My Spelling Mini Office

Question 1

Vowels

Answer 1

A, E, I, O, U (sometimes Y)

Question 2

Consonants

Answer 2

b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z

Question 3

Silent e

Answer 3

Adding a silent e to a word changes the sound of the first vowel from short to long.
tap –> tape
rip –> ripe
cub –> cube

Question 4

Vowel Patterns:
Short Vowels
Long Vowels

Answer 4

Short Vowels
only 1 vowel is needed
Pattern: VC or CVC
at, it, off, ill, car, bag, doll

Long Vowels
2 vowels are needed
Pattern: VVC, CVV, or VCV
nail, deer, cue, pie, make, rode

Question 5

Vowel Patterns:

The Protective Consonant

Answer 5

A double consonant between vowels (VCCV) “protects” a short vowel and prevents it from being changed to a long vowel when the second vowel is added.

mad—> madder
run–> running
hop–> hopped

The consonants v, j, k, w, and x are never doubled. (No normal English word ends in v. A final v is always spelled ve regardless of the preceding vowel sound.)

Question 6

When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.

Answer 6

rain, dream, aunt, beet, receive, say, dear, soap, tie.

Question 7

“i” before “e” except after “c” or when sounding like “a”.

Answer 7

“i” before “e”
grieve, belief, field, friend, alien, parties

except after “c”
receive, ceiling

or when sounding like “a”
neighbor, weigh, beige eight

Question 8

the /kw/ sound is always spelled

Answer 8

qu

quail, queen, quilt, question, quiet, quit

Question 9

Adding Prefixes

is easy- don’t change anything; just add the prefix.

Answer 9

mis + spell = misspell
dis + appear = disappear
un + safe = unsafe
im + proper = improper

Question 10

Letters C and G

can have a hard sound or a soft sound when followed by e, i, or y

Answer 10

Letters C and G
can have a hard sound
cap, coat, cut, crack, goat, gang great, guy

or a soft sound when followed by e, i, or y
cent, cereal, city, cyber, giraffe, gerbil, gem, gypsy.

Question 11

the /j/ sound
j- usually used when followed by an, a, o, or u.

g- used when followed when followed by an, e, i, or y.

dge- usually used after a short vowel sound.

Answer 11

the /j/ sound
j- usually used when followed by an, a, o, or u.
jug, major, jungle, adjust

g- used when followed when followed by an, e, i, or y.
aging, gentle, gym

dge- usually used after a short vowel sound.
judge, dodge, edge

Question 12

Adding Suffixes
When adding a suffix that begins with a consonant…
don’t change anything - just add the suffix.

Answer 12

care + less = careless
loyal + ty = loyalty
soft + ly = softly

Exceptions

1. when changing final y to i, like happiness, merriment.
2. In certain words like truly, ninth, wholly

Question 13

Adding Suffixes
When adding a suffix that begins with a vowel…
and the root word end in silent e, drop the sliente.

Answer 13

hope + ed = hoped
age + ing = aging
fame + ous = famous

Exceptions:
1. To keep the soft c or g sound, don’t drop e before -able or -ous.
noticeable, changeable, corageous, outrageous
2. In certain words like acreage, mileage, vefeance.

Question 14

Adding Suffixes

change the final -y to an -i

Answer 14

happy + ly = happily
apply + ed = applied
study + ous = studious
pappy + es = puppies

Exceptions:
1. when adding -ing, keep the final y- studying, applying.
2. In some words that end in a vowel and y, keep the y.
stayed, player, joyous, grayest.

Question 15

Adding Suffixes

double the final consonant if it has a single vowel before it nad the final (or only) syllable is accented.

Answer 15

drag + ed = dragged
begin + ing = beginning
red + er = redder
occur + ence = occurence

Note:
The doubling is not done if the accent is not on the last syllable.
benefit + ed = benefited
happening + ing = happening