SPELLING - Luzerne County Community College
SPELLING
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|I. TIPS |
|1) consult a DICTIONARY if you are unsure of the spelling |
|2) correctly use the SPELLCHECKER tool provided with most word processing programs |
|• in Microsoft Word, look under “TOOLS” or simply hit the “F7” key |
|• Word will also underline in red words not listed in its dictionary |
|3) learn TRICKY WORDS: |
| |
|II. TRICKY WORDS |
| |
|A) HOMOPHONES (words that sound the same but are spelled differently): |
|o *its/it’s: |
|♣ its=possessive pronoun, does NOT need apostrophe, as in belonging to it |
|♣ it’s=contraction for it is or it has, BUT you will not be using this because there are no contractions in formal academic writing |
|o *than/then: |
|♣ than=used for comparisons, as in “My car is dirtier than yours.” |
|♣ then=adverb, as in next, as in “Then, I went to my next class.” also in if-then sentences, as in “If you do not learn these rules now, then you will receive |
|bad grades on your essays.” |
|o were/where/wear: |
|♣ were=linking verb |
|♣ where=adverb, as in place, as in “Where did you come from?” |
|♣ wear=verb, as in wear clothes |
|o there/their: |
|♣ there=adverb, as in over there or “There was a fly on the wall.” |
|♣ their=possessive pronoun, as in belonging to a group of people |
|♣ they’re=contraction for they are, BUT you will not be using this because there are no contractions in formal academic writing |
|o your/you’re: |
|♣ your=possessive pronoun, as in belonging to you |
|♣ you’re=contraction for you are, BUT you will not be using this because there are no contractions in formal academic writing |
|o who’s/whose: |
|♣ who’s=contraction for who is, BUT you will not be using this because there are no contractions in formal academic writing |
|♣ whose=possessive pronoun, as in belonging to whom, as in “Whose book is this?” |
|o too/to/two: |
|♣ too=intensifier, as in too much/many, in excess—so it has an excess of o’s, as in “I ate too much.” Also means “also,” as in “I want some, too.” |
|♣ to=preposition, starts prep. phrases and infinitives, as in “I went to the store to buy milk.” |
|♣ two=the number 2 |
|o threw/through: |
|♣ threw=verb, as in “The pitcher threw the ball to the first-baseman.” |
|♣ through=preposition, as in “The ghost walked through the wall.” |
| |
|B) TROUBLESOME PAIRS (not “PEARS”): |
|o accept/except: |
|♣ accept=to receive; |
|♣ except=excluding |
|o affect/effect: |
|♣ affect=verb, to act upon OR to have an effect upon; |
|♣ effect=noun only, a change caused by an action |
|o allude/elude: |
|♣ allude=to make reference to; |
|♣ elude=to escape/avoid |
|o bear/bare: |
|♣ bear=noun, animal OR verb, to carry; |
|♣ bare=unadorned |
|o capital/capitol: |
|♣ capital=government seat or material wealth or uppercase letter; |
|♣ capitol=a building housing a government seat |
|o cite/sight/site: |
|♣ cite=to make mention of or to quote as an example; |
|♣ sight=something seen or one of the five senses; |
|♣ site=a place or location (website) |
|o complement/compliment: |
|♣ complement=something that finishes, goes with, completes (subject complement); |
|♣ compliment=to praise or flatter |
|o conscience/conscious: |
|♣ conscience=noun, moral compass; |
|♣ conscious=adjective, aware, awake |
|o coarse/course: |
|♣ coarse=rough; |
|♣ course=class OR route taken |
|o counsel/council: |
|♣ counsel=noun, advice OR noun, a lawyer OR verb, to advise; |
|♣ council=a deliberative body |
|o desert/dessert: |
|♣ desert=noun, barren land OR verb, to abandon; |
|♣ dessert=noun, after-dinner treat |
|o elicit/illicit: |
|♣ elicit=verb, to bring out; |
|♣ illicit=adjective, illegal, unlawful |
|o fair/fare: |
|♣ fair=adjective, just, reasonable OR noun, festival, carnival; |
|♣ fare=noun, ticket price OR noun, food OR verb, to get along |
|o later/latter: |
|♣ later=adverb, refers to a future time |
|♣ latter=refers to the second of the two |
|o lead/led: |
|♣ lead=present tense of the verb, to guide OR noun, a heavy metal or graphite in a pencil |
|♣ led=past tense of the verb (pronounced like the noun) |
|o loose/lose: |
|♣ loose=adjective, baggy, not tight; |
|♣ lose=verb, to misplace OR verb, to fail to win |
|o moral/morale: |
|♣ moral=adjective, virtuous, good OR noun, lesson taught by a story |
|♣ morale=noun, mood, spirit, mental condition |
|o patience/patients: |
|♣ patience=state of calmly waiting; |
