About Spellings
A spelling question gives four spellings of the same word and asks which one is right. The word is nearly always one that learners get wrong in a predictable way, so the question is really asking whether you know the rule behind that particular mistake: a doubled consonant, the ie and ei pair, or a vowel that shifts in an unstressed syllable.
What you need to understand
- A consonant is often doubled after a short vowel: accommodate, committee, necessary, occurrence.
- The rule of i before e except after c covers receive and deceive, but there are real exceptions, among them seize, weird and their.
- Words ending in -able and -ible sound almost the same. -able is far commoner and is used when the stem is a complete word, as in changeable.
- The endings -ance and -ence, and -ant and -ent, are decided by the word, not by the sound: attendance but existence.
- A vowel in an unstressed syllable is usually pronounced the same whatever letter it is, which is why separate and definitely are so often written with an a.
- A single letter can turn one word into another. from and form, quiet and quite, and diary and dairy are all pairs where a misspelling is still a real word.
- British and American spellings differ, in colour and color, and in judgement and judgment. A question uses one of the two throughout, and mixing them is a mistake.
- A long word can be checked by breaking it into parts. Accommodate is ac-com-mo-date, and each part has to be spelt on its own.
How to work through these questions
- Read the meaning given and decide which word is being asked for.
- Break the word into syllables and spell each one separately. Most errors happen where two syllables meet.
- Ask whether a consonant is doubled. Doubling happens after a short vowel and before a suffix, as in omitted and preferred.
- Check any ie or ei. If the letter before the pair is c, the order is usually ei, as in receive.
- Look at the ending. Decide between -able and -ible, or between -ance and -ence, on the word itself rather than on the sound.
- Compare the four options letter by letter and find where they differ. The difference is almost always in one place, and that place is what the question is testing.
- If two options both look possible, remember that one of them may be a different word that is correctly spelt. Only one of the four is the word being asked for.
Mistakes that cost marks
- Choosing the spelling that sounds right. In an unstressed syllable the sound gives almost no clue to the letter.
- Assuming the longest option is correct, when doubling a consonant that should not be doubled is just as wrong as leaving it out.
- Treating a correctly spelt but different word as a misspelling. from is not a misspelling of form, and both are words.
- Mixing British and American forms, so that colour and color appear in the same answer.
- Doubling the wrong consonant, as in occassion rather than occasion, where it is the c that doubles and not the s.
- Dropping a letter that is barely pronounced, as in goverment for government and enviroment for environment.
Worked example
Which is the correct spelling of the word meaning "needed, and impossible to do without"?
- The word being asked for is necessary.
- Break it into parts: nec-es-sary.
- The first part is nec, and the c is doubled after the short e, giving necc.
- The second part is es, and the s is doubled as well, giving neces.
- The ending is -ary and not -ery, because the word is an adjective in -ary.
- Putting the parts together gives n-e-c-e-s-s-a-r-y.
- The doubled c and the doubled s are the two places the word is usually got wrong, and both are doubled here.
Answer: necessary
Practice questions with answers
A few Spellings questions with the full solution shown, so you can see
how the method is applied before you attempt the timed set.
Question 1
One of these words means a place where the dead are buried. Which spelling of it is correct?
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A
cametery
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B
cematery
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C
cemetary
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D
cemetery
Answer: Option D — with explanation
The word meaning a place where the dead are buried is spelt 'cemetery'.\nThe other three are misspellings of it: 'cematery', 'cametery', 'cemetary'.
Common mistakes
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: cametery
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: cemetary
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: cematery
Question 2
One of these words means not controlled or supported by anyone else. Which spelling of it is correct?
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A
indeppendent
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B
independent
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C
indepandent
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D
indapendent
Answer: Option B — with explanation
The word meaning not controlled or supported by anyone else is spelt 'independent'.\nThe other three are misspellings of it: 'indeppendent', 'indapendent', 'indepandent'.
Common mistakes
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: indepandent
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: indeppendent
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: indapendent
Question 3
One of these words means the achieving of what was wanted. Which spelling of it is correct?
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A
succes
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B
success
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C
sucess
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D
succass
Answer: Option B — with explanation
The word meaning the achieving of what was wanted is spelt 'success'.\nThe other three are misspellings of it: 'succass', 'sucess', 'succes'.
Common mistakes
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: succass
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: sucess
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: succes
Question 4
Which of the following is the correct spelling of the word meaning to be given or to take delivery of something?
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A
receive
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B
raceive
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C
recieve
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D
recceive
Answer: Option A — with explanation
The word meaning to be given or to take delivery of something is spelt 'receive'.\nThe other three are misspellings of it: 'recieve', 'raceive', 'recceive'.
Common mistakes
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: recieve
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: recceive
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: raceive
Question 5
One of these words means concerned with doing rather than with theory. Which spelling of it is correct?
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A
practiccal
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B
practical
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C
practicel
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D
prectical
Answer: Option B — with explanation
The word meaning concerned with doing rather than with theory is spelt 'practical'.\nThe other three are misspellings of it: 'practiccal', 'prectical', 'practicel'.
Common mistakes
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: practiccal
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: prectical
- a misspelling of the same word, wrong in the way learners usually get it wrong: practicel
Frequently asked questions
Why are the same words tested again and again?
Because they are the ones people actually get wrong. Misspellings cluster around a few patterns, and examiners test the patterns rather than rare words.
Is it ever right to choose a spelling because it looks better?
No, though the look of a word is a real guide once you know the rules. Spell the word by its parts and the choice stops being a matter of taste.
What if two of the options are both real words?
Then only one of them is the word asked for. from and form are both words, but only one of them means what the question describes.
Should I use British or American spellings?
Follow the question. It will use one of the two consistently, and the answer is the option that matches the rest of what is written.
How can I check a long word quickly?
Break it into parts and spell each part on its own. Long words are wrong in one place rather than throughout, and the parts show you where.
