Spellings are an important part of the English language. According to many English learners and speakers, English spellings are very complicated. There different rules for the formation for different words but at the same time there are many contradictions as well. English spellings often defy logic and are very difficult to guess the spelling of. The reason for this inconsistency is that English is a derived language. It has been derived from languages such as Germanic, Latin and Greek. There are many words in English language that have been derived from words in these languages. Because of this, English spelling suffer inconsistency as each of these languages has different rules for spellings. It is very important for English speakers or ESL speakers to master spellings. Whether you are writing for an academic purpose, as a job requirement or even for the sake of writing for an audience it is essential that you use perfect spellings and don’t make any errors. Misspelled words can bring you a lot of embarrassment in front of your readers and your credibility in their eyes may stoop. If you are writing academically and make spelling errors you may even loose precious marks that could have easily been saved. But set your worries to fire, this blog is the solution to your spelling mistakes. We have put together some tips and tricks that will teach you spellings. You won’t ever be embarrassed because of your misspellings with our help.
1) Learn the spelling rules properly. Even though there are exceptions and many spellings don’t follow the rules, you must learn the rules properly to avoid spelling errors that actually do follow the rules. Start learning the most basic ones then you can work your way up. You can buy English Editing Services spelling books that have the rules in them or better yet you can learn the spelling rules form mobile applications. These applications will teach you the rules along with the examples and they also have the feature of getting yourself tested once you have finished learning a rule. Learning the rules will help you learn the spellings of many commonly used words. Once you learn the rules you will be able to apply them to other words and this will expand your learning.
2) When you learn the rules, you must also learn the exceptions to each rule. They are mostly written along with the rule. Doing this will help you register in your mind that this rule does not apply to these words. It is certainly not easy to remember all these exceptions so you need to put in extra effort to learn them. One thing you can do is make notes and write down the rule along with the words that don’t follow them. You can even use creative ways to show them such as labeling them as ‘naughty words’ as they do not abide by the rules.
3) The best thing you must do first, is to make a list of words that you misspell frequently. Go through your writings and identify the words you spell incorrectly. If you make a list it will be easier for you to practice them. You can either write them in your notebook or make a small notebook of all the difficult words or you can write them on different flash cards. You can look at these flash cards multiple times throughout the day or better yet if you really want to work on improving your spellings you can put these flashcards around your room or your working station. This is called sight reading, when these words will be in your sight you will be able to learn the spellings quicker.
4) Keep a dictionary with you at all times. There are several pocket dictionaries that you can keep in your bag and carry around wherever you go. If you are confused about a spelling, do not risk writing a spelling that you think is right. Use the dictionary and find the correct spelling. This will be a great exercise for you to learn spellings. You will be looking out for the word, and when you find it, you look will look at it. It will not just be registered in your brain but you will also have a photographic memory of what the word looks like. You will be able to remember it when the next time you have to spell it. If you don’t want to carry a print dictionary you can even download an online dictionary on your phone and it will help you quickly access different words.
5) When you download an online dictionary, it has many features that will benefit your spellings and vocabulary such as ‘Word of the Day’. You get a daily notification that presents you a new word each day along with its spelling and meaning. This is a great way to learn new words and learn the spellings of them alongside. It is a quick an efficient way. Even if you do not get an online dictionary you can do the same on your own. At the start of the day open a random page on your print dictionary and learn the first word on that page. This is also a great technique that you can effectively use.
6) Use mnemonics. It is hard remembering spellings. Even if you know how to spell a word, it is very common to forget it. Using mnemonics as a memory aid can work for the most confusing spellings. You can use it in such a way by thinking of other words within that word. For example Secretary, Secret in secretary can work as a mnemonic to learn the spelling. Moreover there are other techniques that you can use for example by constructing a phrase with that word. A very common one is ‘hear with your ear’ this helps you learn the spelling of hear as hear has the word ear in it. Similarly, you can even write a little jingle on the words that you mostly are not able to spell properly. Doing this will help you associate the words to other things and add more to remember thus it can help you remember spellings more efficiently.
7) A very conventional way to learn spellings is to write them multiple times repeatedly. This is a technique that people have been using for a long time. It may be an old method but it surely works. Try it! All you have to do is first write the spelling properly on the top of the page and then write it multiple times under it. After writing it for 5-8 times, cover it up and try to remember the spelling and write it on your own without peeking. This will help you remember spellings with just a little bit of effort.
8) Do crosswords. Crosswords and word puzzles are a great way to practice your spellings. You will be able think about the words and spell them letter by letter. This is will help you imprint the spellings in your head. You can find these crosswords in newspapers or in books that are specially made for crosswords or word puzzles. If you want you can also use technology here and download cross word games on your smart phones or tablets and play them on the go. This is a great way to kill time all the while practicing your spellings.
9) Reading is a very beneficial thing that is often ignored by people. Reading not only improves your vocabulary or your writing skills but it is also a great way to learn the spellings of different words. When you read you unconsciously observe different things. You observe how words are spelt and you look at the structure of the word. The structure helps you make a picture of the word in your mind. This helps you learn the spelling easily.
10) Watch movies and TV series. Go enjoy your life. But wait; always watch the movies and TV series with subtitles. Having subtitles on your screen will make you read and listen to what the characters are saying simultaneously. You will be able to see different words and how they are spelt. This constant reading and observation will help you master spellings from the comfort of your bed and while getting entertained. You can kill two birds with this stone.
The aforementioned points are a great set of guidelines that you can use to achieve great spelling skills. It is high time that you pay attention to your spellings. When you enter the advanced world, such mistakes are going to cause you a lot of worry. You must do something about it while you have the time. Focus on these points and hopefully your spellings will be immaculate.
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