|♣ patients=plural noun of person receiving medical care |
|o personal/personnel: |
|♣ personal=adjective, private OR adjective, individual; |
|♣ personnel=noun, staff, workers |
|o peace/piece: |
|♣ peace=serenity; |
|♣ piece=a part of a bigger portion |
|o plain/plane: |
|♣ plain=adjective, unadorned, simple OR noun, level land; |
|♣ plane=short for airplane OR carpenter’s tool OR level surface |
|o principal/principle: |
|♣ principal=noun, head of school OR noun, sum of money; |
|♣ principle=basic law or guideline |
|o quiet/quite: |
|♣ quiet=adjective, silent, still |
|♣ quite=adverb, completely, entirely OR adverb, very, considerably |
|o stationary/stationery: |
|♣ stationary=adjective, in a fixed position, immobile |
|♣ stationery=noun, writing supplies and especially paper |
|o straight/strait: |
|♣ straight=adjective, not crooked/curved OR adjective, direct, truthful, honest OR adverb, directly |
|♣ strait=noun, channel between two large bodies of water OR noun, distress, difficulty |
|o than/then: |
|♣ than=used in comparison; |
|♣ then=adverb, next |
|o wear/where: |
|♣ wear=verb, to dress, put on clothes OR to erode; |
|♣ where=location |
|o weather/whether: |
|♣ weather=noun, climate; |
|♣ whether=if |
| |
|III. Learn SPELLING RULES |
| |
|• A) i before e, except after c: |
| |
|Write i before e |
|Except after c |
|Or when sounded like "ay" |
|As in neighbor and weigh. |
|o ie words: believe, brief, chief, field, hierarchy, niece, obedient, relief, yield |
|o ei words: ceiling, conceit, conceive, deceive, perceive, receive, receipt, vein |
|o exceptions to the rule: ancient, caffeine, conscience, science, counterfeit, forfeit, either, neither, financier, feisty, foreign, heist, height, (weight), |
|leisure, seize, seismic, sheik, species, efficient, sufficient, weird |
| |
|• B) PREFIXES: |
|o prefixes are letters added to the beginning of words |
|o when adding a prefix, retain the spelling of the root word |
|o common prefixes and their meanings: |
| |
|OLD ENGLISH: |
| |
| |
| |
|a- |
|in, on, of, up, to |
|abed, afoot, agog |
| |
|for- |
|away, off, from |
|forget, forswear |
| |
|fore- |
|before, previous |
|foretell, forefathers |
| |
|mis- |
|bad, poorly, not |
|misspell, misfire, mistake |
| |
|un- |
|not, opposite of |
|unhappy, unlock |
| |
| |
|LATIN: |
| |
| |
| |
|ab- |
|from, away, off |
|abdicate, abjure |
| |
|ante- |
| |
|before, previous |
|antecedent, anteroom, antediluvian |
| |
|bi- |
|two |
|bisect, biweekly |
| |
|circum- |
|around |
|circumference, circumnavigate |
| |
|com- |
|with, together |
|commotion, complicate |
| |
|de- |
|from, down |
|depart, decrease |
| |
|dis- |
|away from, off, down, not |
|disappear, dissent |
| |
|ex- |
|out, former |
|expatriate, extract |
| |
|in- |
|in, into |
|invade, intrude |
| |
|inter- |
|among, between |
|intercede, interrupt, interstate |
| |
|intra- |
|within |
|intramural, intrastate |
| |
|non- |
|not |
|nonsense, nonentity |
| |
|post- |
|after, following |
|post-election, postscript, postpone |
| |
|pre- |
|before |
|prelapsarian, prevent, predict |
| |
|pro- |
|forward, in place of, in favor of |
|produce, pronoun, pro-Choice/Life |
| |
|re- |
|back, again |
|recurrence, revoke, repeat |
| |
|retro- |
|back, backward |
|retroactive, retrospect |
| |
|semi- |
|half |
|semi-pro, semicircle, semicolon |
| |
|sub- |
|under, beneath |
|subordinate, subjugate |
| |
|super- |
|above, extra |
|supercilious, supernumerary |
| |
|trans- |
|across, beyond, over |
|trans-Siberian, translate, transport |
| |
|ultra- |
|beyond, excessively |
|ultra-modern, ultrasonic, ultraviolet |
| |
| |
|GREEK: |
| |
| |
| |
|a- |
|without, lacking |
|amoral, agnostic |
| |
|anti- |
|against, opposing |
|antipathy, antisocial, anti-war |
| |
|dia- |
|through, across, apart |
|diameter, diagnose |
| |
|hyper- |
|excessive, over |
|hyperdrive, hyperactive, hypertension |
| |
|hypo- |
|under, beneath |
|hypodermic, hypothesis |
| |
|para- |
|beside, beyond |
|parallel, paramilitary, paradox |
| |
|peri- |
|around |
|perimeter, periscope |
| |
|pro- |
|before |
|prognosis, program |
| |
|sym- |
|with, together |
|symbiotic, sympathy, symphony |
| |
| |
| |
|• C) SUFFIXES: |
|o suffixes are letters added to the end of words |
|o double the root word’s final consonant if: |
|♣ the root word ends in a consonant AND |
|♣ a single vowel comes before the consonant AND |
