2. EXPECTANCIES HOW WORDS CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE SPELLED

3. EXPECTANCIES Expectancies tell us how we can EXPECT a word to be spelled. These are not RULES since they are not 100% dependable, but they’ll give a person a definite advantage in predicting how a word is spelled because they work most of the time.

4. -CK EXPECTANCY: WORDS THAT END WITH THE /K/ SOUND ONE syllable words with ONE SHORT vowel sound that end with the /k/ sound are spelled with a -ck at the end.

5. -CK EXAMPLES BackBack PackPack RackRack ShackShack KnackKnack DeckDeck BeckBeck NeckNeck CheckCheck WreckWreck PeckPeck KickKick Lick Stick Thick Chick Lock Knock Rock Block Buck Tuck Truck Struck

6. -TCH EXPECTANCY: W0RDS THAT END WITH THE /CH/ SOUND ONE syllable words with ONE SHORT vowel sound that end with the /ch/ sound are spelled with –tch at the end.

7. -TCH EXAMPLES Ditch Ditch Hitch Hitch Pitch Pitch Snitch Snitch Stitch Stitch Switch Switch Twitch Twitch Blotch Blotch Splotch Splotch Dutch Dutch Crutch Crutch Clutch Clutch Batch Batch Catch Catch Hatch Hatch Latch Latch Match Match Patch Patch Thatch Thatch Scratch Scratch Fetch Fetch Retch Retch Stretch Stretch

8. -DGE EXPECTANCY: WORDS THAT END WITH THE /J/ SOUND ONE syllable words with ONE SHORT vowel sound that end with the /j/ sound are spelled with –dge at the end. Note: The silent e can’t jump over two letters to make the vowel sound long!

9. -DGE EXAMPLES Badge Badge Edge Edge Hedge Hedge Ledge Ledge Wedge Wedge Pledge Pledge Dredge Dredge Ridge Ridge Bridge Bridge Dodge Dodge Lodge Lodge Budge Budge Fudge Fudge Judge Judge Nudge Nudge Grudge Grudge Sludge Sludge Smudge Smudge Trudge Trudge

10. SOFT C (/S/) AND SOFT G(/J/) EXPECTANCIES If an I, E, or Y follows a C or a G, it makes them have the SOFT sound. The soft sound for C is /S/. The SOFT sound for G is /J/.

11. SOFT C(/S/) AND SOFT G(/J/) EXAMPLES Cell Cell Cent Cent City City Cycle Cycle Dance Dance Prance Prance Race Race Center Center Certain Certain Cider Cider Place Place Cyclone Cyclone Cymbal Cymbal Gem Gem Germ Germ Gym Gym Generous Generous Gentle Gentle Page Page Wage Wage Giant Giant Ginger Ginger Giraffe Giraffe Genuine Genuine Geography Geography Geometry Geometry

12. LITTLE FISH SWIM ZIG ZAGS ONE syllable words with ONE short vowel that END with L, F, S, or Z usually have the L, F, S, or Z DOUBLED. Get it? Little Fish Swim Zig Zags

13. Little Fish Swim Zig Zags Examples  Ball  Call  Mall  Hall  Tall  Fall  Squall  Bell  Cell  Fell  Yell  Smell  Spell  Bill  Fill  Hill  Skill  Doll  Stroll  Bull  Pull  Skull  Staff  Tiff  Cliff  Stiff  Sniff  Off  Buff  Huff  Bluff

14. More Examples of Little Fish Swim Zig Zags  Bass  Lass  Mass  Pass  Brass  Class  Grass  Less  Mess  Chess  Dress  Press  Guess  Hiss  Kiss  Miss  Boss  Loss  Toss  Cross  Floss  Fuss  Puss  Jazz  Fizz  Frizz  Buzz  Fuzz

15. Some OUTLAW Words to the Little Fish Swim Zig Zags Expectancy  Bus and gas are exceptions to Little Fish Swim Zig Zags because they are short words for gasoline and omnibus.  Function words such as is, was, his, of, if, and as are exceptions to Little Fish Swim Zig Zags.

