HOW TECHNOLOGY MURDERED THE SPELLING SKILLS

One of the inherent problems of the invention of the electronic media is the adverse effect on the spelling skills.

Many users are unsure of the correct spellings of words.

Users of the English Language encounter the problem of identifying the American and British spellings.

This is a big confusion as users continue to lament, “Which should I use?”

Here are few examples:
American spelling: Color,Center, Meter,Realize,Traveling, Check

British Spelling: Colour, Centre, Metre, Realise, Travelling, Cheque.

Let’s examine some spelling rules that can be of help for users.

RULE ONE

In a word that ends with the silent “e”, by adding a suffix that begins with a vowel sound; the silent E is dropped.

Examples
Survive+al becomes survival
Note that the final E that ends SURVIVE has been dropped.

However, the rule cannot be applied in these situations

1. In a word in which the silent E is preceded by the soft C or G.

What are soft C&G.
A soft C is usually pronounced as S while a soft G is pronounced as J.

Examples

Rice…contains a soft C
Giant contains a soft G.

Examine these spelling

Notice+able becomes Noticeable
Change+able becomes Changeable
Also, the silent E is retained if by dropping it a word can be confused for another word.
Dye can be mistaken for Die by adding a suffix.
Dye+ing becomes Dyeing
Die+ing becomes Dying
Singe+ing becomes Singeing
Sing+ing becomes Singing

RULE TWO

In a word that ends with the silent E,by adding a suffix that begins with a consonant sound,the silent E is retained
Examples
Manage+ment becomes Management.
The following words are exceptions
Argument, Judgment, Acknowledgment, Ninth,Awful and Twelfth.

RULE THREE

In a word that ends with a single consonant that is preceded by a single vowel,by adding a suffix;the final consonant is doubled
Beg+ed becomes begged
Plan+er becomes planner

RULE FOUR

In a word that contains two syllables in which the stress is on the second syllable,by adding a suffix;the final consonant is doubled
Begin+ing becomes beginning
Refer+ed becomes referred

RULE FIVE

In a word that contains the letters I/E, the letters are arranged as EI where they are preceded by the soft C,or when they produce a long vowel.
Examples
Receive
Perceive
Seize
But IE in:
Achieve
Believe

RULE SIX

In a word that ends with the letter Y, by adding a suffix,Y becomes I except for a Y that is preceded and followed by a vowel sound
Joy+ous becomes Joyous

I hope you have learnt something new in this edition.

To improve your spelling skills,read novels and other books regularly .Make your dictionaries your best companion.

References

Aronoff M and Fudeman K. 2007: What is Morphology? Australia: Blackwell

Denham K and Lobeck A. 2010. Linguistics for Everyone. USA: Wadsworth

Finnegan. E. 2008 Language Its Structure and Use . Australia: Wadsworth

Fromkin. V, Rodman. R.and Hyams. N. 2014. An Introduction to Language USA: Wadsworth

Leiber. R. 2015. Introducing Morphology United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.