Many ESL learners find it difficult to write correct spellings in English. To help such learners here is a collection of 30 English Spelling Rules to get mastery over English spelling. These Spelling Rules are important to understand how an English word is created and pronounced.
These rules are very useful for students of grades 1-10 and teachers as well.
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SPELLING RULE ONE
When a word ends with a short vowel followed by a consonant, double the last consonant before adding 'ed'
Example:
The girls skip >> The girls skipped.
drop → dropped
admit → admitted
occur → occurred
trim → trimmed
shop → shopped
flip → flipped
Try yourself...
trip →
mop →
submit →
trot →
rub →
prefer →
mop →
submit →
trot →
rub →
prefer →
Related: How to Build up Powerful Vocabulary?
SPELLING RULE TWO
When action words end with an 'sh', 'ch', 'ss', 'x', or a 'z' and 'es' is added to make the present tense.
Example:
Fiona waltzes most Tuesday nights with Jim.
Fiona waltzes most Tuesday nights with Jim.
catch → catches
relax → relaxes
reach → reaches
cross → crosses
wax → waxes
fish → fishes
Try yourself ...
buzz →
watch →
push →
tax →
pass →
fix →
SPELLING RULE THREE
When an action word ends with a consonant followed by a 'y', change the 'y' to an 'i' before adding 'es'.
Example:
The pirate buries his treasure with great care.
tidy → tidies
copy → copies
fry → fries
empty → empties
try → tries
carry → carries
Try yourself ...
hurry →
fly →
worry →
dry →
dirty →
apply →
SPELLING RULE FOUR
Double the consonant before adding 'ng' to words that have a short vowel followed by a consonant at the end.
Example:
Grandad was sitting in his chair all morning.
stop → stopping
wrap → wrapping
step → stepping
slam → slamming
nod → nodding
skip → skipping
Try yourself ...
trap →
rip →
beg →
тар →
rub →
chop →
When a word ends in a silent 'e', drop the 'e' before adding an 'ing' The magic 'e' runs away!
Example:
Ian loves platform diving on his weekends.
move → moving
hide → hiding
taste → tasking
chase → chasing
race → racing
wipe → wiping
Try yourself ...
love →
store →
change →
drive →
hope →
stare →
Exception - be → being
SPELLING RULE SIX
When a word ends in a double consonant, do not double the last letter before adding an 'ing'.
Example:
Kellie has been thinking about marrying Ridge.
report → reporting
copy → copying
bump → bumping
work → working
wash → washing
dust → dusting
Try yourself...
carry →
hurry →
Spy →
bend →
camp →
scratch →
For words ending in 'y' leave the 'y' and add 'ing'.
SPELLING RULE SEVEN
For action words that end in 'ie', change the 'ie' to a 'y' before adding an 'ing'.
Example:
Bryan enjoys lying on his back to watch clouds.
Try yourself...
die →
lie →
tie →
SPELLING RULE EIGHT
Often 'ly' is added to base words to turn them into adverbs, adjectives or describing words.
Example:
Rynell Bungy jumped carefully from the tower.
smart → smartly
love → lovely
slow → slowly
main → mainly
pure → purely
nice → nicely
Try yourself...
rude →
kind →
loud →
quick →
soft →
glad →
SPELLING RULE NINE
When adding 'ly' to words that end in 'y', change the 'y' to an 'i' before adding the 'ly'.
Example:
Kirsty scored the goal quite daintily.
happy → happily
merry → merrily
easy → easily
busy → busily
pretty → prettily
cosy → cosily
Try yourself...
hungry →
weary →
heavy →
day →
angry →
necessary →
SPELLING RULE TEN
When the suffix 'full' is added to the end of a base word, one 'l' has to be dropped.
Example:
Janelle paints colourful works of art.
hope → hopeful
cheer → cheerful
thank → thankful
taste → tasteful
use → useful
force → forceful
Try yourself...
truth →
peace →
play →
dread →
fear →
joy →
eg: "thankful' means full of thanks
SPELLING RULE ELEVEN
Before adding 'er' and 'est' to words ending in a consonant, followed by a 'y', change the 'y' to an 'i'.
