Guest Author - Jeanne Rutgers

There is a dangerous myth that is floating around our classrooms, dinner tables, and playgrounds. I’ve heard it for years and at one time I probably believed it myself. It goes something like this: “English is too hard. There are too many exceptions to the spelling rules. There is no way that I can learn how to spell!”

I feel that the problem isn’t the English spelling rules. The problem is that most adults and students don’t know them. With a lack of knowledge about these rules, it seems like every word is an exception. Now it’s time to stop complaining and start learning.

Good spelling starts with good phonics instruction. Very often the focus of phonics is reading. However reading and spelling should be taught simultaneously. For example not only should you be asking your students what does AIsay? You should also be asking them, what are the four most common ways to make the long A sound. (Answer: A in an open syllable, AI, AY at the end of a syllable, or A with a magic E. If you have introduced the less common ways to make the long A sound such as EA as in break, or EI as in weigh you would want your students to be able to list those as well.)

“FlOSS” Rule

The letters F,L, and S double at the end of a one syllable word if they immediately follow a short vowel. “FlOSS” words include grass, miss, hill, tell, stiff and, huff. You don’t double the L in milk” even though the L follows a short vowel, because it is not at the end of the word. Common exceptions to this rule are gas, yes, and bus.

CK Rule

CK comes at the end of a one syllable word after a short vowel. CK words include block, trick, stack. CK is not used at the end of a word like leak because leak does not have a short vowel. CK is also used in words like jacket, and packet.

TCH Rule

TCH is also used at the end of a word after a short vowel. For example crutch has a TCH but church does not because the CH does not come immediately after the short vowel.

I teach those first three rules together or in consecutive lessons because of their similarities.


Hard and Soft C and G

C always makes hard sound unless it is followed by an E, I or Y. Cat has a hard C, but cell has a soft C because it is followed by an E. Words like jacket and packet use a CK so that the hard C sound remains. If the K were eliminated from jacket the C would make a soft sound. In words like dance, or pounce, the E is not making the vowel long. It is changing the C to a soft sound.

G is a little trickier. G usually makes a hard sound, but it CAN make a soft sound if it followed by an I, E, or Y. For example G is hard in game, golf, greed. It is soft in gym, gentle, and giant. The soft G rule explains words like vegetable. The second E is making the G soft.

DGE Rule.

This leads us to the DGE/GE rule. Js don’t like to be at the end of the word. If we need to make a J sound at the end of a word we use GE or DGE. These include words like huge, ledge, fudge and cage. We use a DGE immediately after a short vowel. The D protects the short vowel from the E so the vowel sound doesn’t change. We don’t use a DGE in a word like fringe, because the N is already protecting the vowel from the E.

Next week we will discuss rules for adding suffixes. In order to understand the rules for suffix addition it is import to understand the six syllable types. For a description of the six syllable types click here