Overview

Misspelled words distract your reader from understanding your ideas. Seeing words spelled properly by reading often will help you become a better speller. You can also become a better speller by learning basic spelling rules and patterns that will help you make better guesses. You can include words that you find especially difficult to spell in a personal word list. Studying these words will help you remember their spelling.

When adding prefixes or suffixes, forming compound words, or forming plurals, you can rely on established spelling rules. However, there are exceptions. When you notice a word that is difficult to spell, say the word out loud to remember the sound pattern. Then look away from the word and visualize it spelled correctly. Write the word to practice spelling it and check your spelling, using an authoritative source—a dictionary, for example. Keep applying this process until your spelling skills improve.

You can use a dictionary to find the correct spelling of a word that you do not know how to spell. You may be able to spell enough of the beginning of the word to find it. If you don’t find the word in the first place you look, keep trying probable spellings, based on sound patterns you know, until you locate the word. By building your vocabulary and improving your spelling skills, you will become more able to effectively communicate your ideas.