CC Essentials Spelling Rules

The shwa sound /ə/ can be spelled...1

a (banana, thousand)

If a noun ends with s, x, z, ch, or sh,...

add es to the base word to make it plural (kisses, foxes, klutzes, roaches, wishes)

If a noun ends in vowel-o

add s to make it plural (radio, radios)

If a noun ends in vowel-y,....

add s to the end of the base word to make it plural (donkey, donkeys)

Write e before i except....2

after c (receive) as /ā/ (veil, vein) and the exceptions: neither, foreign, sovereign, seized, either, counterfeit, protein, or caffeine, but at his leisure, one forfeited, his weird heifer)

Write i before e except....1

after c, when together they say /ā/ and in a few exceptions. (field, believe)

The shwa sound /ə/ can be spelled...6

ai (captain, mountain)

At the end of a word or syllable, /k/ is usually spelled

c before a, o, and u (can, cob, cut) and k before e, i, or y. (key, kick, kyannite)

Silent e, Job 3

causes c and g to say their soft sounds (chance, charge)

If a noun ends in consonant-y,...

change the y to i and add es to make it plural (ability, abilities)

At the beginning of any syllable except the first one, /sh/ can be spelled....

ci, si, ti (special, session, station) The only exception is the ending--ship.

At the end of a word or syllable, /k/ is usually spelled ..

ck after a short vowel (sick) k after a consonant or two vowels (park, book) ke after a long vowel (take) c at the end of a multi-syllable word (picnic)

At the end of a word, /j/ is usually spelled..

dge after a short vowel (badge) ge after anything else ( page, barge)

f, l, s are usually...

doubled after a short vowel at the end of a one-syllable word. (puff, bell, toss)

The shwa sound /ə/ can be spelled...2

e (children, problem, seven)

The shwa sound /ə/ can be spelled...7

ea (ocean)

Silent e, Job 4

ensures that every syllable has at least one vowel

The shwa sound /ə/ can be spelled...3

i (animal, president)

/i/ may be spelled...1

i and /ō/ may be spelled o when followed by two consonants. (mind, post)

English words do not usually end in...

i, j, u, or v (high, rage, blue, give)

At the beginning or end of any base word /sh/ first

is usually spelled sh (shape, fish)

A vowel in an accented open syllable usually says...

its long sound (pa'per)

A vowel in a closed syllable usually says....

its short sound. (cat)

Silent e, Job 1

makes a vowel say its long sound in a word with a vowel-consonant-silent e (time)

The shwa sound /ə/ can be spelled...4

o (harmony)

The shwa sound /ə/ can be spelled...8

ou (famous)

Silent e, Job 5

performs odd jobs (horse, are)

Silent e, Job 2

prevents an English word from ending in u or v (blue, give)

At the beginning of a word /z/ is always spelled z (zip) at the end of of a word /z/ may be spelled...

s or zz after a short vowel (is, has, fuzz) ze after a long vowel (prize)

To make a noun plural, just add an s unless it ends with...

s, x, z, ch, sh, consonant-y, consonant-o, f, fe (cats, bricks, turkeys, radios)

At the end of a word, /s/ is usually spelled...

ss after a short vowel in a one syllable word (kiss) ce after a long vowel (race) se after a consonant or two vowels (rinse, loose)

At the end of a word, /ch/ is usually spelled...

tch after a short vowel (match) ch after everything else

A vowel in an unaccented open syllable usually says...

the schwa sound (ba*nan*a)

w can change the pronunciation of....

the vowel that follows it. (watch, work)

The shwa sound /ə/ can be spelled...5

u (succeed)

In English words, q is always followed by...

u and together they say /kw/. (queen)

If a noun ends in consonant-o

usually add es to make it plural (hero, heroes)

If a noun ends in f or fe...

usually change the f to v and add es to make it plural (leaf, leaves)

c says

/s/ and g may say /j/ before e, i, or y. (cent, fancy, gem, giraffe, gym)

Silent e has...

5 jobs