Dr.

Sandeep Patil English 22101

UNIT FOUR
VOCABULARY BUILDING

4.1 Rules of Spelling

Although English has 42 sounds, there are 400 ways to spell them. No wonder, it can be a challenging
language! First the happy news: It is estimated that 85% of the words in English follow predictable
spelling patterns. That is, most words follow the rules. Only 15% of the words violate the rules.

How to Improve Your Spelling

1. Keep a notebook of words you find difficult to spell. Underline the part of the word that you
find most difficult.
2. Use a dictionary, not a spell-checker! OK use a spell-checker, but don't rely on it. Spell-
checkers don't check for meaning.
3. Learn words with their possible prefixes and suffixes.
4. Learn the rules, but be careful. As it is mentioned earlier for every rule there is at least one
exception.

Basic Spelling Rules

Rule 1. Drop the ‘e’ before adding an ending that begins with a vowel.

For words that end in a silent "e", drop the "e" before suffixes beginning with a, e, i, o, u or y. (the
vowels)

Root Word Ending Complete Word

Arrange + ing = arranging

admire + able = admirable

fame + ous = famous

love + ed = loved

fleece + y = fleecy

taste + ed = tasted
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 Dr. Sandeep Patil English 22101

divide + ing = dividing

survive + al = survival

fortune + ate = fortunate

But note this:

A. After „c‟ or „g‟ when the suffix begins with „a‟, „o‟ or „e‟, the „e‟ is kept to preserve the soft sound
of the „c‟ or „g‟.

Examples: courageous, changeable, advantageous, serviceable, noticeable, manageable.

B. Keep the „e‟ in words that might be mistaken for another word if the rule were applied.

Examples: singe, singeing; dye, dyeing; shoe, shoeing.

However: Don't drop the ‘e’ in a word ending in silent "e" before a suffix beginning with a
consonant.

Root Word Ending Complete Word

arrange + ment = arrangement
forgive + ness = forgiveness
safe + ty = safety
hate + ful = hateful
like + ness = likeness
shame + less = shameless
Exceptions to the Rule;

judge, judgment; acknowledge, acknowledgment; argue, argument; true, truly; nine, ninth; wise,
wisdom; whole, wholly; awe, awful.

Rule 2. Doubling a final consonant:

Double the final consonant when adding a vowel suffix to words ending in a single consonant
proceeded by a single vowel [CVC words].

a) in all words of one syllable.

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 Dr. Sandeep Patil English 22101

Root Word Ending Complete Word

stop + ed = stopped
hot + er = hotter
bag + age = baggage
wit + y = witty
run + ing = running
big + est = biggest

Rule 3. For bigger words with the accent on the final CVC, double the final consonant before
adding an ending that begins with a vowel.

Accent on Last Syllable:

Root Word Ending Complete Word

refer + ing = referring

regret + able = regrettable

begin + ing = beginning

occur + ing = occurring

Accent not on Last Syllable

Root Word Ending Complete Word

differ + ence = difference

benefit + ed = benefited

Note: In words of one syllable, if two vowels are used together to make a single vowel sound, the
final consonant is not doubled.

Root Word Ending Complete Word

need + ing = needing

brief + er = briefer

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 Dr. Sandeep Patil English 22101

Rule 4. Use ‘i’ before ‘e’ except after ‘c’, when "ei" and "ie" have the sound of long "e" (ee),
and ‘ei’ when it makes a long ‘a’ sound.

To remember this rule:

Use “i” before “e”

Except after “c”
Or when it says “ay” (long a). Like neighbour and weigh. Or when it‟s weird

After c Long a
Conceit Vein
Deceive Weight
Ceiling Veil
Perceive Neighbour

a) "i" before "e"

Believe Brief Priest Niece

Retrieve Piece Relieve Shield
Pierce Mischief Siege Thief
Yield Grief Frieze

b) except after "c"

Deceive Receipt Perceive
Conceit Conceive Ceiling

Exceptions To The Rule: either, neither, leisure, seize, seizure, weird, financier, species, height,
foreign, forfeit, sleight, ancient, surfeit, sovereign.

Practice:
Directions: Insert the correct form "ie" or "ei". Try not to look at the examples. your answers.
1. ach__ve 2. conc__ve 3. gr__f 4. dec__ t
5. ch__f 6. n__ce 7. f__nd 8. l__sure

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 Dr. Sandeep Patil English 22101

9. hyg__ne 10. s__ze 11. th__f 12. bel__f

13.p__ce 14. c__ling 15. y__Id

Rule 5. Change ‘y’ to ‘i’ before adding any suffix (unless the suffix begins with ‘i’).

Root Word Ending Complete Word

beauty + ful = beautiful
lady + es = ladies
accompany + ment = accompaniment
accompany + ing = accompanying

Rule 6. Change "y" to "i" before "es"; When words ending in ‘y’ are proceeded by a
consonant, change the
„y‟ to „i‟ before adding "es". This rule applies to forming both:
(a) the plural of nouns ending in "y" and
(b) the third person singular of verbs ending in "y".
In both cases, if the „y‟ is preceeded by a vowel and not a consonant, simply add "s".
chimney = chimneys
valley = valleys

Rule 7. Ending in "y" preceeded by a consonant

Root Word Ending Complete Word

baby + es = babies
lady + es = ladies
copy + es = copies
marry + es = marries

Exceptions to the Rule: Shyness, Ladylike, Plenteous, Babyhood, Beauteous, Wryly.

Practice

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 Dr. Sandeep Patil English 22101

Directions: Add „es‟ to these nouns and verbs.

1. boy 6. keg 11. mercy 16. delay

2. essay 7. carry 12. say 17. enjoy
3. fai-ry 8. defy 13. hurry 10. magnify
4. hobby 9. melody 14. buy 19. bury
5. journey 10. satisfy 15. employ 20. buoy

EXERCISE

Exercise 4.1 : Choose the correctly spelt word and write.

Answers:

a) i. noticable ii. noticeble iii. noticeable noticeable ……

b) i. begining ii. beginning iii. bigening beginning ……
c) i. skillfully ii. skilfully iii. skillfuly skilfully ………
d) i. childs ii. children iii. childrens children ………
e) i. happyness ii. happiness iii. happines happiness ……
f) i. courageous ii. corageous iii. courageus courageous ……
g) i. alltogether ii. altogethar iii. altogether altogether …….
h) i. completly ii. completely iii. completelly completely …….
i) i. definitely ii. definitly iii. definately definitely …….
j) i. greatful ii. gratefull iii. grateful grateful …….
k) i. unique ii. unic iii. uniqe unique ……….
l) i. leafs ii. leaffs iii. leaves leafs ……….
m) i. referred ii. refered iii. reffered referred ….
n) i. counsellor ii. counselar iii. counselor counsellor ….
o) i. ninth ii. nineth iii. nintth ninth ……….
p) i. vacancys ii. vacancies iii. vacancyes vacancies ….
q) i. angrily ii. angryly iii. angrilly angrily …….
r) i. beginer ii. beginner iii. begginer beginner …….

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s) i. keys ii. keyes iii. keies keys ……….

t) i. beautyful ii. beautiful iii. beautifull beautiful …….

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