Example:
Dean is the skinniest member at the local gym.
lazy → lazier
lovely → loveliest
mighty → mightier
salty → saltiest
funny → funnier
heavy → heaviest
Try yourself...
sandy →
crazy →
happy →
curly →
dry →
fancy →
These new words are called degrees of comparison.
SPELLING RULE TWELVE
Double the last letter before adding 'er' or 'est' to words that have a short vowel followed by a single consonant.
Example:
Lyne has become a great ocean swimmer.
fit → fittest
slim → slimmest
rob → robber
travel → traveller
win → winner
slip → slipper
Try yourself...
spin →
run →
sit →
drum →
begin →
stop →
SPELLING RULE THIRTEEN
Double the last letter of words ending in a short vowel followed by a single consonant before adding a 'y'.
Example:
Ricky enjoys lying back on a sunny day.
rag → raggy
shag → shaggy
cat → catty
wit → witty
fog → foggy
fun → funny
Try yourself...
run →
wool →
mud →
skin →
fur →
bad →
SPELLING RULE FOURTEEN
Just add a 'y' to words ending in two consonants to form describing words.
Example:
The last few days have been quite windy in Moura.
dirt → dirty
might → mighty
thirst → thirsty
trick → tricky
health → healthy
sand → sandy
Try yourself...
rock →
wealth →
chill →
filth →
smart →
fuss →
SPELLING RULE FIFTEEN
For words ending in a silent 'e', you must first drop the 'e' before adding a 'y'.
Example:
Kookaburras are very noisy birds.
bone → bony
ice → icy
rose → rosy
smoke → smoky
stone → stony
race → racy
Try yourself...
flake →
taste →
spike →
scare →
nose →
laze →
SPELLING RULE SIXTEEN
To indicate possession or ownership by a person or object, an apostrophe (') followed by an 's' is added.
Example:
Billy's horse bucked him at the rodeo.
horse → horse's
Jenny → Jenny's
office → office's
Billy → Billy's
bird → Bird's
Nigel → Nigel's
Try yourself...
Santa →
Moura →
Peter →
car →
Mary →
shoe →
SPELLING RULE SEVENTEEN
To indicate ownership by a person whose name ends in an 's' or a plural noun, just add an apostrophe (').
Example:
Camilla rubbed the sunscreen on Charles' chest.
poets → poets'
gases → gases'
Lewis → Lewis'
Gladys → Gladys'
babies → babies'
Ross → Ross'
Try yourself...
flowers →
Dennis →
class →
Chris →
bottles →
boss →
SPELLING RULE EIGHTEEN
An apostrophe (') is also used to create a contraction, indicating where a letter or letters have been left out.
Example:
She's really looking forward to the ballet recital.
I am → I'm
she would → she'd
who is → who's
they had → they'd
do not → don't
let us → let's
Try yourself...
you are →
it is →
can not →
where is →
he is →
she will →
SPELLING RULE NINETEEN
This rule says, 'i' before 'e' except after 'c'.
Example:
Many people believe unicorns exist.
rel__ve → relieve
dec_t → deceit
w_rd → wierd
c_ling → ceiling
v_n → vein
glac_r → glacier
Try yourself...
rec_ve →
th_r →
n_ghbour →
fr_nd →
anc_nt →
rec_pt →
Remember, there are ALWAYS exceptions!
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SPELLING RULE TWENTY
CAPITAL LETTERS are used at the beginning of names and places.
Example:
Uluru is a well known Australian landmark.
brisbane → Brisbane
luke → Luke
moura → Moura
rebecca → Rebecca
yeppoon → Yeppoon
mikarla → Mikarla
Try yourself...
adelaide →
donald →
mackay →
phillip →
gladstone →
alex →
SPELLING RULE TWENTY ONE
Prefixes can be added to base words to create new words. Prefixes ending in vowels are added directly to base words.
