Spelling Rules

1. Spelling Rules Adding –s, -es, -ing and -ed

2. Vowels: a, e, i, o, u • Consonants: all other letters Vowels and Consonants

3. 1. For most third-person singular (he, she, it) verbs and for plural nouns, add –s to the simple form: • Verb: swim • swims • Noun: lake • lakes Spelling of Verbs and Nounsin –s and -es

4. 2. If the simple form ends with the letters s, z, sh, ch, or x, add–es. • Verb: miss • misses • Noun: box • boxes Spelling of Verbs and Nounsin –s and -es

5. 3. If the simple form ends with a consonant + y, change y to I and add –es: • Verb: try • tries • Noun: baby • babies • Vowel + Y, add -s: toytoys Spelling of Verbs and Nounsin –s and -es

6. 4. If the simple form ends with a consonant + o, add –s or –es. Some words take –s: • autoautos • photophotos • pianopianos • solosolos Spelling of Verbs and Nounsin –s and -es

7. 4. If the simple form ends with a consonant + o, add –s or –es. Some words take –es: • dodoes • echoechoes • gogoes • heroheroes • potatopotatoes • tomatotomatoes Spelling of Verbs and Nounsin –s and -es

8. 4. If the simple form ends with a consonant + o, add –s or –es. Some words take both –s or –es: • tornado tornados or tornadoes • volcano volcanos or volcanoes • zero zeros or zeroes • Vowel + o: radioradios, zoozoos Spelling of Verbs and Nounsin –s and -es

9. 5. If the simple form ends in a single f or fe, change the f or fe to v and add-es. • knife • knives • shelf • shelves • Exceptions: beliefbeliefs, chiefchiefs, roofroofs, hoofhooves, scarfscarfs or scarves Spelling of Verbs and Nounsin –s and -es

10. 1. For most verbs, add –ing to the simple form of the verb. • sleep • sleeping • talk • talking Spelling of Verbs ending in -ing

11. 2. If the simple form ends in a single e, drop the e and add –ing. • live • living • write • writing Spelling of Verbs ending in -ing

12. 3. If the simple form ends in ie, change the ie to y and add –ing. • die • dying • lie • lying Spelling of Verbs ending in -ing

13. 4. If the simple form of a one-syllable verbends in a single vowel + consonant, double the final consonant and add –ing. • hit • hitting • stop • stopping • Compare to two vowels + consonant: eatingeating Spelling of Verbs ending in -ing

14. 5. If the simple form of a verb with two or more syllables ends in a single vowel + consonant, double the final consonant if the stress is on the final syllable. Do not double the final consonant if the stress is not on the final syllable: • admit • admitting • begin • beginning • develop • developing • listen • listening • NOTE: the final l is always doubled in British English, but not in American English. traveltravelling or traveling Spelling of Verbs ending in -ing

15. 6. Do not double the final consonants x, w, and y: • fix • fixing • obey • obeying Spelling of Verbs ending in -ing

16. 1. To form the simple past and V3 of most regular verbs, add –ed to the simple form. • brush • brushed • play • played Spelling of Verbs ending in -ed

17. 2. If the simple form ends with –e, just add d. • race • raced • trade • traded Spelling of Verbs ending in -ed

18. 3. If the simple form ends with a consonant + y, change the y to I and add -ed. • bury • buried • dry • dried • Compare with vowel + y: play/played, enjoy/enjoyed Spelling of Verbs ending in -ed

19. 4. If the simple form of a one-syllable verb ends with a single vowel + consonant, double the final consonant and add -ed. • plan • planned • shop • shopped Spelling of Verbs ending in -ed

20. 5. If the simple form of a verb with two or more syllables ends in a single vowel + consonant, double the final consonant and add –ed only when the stress is on the final syllable. Do not double the final consonant if the stress is not on the final syllable. • prefer • preferred • enter • entered • The final l is always doubled in British English, but not in American English: • travel travel or travelled Spelling of Verbs ending in -ed

21. 6. Do not double the final consonants x, w and y. • coax • coaxed • snow • snowed • stay • stayed Spelling of Verbs ending in -ed