Spelling
New Words for Old
Many words are formed by adding an ending to the root or basic part of the word.
Compare:
| walk | walks | walking | walked |
| love | loves | loving | loved |
| notice | notices | noticing | noticed |
| change | changes | changing | changed |
Rule: if the root ends in e, the e is usually dropped when a suffix beginning with a vowel is added.
Compare:
| stay | stays | staying | stayed |
| hurry | hurries | hurrying | hurried |
| try | tries | trying | tried |
Rule: if the root ends in ay, ey, oy, uy, the spelling is regular. If it ends in y alone, we change y to i except in the -ing form (because of the pronunciation).
A few forms are irregular because otherwise confusion would result:
| stay | stays | staying | stayed |
| die (pass away) | dies | dying | died |
| dye (colour) | dyes | dyeing | dyed |
| swinging (sixties) | |||
| swingeing (blows) |
Similar rules apply to nouns:
| cat | cats |
| dove | doves |
| guy | guys |
| lady | ladies |
Adjectives & Adverbs
The rules also apply to adjectives expressing "more" and "most".
Compare:
| soft | softer | softest |
| true | truer | truest |
| grey | greyer | greyest |
| pretty | prettier | prettiest |
Note: Adjective dry forms Adverb dryly or drily.
Note, too, these exceptions:
| gay | gaily | gaiety |
| day | daily |
Keeping e
| verb or noun | adjective |
|---|---|
| change | changeable |
| manage | manageable |
| service | serviceable |
| peace | peaceable |
Rule: where ge is pronounced as j and ce as s, the e is kept.
Note that this rule does not apply to parts of verbs : managing, servicing, etc.
In the case of certain short, common words, e is sometimes kept to make the meaning or pronunciation clear.
Some examples are:
- blameable
- sizeable
- unshakeable
- saleable
- nameable
In a few cases, either spelling is acceptable. Words with two es keep both: agreeable, forseeable
- givable/giveable
- likable/likeable
- lovable/loveable
Following American usage, judgment is sometimes found instead of judgement.
Exercise 1 - Word 1 of 12 (0 out of 12 right)
In this exercise you will hear twelve of the most commonly mis-spelled words in British English. Tap the 'play' button to hear the word and then spell it by tapping on the keyboard below. To hear the word again simply press the 'play' button another time. To clear the letters you have entered press the 'Clear' button. To check your answer press the 'Check Results' button, and to continue to the next word press the 'Next Word' button.
Exercise 2
Look at the pairs of words below. Decide which rule applies to each. Here is a reminder of the rules:
Dropping E: if the root ends in E, the E is usually dropped when a suffix beginning with a vowel is added.
Y becomes I: if the root ends in AY, EY, OY, or UY the spelling is regular. If it ends in Y alone, we change Y to I except it the ING form (because of the pronunciation).
Keeping E: where GE is pronounced as J or CE as S, the E is kept. (Remember that this rule does not apply to parts of verbs: managing, servicing etc.)
Root: fame New word: famous
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: notice New word: noticeable
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: knowledge New word: knowledgeable
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: noise New word: noisy
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: refuse New word: refusal
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: sense New word: sensible
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: use New word: usage
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: advantage New word: advantageous
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: hairy New word: hairily
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: justifiable New word: justifiably
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: judge New word: judgement
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: marry New word: marriage
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: merry New word: merriment
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: abridge New word: abridgement
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: confuse New word: confusion
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: happy New word: happiness
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: cage New word: cagey
drop e y becomes i keep e
Root: dense New word: density
drop e y becomes i keep e
