Spelling

English can be complicated! Aside from the myriad grammar rules that you have remember (what exactly is a subordinate clause, anyway?), there many complicated spelling patterns.

While there are many spelling rules in the English language that don't make any sense (we're looking at you, silent gs and ks), the good news is that many English spellings follow specific patterns. We won't get into all of them here, but we will go through five of our favorites.

Let's dig in!

"I" Before "E" Except After "C"

Rule: You should always write "i" before "e" (when the sound the two make is long "e") except when they come after the letter "c".

  • Examples of "i" before "e": relief, belief
  • Examples of "e" before "i" after "c": deceive, receipt

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Double the Consonants

Rule: When "b", "d", "g", "m", "n", or "p" come after a short vowel in a word with two syllables, double the consonant.

  • Examples: rabbit, bummer, thinner

Silent "E"

In most English words, an "e" that comes at the end of a word after a consonant is silent. However, that "e" does affect how you pronounce the vowel that precedes it – that vowel becomes long.

"Y" Becomes "I" When You Add a Suffix to a Word That Ends in "Y"

This spelling rule is hard to name in a pithy fashion, but fairly easy to remember. When you have a word that ends in "-y," that "-y" becomes an "-i-" whenever you add a suffix (such as -ed, -er, or -est) to it.

For instance:

  • cry becomes cried
  • dry becomes drier
  • dusty becomes dustiest

Plural Suffixes

How do you make a word plural? For some words, you add an "-s". For others, you add an "-es". How do you know which to use?

If a word ends in "‑s", "‑sh", "‑ch", "‑x", or "‑z", you add "‑es", for example: sandwiches, suffixes, wishes.

Common Questions about Spelling

Should I use "taut" or "taught"?

Should I use "bookstore" or "book store"?

Should I use "textbook" or "text book"?

Should I use "alongside" or "along side"?

What's the difference between "too", "to", and "two"?

What's the difference between "there", "they're", and "their"?

Should I use "albeit" or "all be it"?

Which is correct: "bedroom" or "bed room"?

Should I use "highlight", "high-light", or "high light"?

When should I use "alluded" and when should I use "eluded"?

What's the difference between "adverse" and "averse"?

Should I use "peek", "peak", or "pique"?

What's the difference between "alternatively" and "alternately"?

What's the difference between "rises" and "raises"?

What is the difference between "soldier" and "solider"?

What is the difference between "amiable" and "amicable"?

What is the difference between "assent" and "ascent"?

What is a spelling mistake?

It's vs Its: When Should You Use Them

What's the difference between "its" and "it's"?

"anyways" vs "anyway": what's the difference?

"onto" vs "on to". What is the difference?

"composed of" vs "comprised of". Which is correct?

"dependent" vs "dependant". What's the difference?

Should I use "as well as" in a sentence?

When should I use dialect spelling?

Should I use "alright" or "all right"?

Should I use "consist of" or "comprise"?

US spelling vs UK spelling

"reign" vs "rein". What is the difference?

What's the difference between "to", "too", and "two"?

What is the difference between "bellow" and "below"?

What is the difference between "than" and "then"?

What is the difference between "belive" and "believe"?

What is the difference between "to" and "two"?

What is the difference between "though" and "thought"?

What is the difference between "were" and "where"?

What is the difference between "no" and "not"?

What is the difference between "her" and "here"?

What is the difference between "an" and "and"?

What is the difference between "breath" and "breathe"?

What is the difference between "on" and "one"?

What is the difference between "quite" and "quiet"?

Passed vs. Past: What's the Difference?

What is the difference between "effect" and "affect"?

What is the difference between "is" and "his"?

What is the difference between 'a' and 'and'?

What is the difference between 'too' and 'to'?

What is the difference between "wether" and "whether"?

What is the difference between 'as' and 'has'?

What is the difference between "here" and "hear"?

What is the difference between 'off' and 'of'?

What is the difference between 'fro' and 'from'?

What is the difference between 'he' and 'the'?

What is the difference between 'our' and 'out'?

What is the difference between 'min' and 'minutes'?

What is the difference between 'effects' and 'affects'?

What is the difference between 'ever' and 'every'?

What is the difference between 'weather' and 'whether'?

Loose vs Lose: What's the Difference?

