Learning English: The Dos and Donts of Spelling

Learning how to spell properly in English can be difficult and frustrating at times. Research has shown that it takes children who are learning English three times longer just to master the basics of writing and reading in English as compared to children learning other languages. Surveys published in English speaking countries have found that almost half of English speakers have difficulties with written communication and writing in English. Another surprising statistic is that one in five native English speakers is unable to read in English well.

English, just like any other language has a rule regarding the right way to spell words. Bear in mind that there are several variations of English such as American English, British English and Commonwealth English which are used in different regions and former colonies of the United Kingdom and the United States. For each variation, there are spelling rules as well as common exceptions. Below are some examples:

· Some words have silent letters. Words with a silent letter 'e' at the end are easy to recgonize such as 'cone', 'lone' or 'bone'. Meanwhile, words with silent letters in other places present more of a problem as far as spelling is concerned. Examples of these are words like 'align' which has a silent 'g' and 'psychiatry' which has a silent 'p'. These letters are written without being vocalized. Keep in mind, however that there are exceptions to the rule such as the word 'mileage'.
· Identical letter strings may be pronounced differently. For example, the combination 'on' has a different pronunciation in words such as 'once', 'only', 'women', and 'women'.
· For prefixes, the spelling of a word's stem is not normally changed. The examples of words with prefixes are 'intermediary', 'microchip', and 'unbelievable'.
· The spelling of a word will often change when a suffix is added such as in the words 'stopping' and 'bigger'.

Do note that there are techniques that will help you learn English spelling easier. One of the best and most effective is to keep a notebook containing words with spellings that you find too difficult. Just underline the part of the word that makes it difficult for you to remember and practice writing it every now and then.