16. Plurals Plural words are words that mean MORE than one.

17. Rules for Plural Words Add S to make most nouns plural. Add S to make most nouns plural. Girls, computers, Girls, computers, Desks, kids, chairs, Desks, kids, chairs, Coats, cars, trucks, Coats, cars, trucks, Stairs, halls, papers, Stairs, halls, papers, Towels, books, tapes, Towels, books, tapes, CDs, pens, pencils, CDs, pens, pencils, Dogs, goats, tests Dogs, goats, tests Add ES to words that end in s, sh, ch, or x. Add ES to words that end in s, sh, ch, or x. Classes, passes, kisses, Classes, passes, kisses, Wishes, pushes, dishes, Wishes, pushes, dishes, Inches, patches, churches, Inches, patches, churches, Boxes, foxes, sixes Boxes, foxes, sixes (You can HEAR the E sound before the S. It sounds like /ez/.) (You can HEAR the E sound before the S. It sounds like /ez/.)

18. The Y Rule for Plurals If a word ends with a consonant before the Y, Change the Y to an i and add e s. If a word ends with a consonant before the Y, Change the Y to an i and add e s. Cities, ladies, babies, ponies, cries, pennies, kitties, abilities, capacities, fantasies, bodies Cities, ladies, babies, ponies, cries, pennies, kitties, abilities, capacities, fantasies, bodies If a word ends with a vowel before the Y, If a word ends with a vowel before the Y, DON’T change the Y, just add S. Monkeys, plays, boys, toys, trays, essays, turkeys

19. Doubling Rule When adding an -ed or and –ing to a ONE syllable word with ONE SHORT vowel that ends with ONE consonant, DOUBLE that last letter. Note: this way the e in the –ed can’t jump over the last 2 letters to make the vowel sound long (say its name).

20. Examples Hop = hopped Gab = gabbed Tag = tagged Stop = stopped Nap = napped Rip = ripped Lug = lugged Plug = plugged Bug = bugged Jog = jogged Tap = tapped Trot = trotted Hop = hopping Gab = gabbing Tag = tagging Stop = stopping Nap = napping Rip = ripping Lug = lugging Plug = plugging Bug = bugging Jog = jogging Tap = tapping Trot = trotting

21. Drop the Silent E Rule In a One Syllable word with a LONG vowel sound and a SILENT E at the end, DROP the silent E before adding –ed or –ing!

22. Examples of the Drop the Silent E Rule  Hope + -ing = hoping  Name + -ing = naming  Bike + -ing = biking  Poke + -ing = poking  Rake + -ing = raking  Rule + -ing = ruling  Close + -ing = closing  Vote + -ing = voting  Tube + -ing + tubing  Time + -ing = timing  Tape + -ing = taping  Size + -ing = sizing  Hope + -ed = hoped  Name + -ed = named  Bike + -ed = biked  Poke + -ed = poked  Rake + -ed = raked  Rule + -ed = ruled  Close + -ed = closed  Vote + -ed = voted  Tube + -ed = tubed  Time + -ed = timed  Tape + -ed = taped  Size + -ed = sized

23. Contractions are two words that have been forced together to make a smaller word. Use an apostrophe (‘) to show where the missing letter is missing.

24. Examples of Contractions Can not = can’t Can not = can’t Are not = aren’t Are not = aren’t Could not = couldn’t Could not = couldn’t Would not = wouldn’t Would not = wouldn’t Should not = shouldn’t Should not = shouldn’t Did not = didn’t Did not = didn’t Had not = hadn’t Had not = hadn’t Has not = hasn’t Has not = hasn’t Have not = haven't Have not = haven't He is = he’s He is = he’s She will = she’ll She will = she’ll I will = I’ll I will = I’ll I am = I’m I am = I’m Is not = isn’t Is not = isn’t Would have = would’ve Would have = would’ve Should have = should’ve Should have = should’ve I have = I’ve I have = I’ve You are = you’re You are = you’re They are = they’re They are = they’re Will not = won’t Will not = won’t Were not = weren’t Were not = weren’t Who is = who’s Who is = who’s

25. Suffixes are word parts added to the END of a word to change its meaning. If a base word ends with an E and the suffix begins with a VOWEL, drop the E before adding the suffix. Examples: Love + -able = lovable Complete + -ing = completing Describe + -ing = describing Imagine + -able = imaginable Excuse + -able = excusable Surprise + -ing = surprising