To spell words correctly is a challenge common to us who write. This essay presents some rules that can assist a writer in easing the difficulties involved in typically misspelled words.

  1. For Words With ie and ei

     Write i before e except after c, or when pronounced ay.

          friend, siege, cashier, brief, yield
          receive, deceive, conceit, receipt, perceive
          neighbor, sleigh, rein, weigh, neigh

     An exception to this rule is when the ie/ei combination is pronounced ee.

          specie, leisure, caffeine, seize, either
 
  2. Using Prefixes
    
     A prefix is an affix placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. Prefixes do not change the spelling of the word they're added to, even if the first letter of the word is the same as the last letter of the prefix.

          bi + weekly = biweekly
          co + operation = cooperation
          dis + regard = disregard
          hyper + active = hyperactive

     Sometimes, however, a hyphen is used to differentiate between two meanings:

          recreation or re-creation
          reread or re-read

     A hyphen can also make words easier to pronounce:

          co-author, co-habitation, de-activate, pro-active

  For the rest of this essay, click here...

FTP Consultancy

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. Please provide a link back to the FTP Blog or website from wherever you choose to use this essay.

A Few Guidelines for Spelling.pdf
File Size:	88 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

Leave a Reply