Effected vs. Affected: What's the Difference?

What is the difference between 'later' and 'latter'?

What is the difference between 'alway' and 'always'?

What is the difference between "new" and "knew"?

What is the difference between "advise" and "advice"?

What is the difference between 'ans' and 'and'?

What is the difference between 'from' and 'form'?

What is the difference between "dose" and "does"?

What is the difference between 'beside' and 'besides'?

What is the difference between 'tp' and 'to'?

What is the difference between 'planing' and 'planning'?

What is the difference between 'now' and 'know'?

What is the difference between 'them' and 'then'?

What is the difference between 'filed' and 'field'?

What is the difference between 'tired' and 'tried'?

What is the difference between 'delivery' and 'deliver'?

What is the difference between 'believe' and 'belief'?

What is the difference between 'through' and 'threw'?

What is the difference between 'non' and 'none'?

What is the difference between 'wit' and 'with'?

What is the difference between 'advises' and 'advice'?

What is the difference between 'bare' and 'bear'?

What is the difference between 'prospective' and 'perspective'?

What is the difference between 'whereever' and 'wherever'?

What is the difference between 'health' and 'healthy'?

What is the difference between 'bases' and 'basis'?

What is the difference between 'coud' and 'could'?

What is the difference between 'abd' and 'and'?

What is the difference between 'hav' and 'have'?

What is the difference between 'except' and 'accept'?

What is the difference between 'wich' and 'which'?

What is the difference between 'te' and 'the'?

What is the difference between 'solider' and 'soldier'?

What is the difference between 'forth' and 'fourth'?

What is the difference between 'a' and 'at'?

What is the difference between 'ti' and 'to'?

What is the difference between 'fell' and 'feel'?

What is the difference between 'sever' and 'severe'?

What is the difference between 'complains' and 'complaints'?

What is the difference between 'loss' and 'lose'?

What is the difference between 'discus' and 'discuss'?

What is the difference between 'fist' and 'first'?

Sale vs Sell: What's the Difference?

What is the difference between 'think' and 'thing'?

What is the difference between 'tow' and 'two'?

What is the difference between 'wold' and 'would'?

What is the difference between 'serval' and 'several'?

What is the difference between 'for' and 'four'?

What is the difference between 'mad' and 'made'?

What is the difference between 'live' and 'life'?

What is the difference between 'roll' and 'role'?

What is the difference between 'planed' and 'planned'?

What is the difference between 'noting' and 'nothing'?

What is the difference between 'aloud' and 'allowed'?

What is the difference between 'believes' and 'beliefs'?

What is the difference between 'thy' and 'they'?

What is the difference between 'si' and 'is'?

What is the difference between 'pice' and 'piece'?

What is the difference between 'fine' and 'find'?

What is the difference between 'choice' and 'choose'?

What is the difference between 'seating' and 'sitting'?

What is the difference between 'whit' and 'with'?

What is the difference between 'witch' and 'which'?

What is the difference between 'by' and 'buy'?

What is the difference between 'yours' and 'your'?

What is the difference between 'wan' and 'want'?

What is the difference between 'may' and 'my'?

What is the difference between 'simular' and 'similar'?

What is the difference between 'fir' and 'for'?

What is the difference between 'know' and 'no'?

What is the difference between 'throw' and 'through'?

What is the difference between 'save' and 'safe'?

What is the difference between 'desert' and 'dessert'?

What is the difference between 'week' and 'weak'?

What is the difference between "right" and "write"?

What is the difference between 'bee' and 'been'?

What is the difference between 'event' and 'even'?

What is the difference between 'may' and 'many'?

What is the difference between 'fare' and 'fair'?

What is the difference between 'complement' and 'compliment'?

What is the difference between 'pray' and 'prey'?

What is the difference between "illicit" and "elicit"?

What is the difference between 'allusion' and 'illusion'?

What is the difference between "meet" and "meat"?

What is the difference between 'insure' and 'ensure'?

Are you missing a punctuation mark at the end?

How can I fix spelling mistakes in my writing?

Thesaurus Check

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A While vs. Awhile: What's the Difference?

Have vs Has: What's the Difference?

Systematic vs. Systemic: What's the Difference?

Comradery or Camaraderie: Which Is Correct?