Writer's Choice Grade 7

Unit 23: Vocabulary and Spelling

Overview

Languages grow and change through borrowing words from other languages. Because English is spoken in areas that have had influences from many different cultures, it has borrowed words from many languages, including those spoken in Africa, India, Mexico, and Europe. Because of the vast linguistic influences in English, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out new word meanings.

There are several ways to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. One way is to use context clues in the words and sentences around the unfamiliar word. Another way is to look at the parts of the word: the root, prefix, and suffix. The root is the main part. Prefixes and suffixes are added to the beginning and ending of roots. Knowing the meanings of common roots, prefixes, and suffixes can help you determine a word’s meaning.

English contains some tricky words. Pairs of words that are spelled alike or that sound alike are called homonyms. Sometimes you may have to stop and think about which word, or which meaning, a writer is using.

Writers often use synonyms and antonyms to make their writing more interesting and meaningful. Synonyms are words that have the same, or nearly the same, meaning. Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings.

Sometimes, English spellings can seem strange. For most spellings, though, there are standard rules to follow. Knowing these rules will make writing much easier.