SESSION 6-Spelling Mini Lesson

A lot of writers struggle with spelling.  The following mini lesson will help improve spelling problems you might be experiencing.  Remember also to take advantage of using the dictionary and the spell check on your computer - only after of course, you are satisfied with your writing content.

Resources generated by West Seneca Senior High School English Department, West Seneca, NY

With spell checks standard fare on all computers, there is absolutely no excuse for spelling errors in writing. A dictionary is also a big help during those times you are writing and don’t have access to a computer. The following information can also serve as assistance in your efforts to eliminate spelling mistakes from your writing.

Some of the world's smartest people are bad spellers, but that's no defense against the bad impression that poor spelling can create. To avoid the distracting effect of spelling errors in your writing, follow these strategies:

1. Keep a list of words you often misspell, and try learning one a day--or take your daily word from the list of commonly misspelled words at the end of this lesson.

2. When learning to spell a word, use as many of your senses as possible. Say the word aloud; exaggerating each sound--including any silent letters. Visualize the word, and use your finger to trace it in the air or on a flat surface. Write the word, using, first, a pencil and then ink. If possible, type the word on a typewriter or computer.

3. Create a memory device to remember the word's spelling. For example, to remind yourself the gerbil begins with a g, not a j, you might say, "A gerbil is not a jay." The sillier the device, the more likely you are to remember it.

4. Proofread everything you write, and take the time to check spellings in a dictionary. When writing a first draft, mark tricky words for checking later. If you work on a computer, use any spell-checking features.

As the following examples show, the same sounds are often spelled differently in English:

A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a word; a suffix is a word part added to the end. The form of the word without any prefixes or suffixes is called the base form of the word.

1. When adding a prefix to the base form of the word, do not drop any letters.

2. When adding a suffix other than -like to the base form of a word ending in a consonant and y, change y to i.

3. When adding a suffix to the base form of a word ending in a vowel and y, keep the y.

4. When adding a suffix that begins with a consonant keep the e.

5. When adding a suffix that begins with a vowel or y to the base form of a word ending in silent e, drop the e.

Do not drop the e if the base form of a word ends in ce or ge and e is needed to retain the soft /c/ or /g/ sound.

Do not drop the e if the base form of a word ends in ee oe.

If the word ends in ie, change the ie to y before adding -ing.

6. When adding a suffix that begins with a vowel to the base form of a word ending in a single vowel and a single consonant (other than x, y, or w), double the final consonant if the word is as follows:

       Do not double the final consonant if

7. When adding -ly to a word ending in a single l, keep both l's, If the word ends in double l, drop the one l.

8. When adding -ness to a word ending in n, keep both n's.

1. Use this rhyme to remember the order of i and e.

exceptions: caffeine, either, foreign, forfeit, height, heirloom, leisure, neither, protein, seize, sheik, species, weird

2. Use -cede to spell the sound /sed/.

concede, intercede, precede, recede

exceptions: exceed, proceed, succeed, supersede

3. Use -sion when the syllable is pronounced /zhen/ (as in persuasion) or after l or s; otherwise, use -tion.

explosion, revulsion, passion, ambition, motion

4. To spell an unstressed vowel sound, see if you can spell another form of the word in which the syllable containing the vowel sound is stressed. Then use the same vowel in the unstressed syllable.

Unknown Spelling = Clue Word for Correct Spelling

lab?r           laborious, labor

mor?l          morality, moral

reb?l           rebellion, rebel

Homophones, words with the same sounds but different spelling and meanings, are a frequent source of spelling errors and need proofreading. Even though we are aware of the differences among homophones like to , too, and two, we often write the wrong word when we are writing quickly.

The following are some examples of less common homophones:

Homophones: Sometimes authors simply spell the wrong word. Following are homophones-words that sound alike which have different meanings and spelli

Sound alike works: Homophones aren't the only words that authors may confuse. Some words sound so much alike, or are spelled so similarly, that they often are used in place of each other.

The following hundred words are often misspelled. To improve your spelling, you might try learning one of these words a day, using the strategies presented earlier in this lesson.