause you mental blocks and spell punctually badly. In this case, the only secret is to learn by heart.
- Identify the words that are causing you trouble. First, you need to identify the words you tend to have problems with. You can do this by reviewing texts written in the past and checking their spelling. It is easier if you have electronic documents, so you can analyze them with a special program, but the best method is to contact a true expert in the language. Ask him to correct your work. What are the terms you usually get wrong?
- Make a list. Once you have identified the words you miss most often, list them neatly. Rewrite them all (right) at least 10 times. Review each word, say it out loud, observe the syllables and make a conscious mental effort to memorize the spelling.
- Only with practice can you become good. Do this daily, or every other day. Basically, what you do is "train" your mind and hands to write correctly. In the end, take a quiz by asking someone to read you vocabulary aloud (you can even register yourself) and writing down everything you hear. Then, review the work to analyze the errors.
- Use labels and flashcards. Another method to try to solve spelling problems is to use labels and flashcards. Write the words right on the stickers and stick them on everyday objects, such as faucet, duvet, television and mirror. Whenever you see them, the pronunciation comes to mind. You can also try sticking a flashcard with two or three problem words behind the bathroom sink or on the coffee pot. Whenever you brush your teeth or wait for the coffee to come out, you can take a minute to memorize the correct spelling.
- Use your five senses. You can also try using your fingers to "write" words by tracing the letters on a book, desk, or sand. The more senses you use, the better you will train your brain.
Advice
- Correct your work. It can happen that you lose your concentration, so it becomes easy to catch whistles for flasks and write words with a similar pronunciation but with a different spelling, such as reef instead of wreath. And maybe go on quietly, unaware of the mistake made until you reread the text and you are surprised: "Hey, I wrote this?".
- Look up compound words in a dictionary. If you are not sure, there are no other ways to know if it is spelled stomachache, stomach-ache or stomach ache. Nowadays, there are a lot of changes regarding the use of the hyphen, so look up a relatively recent English vocabulary.
- It can actually be useful to be familiar with the spelling of other languages, especially for recognizing loanwords. This way, you'll have less trouble knowing how to spell a foreign word. For example, in French, the sound sh is written ch. You find it in words like cliché and chic.
- Don't be afraid to use the dictionary. The words of the English language come from many dialects. The oldest words derive from those that spoke the Angles (Northern Germany), the Saxons (Southern Germany), the Normans and the colonizers of England originally from Bordeaux. Many other terms have a Latin or Greek root. A good vocabulary can illustrate the origins of words, and when you start learning them, you begin to recognize certain patterns.
- There are so many ways to write a single sound that, in theory, the word ghoti can be pronounced fish (if you pronounce the gh as the gh in tough, the o as the o in women and the ti as the ti in nation.
- You could correct someone else's work. Sometimes, the best way to learn something is to try teaching concepts to another person. Practice catching other people's spelling mistakes, even in books (sometimes it happens). You can start by correcting wikiHow articles in English. Just click on "Edit" and start editing right away. Afterwards, open an account, in order to become a member of the community.
- Reading books, newspapers, catalogs, billboards and promotional posters is helpful in learning to write. If you find an unfamiliar word, write it down, even though you only have a tissue. Once home, search the dictionary for it. The more you learn and read, the better you get at spelling.
- Take the letters of a word and use them to form a sentence. For example, you could learn how to spell the word arithmetic thanks to A rat in the house might eat ice cream. I want accommodation in castles and mansions will remind you that there are two c's and two m's in the term accommodation.
Warnings
- Don't assume a word is correct just because you see it in a book. There may also be errors in corrected and printed texts. It happens.
- Keep in mind that some words (color, color, goiter, goitre, gray, gray, checkered, checkered, theater, theater) can be spelled in more ways than one. In fact, this change depends on the variant of English to which they belong, which can be British, American or Australian.
- Even obviously misspelled words are often accepted by spell checking programs. It is better not to trust blindly.
- In fact, spell checking software many times don't give importance to the logical or grammatical sense of a sentence, so they might accept something like Eye tolled ewe, eye am knew at this.
- Pay particular attention to understanding which variant of English is used in a given context. For example, was an article written by a British or American native speaker? Knowing this information, do you know exactly who changed or corrected it? Do you know if it has been spell-checked by software?
- How to Learn Perfect English
- How to improve your English
- How to Enrich Your English Language Vocabulary
- How to Correctly Use Punctuation in English
- How to Speak English
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To spell an English word correctly, say it out loud slowly and separate the syllables, so that it is easier to distinguish all the individual letters. If it's a particularly long word, try breaking it up into smaller words or parts to make it easier to spell. Also, try to memorize the correct spelling of common prefixes, such as "Mis" or "Dis" and suffixes, such as "Ed" and "Ing", so you will have less trouble spelling the words that contain them. You can also use flashcards available on the internet to be able to memorize the spelling of the words that give you the most trouble. If you want to learn how to use spelling rules to spell words correctly, read on!