Example:
It is important to try to recycle any items we can.
re+move → remove
de+frost → defrost
para+chute → parachute
tele+vision → television
re+gain → regain
giga+byte → gigabyte
Try yourself...
tri+angle →
kilo+metre →
auto+graph →
de+void →
re+align →
multi+age →
SPELLING RULE TWENTY-TWO
Sometimes negative prefixes are added to words to create new words and change their meaning.
Example:
Some people say it's impossible for cows to talk.
un+well → unwell
dis+miss → dismiss
in-ferior → inferior
mis+spell → misspell
im+patient → impatient
mal+treat → maltreat
Create new words using these prefixes...
non+
anti+
sub+
dys+
ab+
mis+
SPELLING RULE TWENTY-THREE
Prefixes can be added to roots to form new words. Roots often have meanings from other languages.
Example:
Mr Smith may predict* a hot summer again.
di+vide → divide
audi+ble → audible
pro+ceed → proceed
inter+cept → intercept
de+tatch → detatch
auto+matic → automatic
Try yourself...
chron+ic
ex+ceed
cred+ible
per+mit
meta+phor
poly+gon →
*'pre' means 'before' and 'dict' means 'speak'.
SPELLING RULE TWENTY-FOUR
When adding a vowel suffix to words ending in a silent 'e', drop the 'e' and add the suffix.
Example:
Vikings lived many, many years ago.
store+age → storage
forgive+en → forgiven
pale+est → palest
live+ed → lived
manage+er → manager
amaze+ing → amazing
Try yourself...
nice+est →
like+en
grave+ity →
use+ing
arrive+al →
forge+ery →
Remember, there are always exceptions to the rule!
SPELLING RULE TWENTY-FIVE
The letter 'g' may have a soft or hard sound. A soft 'g' is usually followed by an 'i' or 'e'. A hard 'gʻis usually followed by a consonant or an 'a', 'o' or 'u'.
Example:
→ 'g' in 'golf is hard
→ 'g'in 'gem' is soft
gipsy → soft
general → soft
gel → soft
goat → hard
goose → hard
goblet → hard
Which are hard and which are soft?
gym →
gutter →
ginger →
giant →
gather →
gas →
SPELLING RULE TWENTY-SIX
The letter 'c' may have a soft or hard sound. When 'c' meets an 'a', 'o' or 'u' its sound is hard. When 'c' meets an 'e', 'î' or 'y' its sound is soft.
Example:
→ centipede (soft c)
→ cards (hard c)
candle → hard c
cymbals → soft c
cave → hard c
cuddle → hard c
circus → soft c
curly → hard c
Identify which are hard and soft?
caring →
citizen →
comedy →
circle →
cycle →
cat →
SPELLING RULE TWENTY-SEVEN
CAPITAL letters are used to spell the names of proper nouns, including people and places.
Example:
Lloyd is an accomplished bowler in Moura.
adelaide → Adelaide
luke → Luke
lion's park → Lion's Park
qantas → Qantas
mazda → Mazda
english → English
Try yourself...
biloela →
christmas →
rover →
jessica →
july →
australia →
SPELLING RULE TWENTY-EIGHT
Homophones are words that have the same sound but a different meaning and spelling.
Example:
→ A pair of scissors.
→ The pear is a sweet fruit.
route → root
allowed → aloud
pause → paws
principal → principle
maid → made
days → daze
Write another word that sounds the same as...
practise →
main →
male →
threw →
four →
not →
SPELLING RULE TWENTY-NINE
A homograph is a word that may have more than one meaning or pronunciation.
Example:
→ A calculator is a useful object.
→ The Lawyer said, “I object !"
Other examples...
bow → The front of a ship; to bend or a knot
wind → A breeze or to turn around
desert → To leave people or a dry, arid place
Can you identify the different meanings?
close →
excuse →
wound →
SPELLING RULE THIRTY
Sometimes when writing, words may be shortened. These are known as abbreviations.
Example:
I need to make an appointment to see Dr Phillips.
Other examples...
kilometre → km
Street → St
centimetre → cm
Anonymous anon
Australia → Aust
antemeridian → a.m.
Try yourself...
kilogram →
example →
approximately →
page →
Queensland →
second →