Two Handy English Language Spelling Rules For Learners and Teachers

When teaching English, you always want to be that mythical teacher who everybody will remember in years to come as the one who transformed their lives. I have the perfect English accent. yet somethimes teaching English to others baffles me.

However, I have two simple rules I can use to amuse.

Sometimesa complicated problem has a simple solution.

Just solving s small problem gives you the courage to set off on the road to solving all the other problems.

My two favourite Engish spelling rules are:
Rule 1

1 i before e except after c
or when sounded like ay as in neighbour and weigh.

I tried turning this around to weigh and neighbour because it is easier to remember wighing your neighbour than your neighbour weighing something. However, the rhythm of the sentence makes it easier to remember the standard version.

Rule 2

How to spell necessary?
Remember a shirt or blouse or dress has one collar and two sleeves.
c ss
necessary

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and phtographer, author and speaker, teacher of languages.

Accurate English and Correct Spelling

Grammar

I find Grammarly very helpful. It often adds a comma after a words such as however when I have used ti to start a sentence.  If you are writing a speech, or reading aloud to check the sense, the commas indicate pauses.

Spelling

I love looking at word lists and spelling errors. The funniest I've found today was deity wrongly spelled diety. I am diety but not a deity.


Common Spelling Mistakes
wrong - right (depeding on context)

compliment (praise and flattery) - for complement (part of the matching whole or set)
complimentary (free) - complementery (part of the set, matching, going with it, completing)
dairy - diary
stationary (cars) - for stationery (letters)

Useful Websites

grammarly.com

https://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Common-Spelling-Mistakes-when-Writing-a-wikiHow-Article

https://www.wikihow.com/Sample/Spelling-Rules

https://www.wikihow.com/Sample/Common-Misspellings

https://www.wikihow.com/Sample/Spelling-Tips-and-Tricks

NB Many websites use American English and some of the words they list as wrong spelling would be correct if you were writing British English for a British speaking audience.

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and Photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.