|♣ the root word is one syllable or the last syllable is stressed |
|♣ rappelled, controlling, recurrence, hittable |
|o do not double the root word’s final consonant if: |
|♣ the root word ends in 2 consonants (lifting, reminded) OR |
|♣ 2 vowels come before the consonant (heading, repeated) OR |
| ♣ the last syllable is not stressed (focused, traveled, labeling) |
|o drop the final e from the root word if: |
|♣ the suffix begins with a vowel |
|♣ fatal, opportunity, Grecian |
|o do not drop the final e if: |
|♣ the e is preceded by a c (enforceable, noticeable) OR |
|♣ a soft g (advantageous, courageous ) OR |
|♣ the suffix begins with a consonant (subtlety, fortunately, appeasement) |
|♣ exceptions: (acknowledgment, judgment, truly, wholly, argument) |
|o if the root word ends with a consonant + y, then change the y to i: |
|♣ beautiful, craziness, glorify, hungriest |
|o exceptions: |
|♣ if the suffix begins with an I, keep the , keep the y (studying) |
|o if the root word ends with a vowel + y, then retain the y: |
|♣ payment, staying, boyhood, annoyance |
|o exceptions: |
|♣ daily, gaiety, laid, laity, paid, said |
| |
|• *common suffixes*: |
|1. NOUN SUFFIXES |
| |
|OLD ENGLISH: |
| |
| |
| |
|-dom |
|state, rank, condition |
|serfdom, wisdom |
| |
|-er |
|performer, maker |
|runner, hunter, dancer |
| |
|-hood |
|state, condition |
|parenthood, statehood |
| |
|-ness |
|quality, state |
|greatness, quickness |
| |
|-th |
|act, state, quality |
|warmth, width |
| |
| |
| |
|FOREIGN (Latin, French, Greek): |
| |
| |
| |
|-age |
|process, state, rank |
|passage, bondage |
| |
|-ance |
|act, condition, fact |
|acceptance, vigilance |
| |
|-ard |
|one who does |
|wizard, drunkard |
| |
|-ate |
|rank, office |
|delegate, primate |
| |
|-ation |
|action, state, result |
|occupation, starvation, humiliation |
| |
|-cy |
|state, condition |
|secrecy, accuracy |
| |
|-er |
|performer, dealer in, result |
|baker, diner, rejoinder |
| |
|-ess |
|feminine |
|actress, poetess, waitress |
| |
|-ion |
|action, result, state |
|union, fission |
| |
|-ism |
|act, manner, doctrine |
|barbarism, socialism, feminism |
| |
|-ist |
|performer, believer |
|socialist, feminist |
| |
|-ition |
|action, state, result |
|sedition, expedition, monition |
| |
|-ity |
|state, quality, condition |
|civility, acidity |
| |
|-ment |
|means, result, action |
|government, refreshment, enjoyment |
| |
|-or |
|performer, office, action |
|juror, elevator, governor |
| |
|-tude |
|state, quality, result |
|pulchritude, magnitude, fortitude |
| |
|-ty |
|quality, state |
|activity, enmity, animosity |
| |
| |
| |
|2. ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES |
| |
|OLD ENGLISH: |
| |
| |
| |
|-en |
|made of, like |
|wooden, ashen |
| |
|-ful |
|full of, marked by |
|thankful, cheerful |
| |
|-ish |
|suggesting, like |
|childish, squeamish |
| |
|-less |
|lacking, without |
|childless, hopeless, countless |
| |
|-like |
|similar, like |
|childlike, dreamlike |
| |
|-ly |
|of the nature of, like |
|friendly, bubbly |
| |
|-some |
|apt to, showing |
|winsome, tiresome, lonesome |
| |
|-ward |
|in the direction of |
|backward, northward, homeward |
| |
| |
|FOREIGN: |
| |
| |
| |
|-able |
|able, likely |
|capable, tolerable |
| |
|-ate |
|having, showing |
|separate, desolate |
| |
|-esque |
|like, in the style of |
|grotesque, picturesque, |
|Capra-esque |
| |
|-ible |
|able, likely, fit |
|edible, possible |
| |
|-ous |
|marked by, given to |
|grievous, religious |
| |
| |
|3. VERB SUFFIXES |
| |
|OLD ENGLISH: |
| |
| |
| |
|-en |
|cause to be, become |
|deepen, strengthen, enlighten |
| |
| |
|FOREIGN: |
| |
| |
| |
|-ate |
|become, form, treat |
|animate, sublimate, delineate |
| |
|-esce |
|become, grow, continue |
|acquiesce, convalesce |
| |
|-fy |
|make, cause, cause to have |
|glorify, magnify, fortify |
| |
|-ish |
|do, make, perform |
|punish, finish |
| |
|-ize |
|make, cause to be, treat with |
|sanitize, criticize, sterilize |
| |
| |
|• D) PLURALS: |
| o see "plurals" under the NOUNS section above (follow link) |
| |
|IV. Realize the LIMITS of SPELLCHECKERS |
|• homophones |
|• missing words |
|• proper nouns |
|• technical jargon (and other words not included in its database) |
|• misspelled word is actually another word |
|• you have used the wrong word |
|• you have used apostrophes incorrectly |
| |
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