Spelling Rules

A "G" softens to the /j/ sound when followed by E, I or Y.

When it is followed by a different letter, G is pronounced /g/.

Example: Cage (uses /j/), and tag (uses /g/)

No words in American English end in I, U, V or J.

Often a silent E is used when a word ends in one of these sounds.

Example: Give and Hue

If a word ends in one vowel and one consonant, double the final consonant when adding the suffixes -ing, -ed, -er, -est, or -adge.

This rule does have some exceptions, such as travel which becomes traveled.

Example: Run becomes running, and ship becomes shipped.

Use I before E except after C or when sounding like /ay/ as in neighbor or weigh.

The well-known I before E rule helps spellers know when to use IE and when to use EI.

Example: receive and believe

When used at the end of a syllable, the vowels A, E, O and U usually sound like their names.

Example: tree and haven

The letter C always softens to /s/ when E, I, or Y come after it.

When other letters follow a C, it sounds like /k/.

Example: civil has an /s/ sound and category has a /k/ sound.

When making the /ɔɪ/ sound, use either OY or OI.

Words ending in the sound use OY, while words that have the sound in the middle use OI.

Example: boy and boil

A one-syllable word that ends in a Y is pronounced /ī/.

Example: fly and try

I and Y sometimes sound like a long /ē/.

In a word with a silent E at the end, an I takes the long /ē/ sound. A Y can make this sound only if used in an unstressed syllable at the end of a multi-syllable word.

Example: machine and baby

The letters AY typically make the /ā/ sound when used at the end of a base word.

Example: hay and say

A silent E at the end of a word makes a vowel take its long vowel sound.

Example: Base has an /ā/ sound because of the silent e.

A silent E ends singular words that end in S.

The silent E prevents the word from looking like a plural.

Example: horse and license

For words that end in Y, change the Y to I when adding an ending that does not begin with I.

The addition of -es to make a plural word is the most common use of this rule.

Example: Fly becomes flies, and easy becomes easiest.

The letter Q does not walk alone.

It is almost always followed by a U.

Example: queen, quick and quilt

Al- is used as a prefix.

This prefix is written with one L, even though it is short for all.

Example: almost and already

The suffix -ful uses only one L when added to another syllable, even though it means "full."

Example: colorful and helpful

Add -es to words ending in -ch, -sh, -s, -ss, -x or -z when making a plural word.

Example: Wish becomes wishes, and cross becomes crosses.

The phonographs -augh, -eigh, -igh and -ough are used only at the end of a base word or preceding the letter T.

Example: eight, sigh, naught and neigh

When adding a suffix to a word that has a short vowel and ends in a consonant, double the consonant so the vowel remains short.

Example: Tan becomes tanned and skip becomes skipping.

The ending sound TCH is used only when the word has a single vowel with a short sound.

Example: itch, twitch and witch

The ending DGE is used only at the end of a word following a single vowel with a short vowel sound.

Example: pledge and dodge

The combination CK is used only following a single short vowel.

Other instances of /k/ after a vowel use K.

Example: brick and duck versus poke and bike

When making a base word that starts with /z/, always use Z, not S.

Example: zebra and zealous

The letters F, L and S are often doubled at the end of a single-vowel word.

Example: huff, hill and hiss

The combinations TI, CI, and SI will appear only at the beginning of a syllable.

After the first syllable, they often make the /sh/ sound.

Example: station and special

SH sounds like /sh/ at the start of a base word or at the end of a syllable.

It is never used for /sh/ at the beginning of a syllable except in the ending -ship.

Example: relationship, shelter and shift

The letter S never follows X.

Example: foxes not foxs

When adding a suffix that starts with a vowel to a word that ends in a silent E, drop the E to add the suffix.

When adding a suffix that starts with a consonant, leave the silent E in place.

Example: Hide becomes hiding, and hope becomes hopeful.

When a vowel ends a syllable, it makes its long vowel sound.

Example: music, open and navy

When words have I or O as their only vowel, and the vowel is followed by two consonants, the O or I make long vowel sounds.

Words that have an I or O followed by one consonant make short vowel sounds.

Example: kind and cold versus kid and cod.