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Dictionaries:
a dictionary not only contains the spelling of a word!
It also contains the spelling of its derivatives: plural forms
and participles. Internet resources include
Dictionary.com,
http://www.dictionary.com/
(dictionary, thesaurus, and access to foreign dictionaries)
Merriam-Webster
OnLine, http://www.m-w.com/
(dictionary, thesaurus, look up feature for bad spellers, word
of the day, word games, and access to vocabulary in 230
languages).
Since English
is so exceptional in its spellings, any dictionary assists
you in finding exceptions to the rules of spelling.
Spell
checkers in
word processing:
-
please
spell check each and every word-processed document
-
please
proof-read each document after spell-checking!
A spell checker will only find words incorrectly
spelled. It will not find words correctly spelled but
mis-used.
Common errors:
from
and form: a common typing inversion;
of, or: another case
of mistaken keyboarding;
to, too, two;
there, their; whether, weather: common
confusion of usage
Remembering
a "spelling":
- Always check a dictionary for
the correct pronunciation of the word--this will help
you remember how to spell the word;
- Also check for the meaning and
history of the word--this provides additional
information;
- Practice spelling the word to
yourself before you close the dictionary: write it down
or visualize it in your mind's eye. Check the spelling
in the dictionary again to ensure that you have learned
to spell the word correctly;
- Learn basic spelling rules. (See
below).
Adapted from "Steps to Becoming
a Good Speller" in Basic English Revisited by
Patrick Sebranek and Verne Meyer.
Four
Key Spelling Rules
- Write "i" before
"e" except after "c," or when
sounding like "a" as in "neighbor"
and "weigh." When the "ie/ei"
combination is not pronounced "ee," it is
usually spelled "ei."
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Examples:
ie
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fiery,
friend, mischief, view, believe |
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Examples:
ei
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reign,
foreign, weigh, neighbor, weird, receive |
- If a word ends with a silent
"e," drop the "e" before adding a
suffix which begins with a vowel:
| state--stating;
like--liking |
- Do not drop the "e"
when the suffix begins with a consonant:
| state--statement;
like--likeness; use--useful |
- When "y" is the last
letter in a word and the "y" is preceded by a
consonant, change the "y" to "i"
before adding any suffix except those beginning with
"i":
| beauty--beautiful;
fry--fries; hurry--hurried; lady--ladies |
- When forming the plural of a
word which ends with a "y" that is preceded by
a vowel, add "s":
| toy--toys;
play--plays; monkey--monkeys |
- When a one-syllable word ends in
a consonant preceded by one vowel, double the final
consonant before adding a suffix which begins with a
vowel:
| bat--batted,
--batting; prod--prodded, --prodding |
- When a multi-syllable word ends
in a consonant preceded by one vowel, the same rule
holds true: double the final consonant:
control--controlled;
sum--summary;
god--goddess; prefer--preferred |
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