Spelling Rules and Plurals

1. Spelling Rules and Plurals Spelling Rules

2. Spelling ie and ei • REMEMBER: I before E except after C or when sounded like A as in neighbor and weigh. • EXCEPTIONS: either, caffeine, foreign, forfeit, height, heir, leisure, neither, protein, seize, species, their, weird

3. Words ending in –cede, –ceed, –sede • Only one English word ends in –sede: supersede. • REMEMBER: If you proceed to exceed the speed limit, you will succeed in getting a ticket. (Only three words end in –ceed.) • All other “seed” words are spelled –cede.

4. Prefixes • Added prefixes do not change the spelling of the root word. co- + operate=cooperate dis- + appear=disappear il- + legal=illegal im- + migrate=immigrate mis- + spell=misspell re- + enlist=reenlist un- + natural=unnatural

5. Suffixes • Double the final consonant in the base word if the suffix ends in a vowel and the base word has one syllable (sad > sadder) OR the word is stressed on the last syllable and the stress does not change after the suffix is added (commit > committed)

6. Suffixes • Don’t double the final s, w, x, or y.

7. Suffixes • Don’t double the final letter before –ist if the word has more than one syllable (drug>druggist; violin>violinist)

8. Suffixes • Drop the final silent E before a suffix that begins with a vowel. (dine>dining, blue>bluish) EXCEPTIONS: mile>mileage, dye>dyeing

10. Suffixes • Drop the final silent E and change the I to Y before the suffix –ing for words ending in –ie. (die>dying, lie>lying, tie>tying)

11. Suffixes • Drop the final –le before the suffix –ly when the word ends with a consonant + -le. (possible>possibly; sparkle>sparkly)

12. Suffixes • Keep the final silent E before suffixes that begin with A and O if the word ends in –ce or –ge. (change>changeable, courage>courageous)

13. Suffixes • Keep the final silent E before suffixes that begin with a vowel if the word ends in –ee or –oe. (agree>agreeable) EXCEPTIONS: free>freer, freest

14. Suffixes • Keep the final E before suffixes that begin with a consonant. (encourage>encouragement) EXCEPTIONS: awe>awful, argue>argument, true>truly, due>duly, whole>wholly

15. Compound Words • Keep the spelling of both parts of a compound word (bookcase, fishhook).

16. Spelling Rules and Plurals Plurals

17. Plurals • For most nouns, add –s (cats, boys, radios).

18. Plurals • For nouns ending –ch, –s, –sh, –x, –z, add –es (lunches, dishes, buses).

19. Plurals • For nouns ending in a consonant and Y, change the Y to I and add –es (babies, pennies), except for proper names (Marys, Kennedys).

20. Plurals • For nouns ending in a consonant and O, add –es. (potatoes, tomatoes, heroes, echoes) EXCEPTIONS: zeros, photos, pianos.

21. Plurals • For nouns ending –f or –fe, change the F to V and add –s or –es. (wives, knives, leaves, wolves) EXCEPTIONS: roofs, chiefs, cliffs, giraffes

22. Plurals • Some nouns follow no pattern, but have irregular plural forms: man>men, woman>women, child>children, foot>feet, tooth>teeth, mouse>mice, goose>geese, ox>oxen.

23. Plurals • Some words are the same in singular and plural forms: deer, sheep, series, species, Sioux.

24. Plurals • Some words have more than one correct plural form: fish>fish or fishes, antelope>antelope or antelopes, buffalo>buffalo, buffaloes, or buffalos.

25. Plurals • The plural form of a compound word usually follow the rules for the plural form of the second word (housewives, lunchboxes).

26. Plurals • The plural form of hyphenated or separated compounds follows the rules for the most important word (post offices, mothers-in-law).