Correcting Common Spelling Errors

• “I before E”

The mirror shattered into pieces. I couldn’t believe it. He was ready to take the field.

• • “Except after C”

My mother received  flowers on her birthday. Peter Parker didn’t see the spider on the ceiling. I could forgive a mistake, but not intentional deceit.

• • “Or when it says A as in neighbor and weigh”

Kathy painted over the beige walls with a bright purple. Our neighborhood has a new playground. How much does the bag of apples weigh?

This rule has a lot  of exceptions. So many, in fact, that it’s become a popular joke sold on t-shirts, coffee mugs, and wall hangings: 

Sometimes you just have to memorize the exceptions to the rule. And always look them up in the dictionary if you’re not sure. 

This one is tricky, but most  of the time, this quick test will help you know whether to use -able or -ible: 

1. If a word is spelled with an A (-able), you can remove -able from the word, and you still have a complete word: 

• • Renewable → renew   
  • Defendable → defend   
  • acceptable → accept  

2. If a word is spelled with an I (-ible), you won’t have a complete word left if you remove -ible: 

• • Sensible → sens   
  • Terrible → terr   
  • Permissible → permiss   

Some exceptions include: 

• • • accessible
    • contemptible
    • digestible
    • flexible
    • suggestible

Check the dictionary if you’re not sure! 

1. When you add a suffix that starts with E (such as -ed, -er, or -est) to a word that ends in Y, the Y usually changes to an I. 

• • Cry - cried - crier
  • Dry - dried - drier
  • Lay - laid 
  • Baby - babied
  • Family - families
  • Ugly - ugliest
    

2. The Y does not change for the suffix -ing.  

• • The baby has been crying all night.
  • I left the sheets drying on the clothesline. 
  • The carpenter will be laying the foundation for the new shed today.
  • Babying teenagers won’t teach them important life skills. 

3. If the word has two consonants before the Y, change the Y to I before adding the suffix -ly.  

• • Happy - happily
  • Sloppy - sloppily
  • merry - merrily

1. When adding a suffix that begins with a vowel (such as -ed, -er-, -est, or -ing) to a word that ends with a silent E, drop the silent E before adding the suffix to the root word. 

• • Skate - skating
  • Blue - bluest
  • True - truer

2. When adding a suffix that begins with a consonant (such as -ment, -ful or -ness) to a word that ends with a silent E, keep the silent E and simply add the suffix to the root word.

• • Refine - refinement
  • Cute - cuteness
  • Use - useful 

Exceptions:

• • • Argue + ment = argument
    • Judge + ment = judgment
    • Nine + th = ninth
    • True + ly = truly

When two words are joined to form a compound word, don’t omit any letters. Just put the two words together.

• • Room + mate = roommate
  • Book + keeper = bookkeeper 

Exceptions:

• • • Past + time = pastime
    • Where + ever = wherever

1. For nouns that end with a consonant followed by O (for example, tomato), add -es to make it plural (tomatoes). 

• • Hero - heroes
  • Potato - potatoes
  • Zero - zeroes

2. For nouns that end with a vowel followed by O (for example, ratio), add just -s to make it plural (ratios).  

• • Cameo- cameos
  • Patio - patios

There are many exceptions to this rule, and often more than one spelling is acceptable or may be more common in American English than in British English. When in doubt, check your dictionary and use the variation that’s listed first.

When a word ends with a single vowel followed by a single consonant (such as, beg), double the final consonant when you add a suffix that starts with a vowel (begged, begging). 

• • Occur - occurred - occurring
  • Travel - travelled - traveller - travelling
  • Remit - remitted - remitting

Exceptions: Words that end with -  w or -x: 

• • • • Flow - flowed - flowing
      • Fix - fixed - fixer - fixing