Grammar Girl on Spelling

English Language Spelling Rule 1 and 2 – Pronunciation and Spelling

If you speak and write in Arabic, Farsi or any other language that doesn’t use English letters, please don’t worry if you find spelling in English difficult.  I would too!  Even if your first language is Spanish, you might also stumble over your letters.  English is a puzzle.  We speak one way.  We write in another way.  The sounds don’t match the spellings.  What are you supposed to do?  Grammar Girl is going to whip up some simple spelling rules for you.

Rule 1
Short Vowel Spelling

What is a short vowel?  It’s a simple, short sound.  For examples of words with short vowels my favourite website is Learn Any Time.

This fantastic website will also give you some more rules and tips.

And here is the spelling rule for these particular vowels:

To spell a short vowel sound, only one letter is needed:

at           red            it            hot           up

Rule 2
Long Vowel Spelling

Try listening and repeating the long vowel sounds at ESL-Galaxy.

To spell a long sound add a second vowel. The second may be next to the first, (boat, maid, cue, etc.) or it may be separated from the first one by a consonant  (made, ride, tide, etc.). If the second vowel is separated from the first by two spaces, it does not affect the first one.  So, doubling a consonant can be called “protecting” a short vowel because it prevents an incoming vowel from getting close enough to the first one to change its sound from short to long:

maid,  made,  but  madder;            dine,  diner,  but dinner.

Try out the two rules.  I’ll give you two more spelling rules next month.

See you soon,

Grammar Girl