English Spelling Rules

Adding -er/est
We make the comparative or superlative forms of short adjectives by adding -er or -est.

Spelling Rule
Just add -er or -est to the end of the adjective, for example:

• quick > quicker > quickest

• great > greater > greatest
• full > fuller > fullest

Exceptions

If the adjective ends do this: and add: For example:

in:

consonant + -y change the -y to an -i -er happy > happier > happiest

consonant + -e remove the -e -est late > later > latest

consonant + vowel double the last letter hot > hotter > hottest
+ consonant

Note: adjectives ending in -l are regular, except:

cruel > crueller > cruellest

Adding -ing/-ed
Often we need to add -ing or -ed to a verb to make other forms of the verb, for example:
I was talking when John arrived.

Spelling Rule
Just add -ing or -ed to the end of the base verb:

• work > working > worked

• play > playing > played
• open > opening > opened
Exceptions

If the base verb ends in: do this: and For example:

add:

consonant + vowel +
consonant
and a stressed syllable
double the final -ing stop > stopping > stopped
consonant begin > beginning
-ed tap > tapping > tapped
But, for example:
open > opening > opened
(because no stress on last
syllable of open)

consonant + -e remove the -e -ing phone > phoning > phoned

dance > dancing > danced
-ed make > making
rake > raking > raked
dye > dying > dyed

-ie change the -ie to -y -ing lie > lying

die > dying

nothing -d lie > lied

die > died

Adding -ly
We often make an adverb by adding -ly to an adjective, for example: quick > quickly.

Spelling Rule
Just add -ly to the end of the adjective:

• coy > coyly

• loud > loudly
• beautiful > beautifully
• senseless > senselessly
• intelligent > intelligently
Exceptions

If the adjective ends in: do this: and add: For example:

-ll nothing -y full > fully

consonant + -le remove the final -e -y terrible > terribly

-y (except 1-syllable adjectives) remove the -y -ily happy > happily

Note: 1-syllable adjectives ending in -y are regular, except:

day > daily
gay > gaily

Adding -s
We add -s to words for two reasons:

1. to make plural nouns (boy > boys)

2. to form the 3rd person singular of the present simple tense (I work > you work >
he works)

Spelling Rule
Just add -s to the end of the word, for example:

• dog > dogs

• play > plays
• demand > demands

Exceptions

If the word ends do this: and For example:

in: add:

-ch nothing -es church > churches

-s mass > masses
-sh brush > brushes
-x fax > faxes
-z box > boxes
chintz > chintzes
-f remove the -f or -ves wife > wives
-fe -fe calf > calves

except:
beliefs, chiefs, dwarfs, griefs, gulfs,
proofs, roofs

consonant + -y remove the -y -ies spy > spies

baby > babies

Note: words that end in -o normally just add s, except:

buffalo > buffaloes
cargoes (or cargos)
domino > dominoes
echo > echoes
go > goes
grotto > grottoes
halo > haloes
hero > heroes
mango > mangoes
mosquito > mosquitoes
motto > mottoes (or mottos)
potato > potatoes
tomato > tomatoes
tornado > tornadoes
torpedo > torpedoes
veto > vetoes
volcano > volcanoes

-ible or -able
Many words end in -ible and -able. Sometimes it is difficult to remember which spelling
to use.

The -ible ending is for words of Latin origin. There are about 180 words ending in -ible.
No new words are being created with -ible endings. Here are the most common
examples:

accessible flexible illegible

admissible gullible irresistible
audible horrible irreversible
collapsible illegible ostensible
 combustible implausible permissible
compatible inaccessible plausible
comprehensible incontrovertible possible
contemptible incredible responsible
credible indefensible reversible
defensible indelible sensible
destructible inedible susceptible
digestible insensible suggestible
divisible intelligible tangible
edible invincible terrible
fallible invisible visible

The -able ending is for:

• some Latin words, for example: dependable

• non-Latin words, for example: affordable, renewable, washable
• new (modern) words, for example: networkable, windsurfable

Rule of thumb
This rule can help you decide the correct spelling. It works most (but not all!) of the time.
Remember, if you are not sure about a word, it is probably best to use a dictionary. Here
is the rule:

• If you remove -able from a word, you are left with a complete word.
• If you remove -ible from a word, you are not left with a complete word (note that
accessible, contemptible, digestible, flexible and suggestible above are among the
exceptions to this rule).

-ie- or -ei-
Sometimes it is difficult to remember whether a word is spelled with -ie- or -ei-. There is
a very simple rule about this:

• I before E
Except after C

Rule Examples

I before E achieve, believe, brief, chief, friend, grief, hygiene, patience, pierce,
priest, thief

Except after ceiling, conceit, conceive, deceit, deceive, perceive, receipt, receive
C
Of course, there are some exceptions to this rule.

1. When the sound rhymes with "may", the spelling is -ei-:

• beige, feint, freight, inveigle, neighbour, sleigh, vein, weigh, weight

2. Here are a few more common exceptions:

• either, neither, caffeine, codeine, counterfeit, foreign, forfeit, height, leisure,

protein, their, weird, seize, seizure

English and American English Spelling

Here are the principal differences in spelling between English and American English.

English American
English
Final -l is always doubled after one vowel in stressed and rebel > rebel >
unstressed syllables in English but usually only in stressed rebelled rebelled
syllables in American English, for example: travel > travel >
travelled traveled
Some words end in -tre in English and -ter in American centre center
English, for example: theatre theater
Some words end in -ogue in English and -og in American analogue analog
English, for example: catalogue catalog
Some words end in -our in English and -or in American colour color
English, for example: labour labor
Some verbs end in -ize or -ise in English but only in -ize realise, realize realize
in American English, for example: harmonise, harmonize
harmonize

Common Differences
English American English
all right all right, alright
(disputed)
analyse analyze
centre center
cheque check
colour color
counsellor counselor
criticise, criticize criticize
defence defense
doughnut donut
favour favor
fibre fiber
flavour flavor
fulfil fulfill
grey gray
honour honor
humour humor
jewellery jewellery, jewelry
judgement, judgment judgment
kerb curb
labour labor
license, licence (verb) license (verb)
licence (noun) license (noun)
litre liter
metre meter
mould mold
neighbour neighbor
offence offense
practise (verb) practice (verb)
practice (noun) practice (noun)
pretence pretense
programme program
pyjamas pajamas
realise, realize realize
savour savor
speciality specialty
theatre theater
travelled travelled, traveled
travelling travelling, traveling
tyre tire
valour valor