Spelling Coach - Raphael's Fun Spelling Tips & Tricks

If you've really gotten into spelling competition, you most likely have run into the problem of spelling the ending of a word that sounds like "uhnt". There are pretty much two things that could be; -ant or -ent. This one is fairly simple.

RULE: After a soft c (as in cent) or a hard g (as in George) spell it a-n-t/a-n-c-e

When adding a prefix that ends in the same (consonant) letter as the first letter of the root word, or adding a suffix that starts with the same (consonant) letter as the last letter in the root word - don't be tempted to drop one of those letters. Some of these spellings may look awkward, but don't be fooled. This goes along with tip 8. Don't change the root word when adding a prefix. Look at these frequently misspelled words:

adding a prefix:

un+necessary = unnecessary
in+numerable = innumerable

Any serious speller will want to have a spelling notebook of interesting words they find, or words you have spelled incorrectly. There is no right or wrong way to create a notebook. I prefer to have a binder so I can add pages. Alphabetical is not the only way to organize, though it may work for some. I have my words organized by language of origin which is a good way to look for patterns.

Whenever you are obligated to spell a word with a silent letter that has a suffix like -ed or -ing joined at the end, consider this rule: A word with a single silent consonant at the end remains unchanged when it is added. For Example;

-able or -ible?
This is a common mistake many spellers come across when spelling a word that ends with the sound /ə-bəl/. There are many -ables but very few -ibles, so try to memorize all the ibles, and then you won't make this mistake quite as often. Here are the -ibles in alphabetical order. (All the rest are ables.)

-ibles
A
accessible
addible
admissible
apprehensible
ascendible
audible
B

C

Combining Schwas
A schwa is an unstressed vowel sound that appears in lots of words and expressed as ə in dictionary pronunciations such as the i in manicure or the o insaxophone.For when you come across a word that has a tricky schwa in it, study the following origin schwa tips.

Parts of Speech
Did you ever see a speller ask for the part of speech in the Scripps National Spelling Bee? They ask that question for a reason. In a moment, you will see the benefit of asking for the part of speech. Here are some tips and tricks with parts of speech.

"May I have the language of origin, please?" If you watched the spelling bee you may have noticed some spellers ask for the language of origin. The reason is that the language of origin gives clues about how to spell the word. Here are a few examples...

We've all heard the "i" before "e" except after "c", and then you discover too many exceptions to name. BUT if you learn the complete rule you will find there are very few exceptions. Here is the complete rule:

"I" before "E" except after C
Or when sounded like "I" as in Einstein
Or "A" as in neighbor and weigh
Neither, weird, foreign, leisure, seize, forfeit are common exceptions spelled right
But don't let the C-I-E-N words get you uptight.

(NOTE: Depending on how you pronounce "neither" it may not be an exception!)

Examples ;

Drop the e when adding a suffix beginning with a vowel.
examples:
barbecue -> barbecuing
adventure -> adventurous
appreciate -> appreciative

Don't drop the e when adding a suffix beginning with a consonant.
examples:
gentle -> gentleness
grace -> graceful

Exception - when the word ends in ge or ce and the suffix begins with a or o don't drop the e
examples : notice -> noticeable
courage -> courageous