Spelling Rules

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Spelling and Sounding Rules:

1. C always softens to /s/ when followed by E, I, or Y.
   Otherwise, C says /k/
2. G may soften to /j/ only when followed by E, I, or Y.
   Otherwise, G says 'g'
3. English words do not end in I, U, V, or J
4. A E O U usually say their long sounds at the end of the syllable
5. I and Y may say /ĭ/ or /ī/ at the end of a syllable
6. When a one-syllable word ends in a single-vowel Y, it always says /ī/
7. Y says /ē/ only in an unsrtressed syllable at the end of a multi-syllable word
8. I may say /ē/ with a silent final E, at the end of a syllable, and at the end of foreign words
9. Y says /ē/ only in an unsrtressed syllable at the end of a multi-syllable word
10. I and O may say /ī/ and /ō/ when followed by two consonants
11. AY usually spells the sound /ā/ at the end of a base word
12. When a word ends with the phonogram A, it says /ä/.
    A may also say /ä/ after a W or before an L
13. Q always needs a U, therefore, U is not a vowel here
14. Silent Final E Rule #1
    The vowel says its long sound because of the E
15. Silent Final E Rule #2
    English words do not end in V or U
16. Silent Final E Rule #3
    The C says /s/ and the G says /j/ because of the E
17. Silent Final E Rule #4
    Every syllable must have a written vowel
18. Silent Final E Rule #5
    Add an E to keep singular words that end in the letter S from looking plural
19. Silent Final E Rule #6
    Add an E to make the word look bigger (awe, rye, are)
20. Silent Final E Rule #7
    TH says its voiced sound /TH/ because of the E (breathe)
21. Silent Final E Rule #8
    Add an E to clarify meaning (ore, tease, hearse)
22. Silent Final E Rule #9
    Unknown reason (done, come, some, giraffe, where, were)
23. Drop the silent final E when adding a vowel suffix only if it is allowed by other spelling rules
24. Double hte last consonant when adding a vowel suffix to words ending in one vowel followed by one consonnt only if the syllable before the suffix is stressed
25. Single-vowel Y changes to I when adding any ending, unless the ending begins with I
26. Two I's cannot be next to one another in English words
27. TI, CI, and SI are used only at the beginning of any syllable after the first one
28. SH spells /sh/ at the beginning of any syllable after the first one, except for the ending -ship
29. To make a verb past tense, add the ending -ED unless it is an irregular verb
30. -ED past tense ending, forms another syllable when the base word ends in /d/ or /t/.
    Otherwise, -ED says /d/ or /t/
31. To make a noun plural, add the ending -S unless the word hisses or changes; then add -ES.
    Some nouns have no change or an irregular spelling
32. To make a verb 3rd person singular, add the ending -S unless the word hisses or changes, then add -ES.
    Some nouns have no change or an irregular spelling
33. AI- is a prefix written with one L when preceding another syllable
34. -Ful is a suffix written with one L when added to another syllable
35. DGE is used only after a single vowel which says its short sound
36. CK is used only after a single vowel which says its short sound
37. TCH is used only after a single vowel which says its short or broad sound
38. AUGH, EIGH, IGH, OUGH.
    Phonograms ending in GH are used only at the end of a base word or before the letter T.
    The GH is either silent or pronounced /f/
39. Z, never S, spells /z/ at the beginning of a base word
40. We often double F, L, and S after a single, short or broad vowel at the end of a base word.
    Occasionally other letters also are doubled
41. Any vowel may say one one of the schwa sounds, /ŭ/ or /ĭ/, in an unstressed syllable or unstressed word
42. O may say /ŭ/ in a stressed syllable next to W, TH, M, N, or V
43. AR and OR may say their schwa sounds, /er/, in an unstressed syllable