{"id":1400,"date":"2020-10-17T22:25:43","date_gmt":"2020-10-17T21:25:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishforums.com\/blog\/?p=1400"},"modified":"2020-10-17T22:25:43","modified_gmt":"2020-10-17T21:25:43","slug":"how-do-you-spell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/how-do-you-spell\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Spell?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spelling in English can sometimes be confusing. Some people have to work at being good spellers while others easily know the correct way to spell a word.\u00a0 However, a basic understanding of traditional <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/318645761_Spelling_Errors_in_English_Writing_Committed_by_English-Major_Students_at_BAU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">English spelling rules<\/a> can help you learn how to spell. <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep in mind though that learning how to spell is a gradual process that is developed over time. But here&#8217;s an encouragement to learn more English words: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishforums.com\/blog\/how-being-bilingual-makes-you-smarter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">being bilingual makes you smarter<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How do you spell a word correctly?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While spell-checkers on every device are helpful, they are not a substitute for basic spelling knowledge. In fact, they often miss incorrectly spelled words due to how the word is used. For instance:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I went <\/span><b>two<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the <\/span><b>see<\/b><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em> last year.<\/em> (incorrect)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>I went to the sea last year.<\/em>\u00a0 (correct)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strictly speaking, every word in the above sentences is spelled correctly, but in the first sentence,<\/span> <b><i>two<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span> <b><i>see<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> would be considered misspelled words because they are the wrong words to use in this situation. Likewise:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We <\/span><b>one<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the game by <\/span><b>won<\/b><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em> point.<\/em> (incorrect)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We <\/span><b>won<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the game by <\/span><b>one<\/b><\/em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em> point.<\/em> (correct)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In these sentences, the spelling error comes from confusing the homonyms <\/span><b>one<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>won<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. (Homonyms are words that sound the same but have different spellings and different meanings.) A spell-checker won&#8217;t always find or fix this type of error. This and other mistakes can be avoided by following a few spelling rules.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How do you know how to spell?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to spell certain words can be tricky, but here are a few general rules that apply to English words.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All words have a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, or y in vowel form).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is always followed by a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">u<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">C<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can have a \/k\/ or \/s\/ sound as in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cat <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cite<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">G can have a \/g\/ or \/j\/ sound as in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">garage<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or the name <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gerry<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Words with just one vowel will have double <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">f<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">l<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">s<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> consonants at the end. Examples include <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">staff<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ball<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pass<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proper names of people and places are always capitalized.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">English spelling rules can vary by country. For instance, a person from the UK spells <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">colour <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">u<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, whereas an American English writer would not add <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">u<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. There are many examples like this in English, usually with American English dropping u from the spelling of the word (harbor and labor are just two more examples).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Spelling tips<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&#8217;t be confused by prefixes (en-, un-, semi-, re-, etc.)\u00a0 because even though they alter the meaning of a word, they do not alter the spelling of the main word . For example, adding <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">un<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the beginning <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">necessary<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which is already a bit tricky to spell, changes the meaning of the word but not the core spelling.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not sure if your spelling is correct? Use an English dictionary to help you<a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishforums.com\/blog\/b-words-playing-words-with-friends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> find the word<\/a> you need.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sound out the word phonetically as you write it down.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Picture the word in your mind and write down what you see. Sometimes when you see words as you write, you will remember how to spell those words.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put in some work. Use flashcards or apps to help you learn the correct spelling of words.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>How to spell better<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One great way to become a better speller is to always <\/span><b>proofread<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your writing yourself or have another person do it for you to ensure correct spelling. As mentioned before, electronic spell checkers will not catch every mistake.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Play spelling games! Spelling games like crossword puzzles and word searches are a great way to practice spelling and have fun. There are many entertaining and challenging English spelling games you can get for your electronic devices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are writing down something you hear, pay attention to the context or meaning of the words so as not to confuse<a href=\"https:\/\/www.englishforums.com\/blog\/words-that-sound-the-same-how-to-set-them-apart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> homonyms<\/a>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And remember, learning how to spell is an ongoing process, even for native English speakers.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spelling in English can sometimes be confusing. Some people have to work at being good spellers while others easily know the correct way to spell &#8230; <a title=\"How Do You Spell?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/how-do-you-spell\/\" aria-label=\"More on How Do You Spell?\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2906,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_generate-full-width-content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[304],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1400"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.englishforward.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}