SPELLING TIPS

These letters are vowels:

a e i o u and sometimes y (at the end of words or

syllables, as in monkey and sky).

These letters are consonants:

b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x z and sometimes y (at

the beginning of words, as inyes and yellow).

TIP 1

If a word ends in s, ch, sh, x, or z, add es instead of s to

make the plural or the present tense.

Examples:

box → boxes

church → churches

miss → he/ she/ it misses

catch → he / she / it catches

push → he / she / it pushes

buzz → he/ she/ it buzzes

TIP 2
If a word ends in y with a consonant before it, change
the y to i and add es instead of s to make the plural of
nouns or the present tense of verbs. Also change
the y to i before adding er, est, or ly to adjectives

Examples:

nouns

sky → skies

body → bodies

verbs

fly → he / she / it flies

cry → he / she / it cries

adjectives

pretty → prettier, prettiest; prettily

heavy → heavier, heaviest; heavily

But if a vowel comes before the y, keep the y and just

add s.

Examples:

day → days

monkey → monkeys

play → plays

buy → buys

TIP 3

If a verb ends in ie, change ie to y before you add ing.

Examples:
 lie → lying

die → dying

TIP 4

In short words, if the word ends in one vowel and one

consonant (but not w), double the consonant before you
add ed, ing, er or est. This keeps the vowel sound “short”.

Example:

drop (ends in one vowel and one consonant)

drop + ed → drop + p + ed → dropped

(double the consonant before ed)

drop (ends in one vowel and one consonant)

drop + ing → drop + p + ing → dropping

(double the consonant before ing)

thin (ends in one vowel and one consonant)

thin + er → thin + n + er → thinner

(double the consonant before er)

 fat (ends in one vowel and one consonant)

fat + est → fat + t + est → fattest

(double the consonant before est)

but note:

flow (ends in one vowel and w)

flow + ed → flowed

flow + ing → flowing

This rule sometimes does not apply to words of two or more

syllables (parts). Check a dictionary if you are not sure.

TIP 5

In words that end in a silent e (e that is not pronounced),

drop the e before you add –edor –ing. This keeps the vowel
sound “long”.

Example:

arrive (ends in silent e)

arrive + ed → arriv + ed → arrived

(drop the e before -ed)

arrive (ends in silent e)

arrive + ed → arriv + ing → arriving

(drop the e before –ing)