1. Spelling Rules!!

2. Rule #1
Write i before e except after c, or when sounded like “ay” as in neighbour and weigh.

3. Examples
field, achieve, believe, chief, piece, pierce, niece, relief, yield, shield, priest

4. BUT, AFTER “C”, use “ei”:
receive, deceive, perceive, ceiling, conceit

5. WHEN ei SOUNDS LIKE “AY”:
sleigh, freight, eight

6. EXCEPTIONS: Rottweiler, seize, either, weird, height, foreign, leisure
More exceptions…
caffeine, science

8. Remember…
*When the ie/ei combination is not pronounced ee, it is usually spelled ei.

9. Rule #2: Double a final consonant before adding a suffix that begins with a vowel if:
The consonant ends a one syllable word (eg. bat)
The consonant follows a single vowel (shop)
The consonant ends a stressed syllable in a multi-syllable word (eg. begin)

10. Examples:
bat – batting; shop- shopping;
begin – beginning

11. Rule #3: If a word ends with a silent e, drop the e before adding a suffix which begins with a vowel.
Examples:
like – liking – likeness; use – using – useful; nine – ninety, nineteen

12. Notice: you do not drop the e when the suffix begins with a consonant.
Exceptions include judgement, truly, argument, and ninth).

13. Rule #4: When y is the last letter in a word and the y is preceded by a consonant, change the y to i before adding any suffix except those beginning with i.
Examples:
fry – fries
hurry- hurried
lady – ladies
happy – happiness
beauty – beautiful

14. Rule #5: The suffix “able” is added to words when there is a clear base word.
Example:
agree + able = agreeable
change + able = changeable

15. Note: When there isn’t a clear base word, add “ible”: Examples:
permiss + ible = permissible
ed + ible = edible
incred + ible + incredible

16. Rule #6: The suffix “ally” or “ly”:
words ending in c usually add “ally” to form the adverb:
basic – basically; drastic – drastically; music -- musically
Other words generally add “ly” to form the adverb:
complete – completely; natural – naturally