Below are listed the spelling rules on which you will be tested each Tuesday. Also listed are five of the ten words which will be on the test. The other five words will be words which fit the rule, but you will not be given them ahead of time. You will need to learn and understand the spelling rule so you can apply it during the test. There will also be a bonus question or two each week for extra credit. These could be review words from previous weeks, the definition of a particular spelling word, something we studied in GOTCHA, etc. Once again, you will not know this ahead of time, but good study habits like really learning your words each week and looking up words which are new to you will be rewarded (smile). If you don't understand a rule or ever need help, be sure to ASK! This site has some hints for studying spelling: Spelling Resources and this one is interactive:Commonly Misspelled Words. If you would like to hear the words pronounced (and find out what else we're doing in class this week, call the home-phone 24-hour recording at 955-6942, teacher number 5202 (area code 352).
Week One: Y usually makes the long e sound at the end of a multi- syllable word.
Week Two: Y usually makes the long i sound when it is at the end of the first syllable or at the end of a one syllable word.
Week Three: Y usually makes the short i sound when it is in the middle of a syllable not ending in silent e.
Week Four: When a suffix is added to a word ending in y preceded by a consonant, the y is usually changed to i.
Week Five: When a suffix is added to word ending in y preceded by a vowel, the word usually does not change.
Week Six: When a suffix beginning with a vowel is added to a word ending in silent e, the e is usually dropped.
Week Seven: When a prefix is added to a word, do not drop a letter from either the prefix or the base word.
Week Eight: When the suffix -ly is added to a word ending in l, both l's are retained. When -ness is added to a word ending in n, retain both the n's.
Week Nine: Only one English word ends in -sede: supersede. Three other words end in -ceed: exceed, proceed, and succeed. All other verbs ending in the sound "seed" are spelled -cede.