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Copyright © Monash University (2017). All rights reserved. Except as provided in the Copyright Act 1968, this work may not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of English Connect web administrator. Material created by Dr Anna Podorova, Ms Julia Ghazarian and Dr Amber McLeod.
Spelling is important because it can change the meaning of a word. If you misspell a word it gives the impression that you do not understand or care about the content of what you are writing.
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Many spelling mistakes are actually typing errors where letters are left out or repeated. Example:
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It is very important that you proofread carefully and use the spelling and grammar check on your word processor which will pick up these mistakes very quickly.
Phonetic spelling
Phonetic spelling is when you try to spell a word the way it sounds. While you can do this with some words (cat, dog), you cannot do it with all words - especially those with silent letters.
Example:
 Concede/conceed 
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losing/loosing
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accommodate/acomodate
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government/goverment
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The schwa (an unstressed vowel sound that is not pronounced strongly) can also cause phonetic spelling.
Example:
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separate/seperate
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definitely/definately
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hospital/hospitul
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Phonetic spelling continued
Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelled differently. Spell check will not pick these up.
Example:
| your/you’re | there/their/they’re | leased/least |
| accept/except | write/right | principle/principal |
Sometimes words with similar spelling are used incorrectly. Spell check will not pick these up either.
Example:
| would’ve/would of | college/collage | rogue/rouge | then/than |
Spelling rules
Knowing spelling rules can be useful. For example, here are some spelling rules about adding suffixes:
| Rule 1: Remove the silent e from the end of a word before adding a suffix that begins with a vowel. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| reserve | + ation = | reservation | |
| write | + ing = | writing | |
| resource | + ful = | resourceful | because the suffix begins with a consonant |
| Rule 2: Change y to i before adding a suffix if it is preceded by a consonant. | |||
| beauty | + ful = | beautiful | |
| try | + ed = | tried | |
| employ | + ed = | employed | because the y is not preceded by a consonant. |
| Rule 3: Double the final consonant before adding a suffix if it is preceded by a vowel. | |||
| begin | + ing = | beginning | |
| transmit | + er = | transmitter | |
| publish | + ed = | published | because the final consonant is not preceded by a vowel |
Root words
English spelling is not always easy to work out from the sound of a word. The history and meaning of the word are often more important. If you are having trouble spelling a word, the “root” of a word, to which prefixes and suffixes are added, is helpful to know.
| Prefix | Root | Suffix | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| re + | act | = react | |
| act | + ivity | = activity | |
| inter + | act | + ion | = interaction |
For more information on root words, see the link to Gina Cooke’s resource in the ‘Learn more’ section of this module.
Ways to improve spelling
1. The Look, Cover, Write, Check method is an effective way to learn words you often spell incorrectly.
| 1. Copy down the correct spelling of the word and look at it for one minute – try to think of a way to remember the spelling. | 2. Cover the word. | 3. Write the word. | 4. Check whether you have spelled the word correctly. | 5. Repeat 5 times. |
2. Mnemonics It often helps to make up a story about a word to help remember the spelling. Ask your friends if they know any. Here are some examples:
| Business | Bus – i – ness. I take the bus to my business (break up a word into smaller parts) |
| Family | Father and mother I love you |
| Cemetery | The lady screamed “e-e-e” as she walked past the cemetery (it has 3 “e”s) |
| Believe | Never believe a lie (smaller words inside larger words) |
| Immediately | Mum ate immediately (two mm and ate) |
Copyright © Monash University (2017).
Copyright © Monash University (2017).
Apply what you have learnt in this module and click on the correct option(s) below
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Spelling is more difficult then it seems.
The goverment decided against the change.
Therefore, the tutorial task was postponed until the following Wednesday.
Try again
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The word then has been confused with than. The correct spelling is government. Correct spelling. |
Copyright © Monash University (2017).
Use the spelling and grammar check in your word processor to help with your writing. Remember to check words like their/there or effect/affect as these may not be detected by the check.
When you read, pay attention to the way words are spelled. Try to make up or learn mnemonics to help you remember spelling.
Keep a list of words you commonly misspell and be aware of commonly misspelled words.
Copyright © Monash University (2017).
Useful links on spelling
Common misspellings, Oxford living dictionary Commonly confused words, Oxford living dictionary Spelling rules, Logic of English Making sense of spelling TED-Ed, Gina Cooke (Video) Academic word list, Using English for Academic Purposes
Face-to-face support
Who can help with English at Monash? LearnHQ consultations - support from a SAS learning advisor English Connect - improving conversational English and presentation skills
Resources – grammar books
Azar, B. S. & Hagen, S.A. (2009). Understanding and using English grammar (4th ed.). USA: Pearson Longman. Borjars, K. & Burridge, K. Introducing English grammar (2nd ed.). London: Hodder Education. Foley, M. & Hall, D. (2012). MyGrammarLab (Advanced). England: Pearson. Hewings, M. (2012). Advanced grammar in use: a reference and practice book for advanced students of English (2nd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Murphy, R. (2011). English Grammar in Use (Intermediate) (3 ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
