How To Spell Better
The advancement of grammar and spelling checkers have made worrying about spelling less of a problem now than ever. Couple that with texting and Twitter, and we’ve got an entire generation of people who probably couldn’t spell right if you put a gun to their heads. For those who’d like to be prepared to line up the letters correctly when they need to, here’s a guide to better English spelling.
Memorize The Basic Rules
1. The letter “i” comes before “e,” except when the pair comes after “c”. This is true for the most part, although there are many exceptions. Words that break this rule include: protein, either and ancient.
2. With two vowels in a row, the first vowel usually has a long sound while the second one stays silent. This is true with words such as pie and cream.
3. Beware of the silent “e” at the rear. Words where the vowel is enunciated before a consonant ending, there’s usually a silent “e” at the end. Common examples include care, cube and forgive.
Those three rules are far from a complete guideline. However, they are the most basic that you should know. For the most part, though, memorizing rules isn’t the best way to learn spelling as English allows for far too many exceptions.
Learning To Spell
The best way to learn how to spell a word is to learn the word. Make an effort not just to memorize the arrangement of letters but to understand it. When you do, the spelling will probably come naturally.
When you’re memorizing words, chunk it down by mentally taking note of individual syllables. Going this route can also help you adapt to other words that use the same sounds. Also, make sure you’re pronouncing the words right. Skipping consonants (as in pronouncing “candidate” as “canidate”) can hurt you in the long run.