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SPELLING RULES

This is a partial list of the many, many spelling rules. Please keep

in mind that there are exceptions to every rule. There are also

many words that are non-phonetic and do not follow any rules.

These words must be memorized.

I. DEFINITONS

1. Consonants:

A. Single consonant: All of the alphabet except a, e, i, o, u.

B. Consonant diagraphs: two consonants which together make one

consonant sound

1. Basic diagraphs: ch, sh, th, wh, ng, nk

2. Other diagraphs: ck, ph, gh, wr, kn, gn, mn, mb

C. Blends: two or three consonants said together, each keeping its own

sound: br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr, scr, bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sc, sk, sm, sn, sp,st, sw, tw

2. Vowels:

A. Single vowels: a, e, i, o, u, sometimes y

B. Vowel diagraphs: a single vowel is always long, the second silent: ai,

ay, ea, ee, ei, ie, oa, oe, oo, ou, ow, ue, ui

3. Syllable: a word or part of a word that contains one vowel sound

4. Suffix: an ending added onto a root word: er, ed, ing, est

II. ALPHABET PRONUNTIATION (have the students to practice with all the letters)

What Phonics Rules Should I Know?

Because the English language is so complex, there are many phonics rules.

Knowing the phonics rules that apply most often can be a major aid to

identifying words and improving comprehension in your reading. But keep in

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mind there are some words that don't follow the rules. You will just have to

watch out for these exceptions.

Here are the most useful phonics rules you should know:

1. Every syllable in every word must contain a vowel. The vowels are: a, e, i, o, u, and

y (although y is a consonant when at the beginning of a word).

2. When "c" is followed by "e, i, or y," it usually has the soft sound of "s." Example:

city.

3. When "g" is followed by "e, i, or y," it usually has the soft sound of "j." Example:

gem.

4. A consonant digraph is two or more consonants that are grouped together and

represent a single sound. Here are consonant digraphs you should know: wh (what),

sh (shout), wr (write), kn (know), th (that), ch (watch), ph (laugh), tch (watch), gh

(laugh), ng (ring).

5. When a syllable ends in a consonant and has only one vowel, that vowel is short.

Examples: tap, bed, wish, lock, bug.

6. When a syllable ends in a silent "e," the vowel that comes before the silent "e" is

long. Examples: take, gene, bite, hope, fuse.

7. When a syllable has two vowels together, the first vowel is usually long and the

second vowel is silent. Example: stain.

8. When a syllable ends in a vowel and is the only vowel, that vowel is usually long.

Examples: ba/ker, be/come, bi/sect, go/ing, fu/ture, my/self.

9. When a vowel is followed by "r" in the same syllable, the vowel is neither long nor

short. Examples: charm, term, shirt, corn, surf.

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Phonetic Rules for

Spelling taken in part from Professor Phonics Gives Sound Advice by Monica Foltzer, M. Ed. St. Ursula Academy 1965, 1974, 1976 1. Vowel Rule 1: When there is only one vowel in a word or syllable

and the vowel comes between two consonants, the vowel is usually

short.

ex. back, fed, gun, cut, fig

2. Vowel Rule 2: When there is only one vowel in a word or syllable

and the vowel comes at the beginning of the word, the vowel is

usually short.

ex: egg, off, it, add, us

3. Vowel Rule 3: When a syllable has 2 vowels together, the first

vowel is usually long and the second is silent. Eg: "rain, meat, coat,

res/cue, day,". NOTE: Diphthongs don't follow this rule

ex: maid, hear, cute, coat, tied

4. Vowel Rule 4: When there is only one vowel in a word or syllable

and the vowel comes at the end, the vowel is usually long.

ex: why, no, he

5. Vowel Rule 5: When a is followed by u, w, r, ll, and lt in the same

syllable, it often has the third sound of a, the Italian a.

ex: haul, pause, scar, fall, pawn, fault

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6. Vowel Rule 6: When Y comes at the end of a two or more

syllable word, Y has the sound of long e if the Y syllable is

unaccented.

ex: funny, penny, soapy, flaky, tidy

7. Vowel Rule 7: When Y comes at the end of a two or more

syllable word, Y has the sound of long i if the Y syllable is

accented.

ex: defy, comply, identify, supply, multiply

8. Vowel Rule 8: When words end with the suffix -ing, -ed, or -er,

the first vowel is usually short if it comes between two consonants.

ex: skinned, helper, canned, robber, shunned

9. Vowel Rule 9: When words end with the suffix -ing, -ed, or -er,

the first vowel is usually long if it comes before a single consonant.

ex: tamer, noted, user, zoning, cubed,

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The Long Vowel Rule (1)

Long Vowel Rule (1): When a word has two vowel, usually the first vowel says its name and the second vowel is silent.

1. Long vowel a words

mail gain bake ape paint gray

nail main cake tape day play

pail pain lake ate hay pray

rail rain make hate lay stay

sail train rake late may stray

tail mane take date pay tray

came vane pale gate say fade

game wave sale bait way made

name save whale wait clay grade

2. Long vowel e words

sea seal fear beef wheat sheep

tea beam hear meek seem sleep

reach team near seek seen deer

teach bean bee feel teen feet

beak mean tree heal green meet

weak heap free peel deep beet

heal leap feed hear peep greet

meal ear need meat weep key

real dear weed seat creep three

3. Long vowel i words

hide bike dime vine pie dive

ride like lime wipe tie five

side hike time pipe fire hive

tide file chime ripe hire cry

wide mile dine rise tire dry

bridge pile fine wise wire fly

glide tile line size bite fry

pride smile mine prize kite try

slide while pine die white sky

4. Long vowel o words

road coat hole rope stove grow

load goat pole nose bow know

toad hoe stole rose low show

oak toe home close mow slow

soak rode bone chose row snow

foam joke cone hose tow throw

roam poke tone note blow boast

soap spoke stone vote crow roast

boat smoke hope dove flow toast

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5. Long vowel u words

suite June true new chew flew

fruit tune use pew drew slew

juice prune fuse crew grew stew

cute blue dew knew screw mew

flute clue few mule threw cube

dune glue hew rule blew tube

The Long Vowel Rule (2)

Long Vowel Rule (2): If a word has one vowel and it comes at the end of the word, that word usually

has a long vowel sound.

6. Long vowel words that follow Rule 2

he we why lo yo-yo Exceptions:

me by go no be do

she my so so hi to

The Long Vowel Rule (3)

Long Vowel Rule (3): The vowel i and o have the long vowel sound when followed by two or more

consonants usually has a long vowel sound.

7. Long vowel words that follow Rule 2

child mind light old colt most

bind blind night cold colt post

find grind right fold jolt roll

hind high bright hold volt toll

kind fight flight told both stroll

Vowel Rule No.4

When a word end in ck, it usually has the short

vowel sound.

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Short vowel words that end in ck

black neck sock duck quack sick

jack check block truck snack brick

pack speck clock cluck track chick

sack dock flock pluck kick quick

tack lock knock stuck lick stick

black rock stuck truck pick trick

Vowel Rule No.5

When there is only one vowel in a word or syllable and the vowel

comes between two consonants, the vowel is usually short.

Examples: back, fed, gun, cut, fig, put,