How can I get better at spelling?

Question



Answer 1

Understand Latin and Greek roots. If you can remember the roots of various parts of a word, it can help to spell it. Take the word bicycle. Bi indicates two, or a double, and cycle indicates a circle. Instead of looking at the whole word (which might lead you to spell it as bycicle, which I used to do all the time) you can look at the parts of the word to see if you can recall any recognizable parts. If you remember the root "bi," you'll remember that its spelled B-I. If you remember the root cycle, you'll remember it has a Y in it, and you can put together "bi" and "cycle" for "bicycle." (Another way knowing roots helps here: many Greek roots have Y's in them, so that can help you remember where the Y goes.)

You also don't even have to know what the roots mean to use them to break down words into pieces. You can think of other words you know that sound similar, like tricycle and cyclical, to help identify the different parts of the word. Recalling "tricycle" reminds you that "cycle" has its own separate meaning and spelling within the word, and recalling "cyclical" might help you remember that "cycle" has a Y.

Applying an understanding of Latin and Greek roots to affixes will also really help. You can use websites like affix.org to get lists of affixes and all the words they attach to.

Here is the entry for bi: https://www.affixes.org/alpha/b/bi-.html

Here is the entry for cyclos: https://www.affixes.org/alpha/c/cyclo-.html

Answer 2

Hello Scholar

It tis important to understand the words that you are learning to spell. Each word is made up of syllables.

To improve your spelling you can create flashcards and practice with those.

Write each word 3-5 times

Use each word in a sentence.

Look up each word in the dictionary

Most important is to listen to the sounds of the letters as you say the word.

Pronounce it phonetically.

English is a tricky language because of the silent letters and letters that sound the same but are not.

Practice is the best way.

Answer 3

Hi Scholar!

I understand spelling can oftentimes be a very challenging skill, especially in high-stressful situations such as:

-Spelling tests for school

-The official Spelling Bee preparation

-Editing writing before submitting a final draft

-Business/career related writing in a work setting

Here are a few tips I have that may aid you in improving your spelling skills:

1. When working with a specific set of spelling words- write out each word atleast 7 times (The reason for this lies in the fact that you are engaging both your eyes, when you view the word multiple times, and your hand, which is writing each letter continuously in the same order thus engaging multiple senses at the same time)
2. Look into the etymology of the word (This refers to the roots/origins and/or derivations of the word)
3. Listen to the word being pronounced correctly by consulting a reliable online source
4. Revisit or learn what syllables are and practice chopping up each spelling word by syllable (This is you can better hear and understand the phonetics of the word)

I hope this is helpful and I wish you the best of luck with your spelling goals. Please feel free to reach out if you would like to ask anything, schedule a session or just say hello!

Answer 4

Hi there!

Spelling can be a difficult skill to practice since there are so many different ways to spell syllables depending on the language of origin. I used to compete in spelling bees, and a few tricks that helped me were as follows:

These first three are good for studying for a specific spelling test:

1. Group words by etymology if applicable.

If you have several words derived from the same Latin, French, Arabic, etc. root word, it can help you understand the patterns that the language uses. For example, a unit or book may contain many words from the Latin root for "knowledge," scientia. Even though remembering the "s before c rule" can be tricky, this can help you learn how to spell many confusing words: conscience, senscience, etc. This pattern can be helpful for many, many words, especially if you are studying a group of related vocabularly words for a spelling test.

2. Speak it, write it, and trace it on your hand.

Practicing in many formats will help you remember more easily. One trick that helps me practice for spelling bees is to verbally speak the letters while tracing the shape of them on my palm. This combines kinesthetic, auditory, visual, and verbal learning types.

3. Break the word into syllables or "chunks."

- This may seem natural, but by understanding the phonics of each syllable, it can help you understand patterns.

These last handful are more helpful for practicing spelling in general:

1. If you watch TV, leave the closed captions on.

2. When you read books, devote time to marking and looking up any words you are not familiar with.

3. Play word games like online Scrabble and anagrams - for younger students, educational games on ABC Mouse and Cool Math Games may be helpful.

Good luck!