Spelling — Patwari English Grammar
Recognising correct English spelling is a standing topic in competitive exams because many words don't sound the way they're written. This page lays out common spelling rules, a list of commonly misspelt words, and the differences between confusing word pairs.
- Class 6-8 grammar level
- 8 min read
Why Correct Spelling Matters
In English, many words aren't spelt the way they sound, so students often make mistakes without a proper understanding of spelling. Competitive exams test this skill because being able to identify the correct spelling shows a basic command of the language.
Commonly Misspelt Words (Correct Spelling)
| Correct spelling | Common mistake |
|---|---|
| Mischievous | Mischievious / Mischievus |
| Machinist | Machinest / Machineist |
| Necessary | Neccessary / Necessery |
| Occurrence | Occurence / Occurrance |
| Embarrass | Embarass / Embaras |
| Accommodate | Accomodate / Acommodate |
| Separate | Seperate |
| Definitely | Definately |
| Believe | Beleive |
| Receive | Recieve |
| Foreign | Foriegn |
| Beautiful | Beutiful / Beautifull |
These words are often misspelt because of their suffix, double letters, or the 'ie/ei' order.
3 Useful Spelling Rules
1) If a word ends in a silent 'e' and a suffix beginning with a vowel is added to it, the 'e' is dropped — for example, 'machine' + 'ist' = 'Machinist' (here the 'e' is dropped).
2) If the word ends in one vowel followed by one consonant (a CVC pattern) and that syllable is stressed, the final consonant is doubled when adding a suffix — for example, 'stop' + 'ing' = 'stopping'.
3) The general rule 'i before e except after c' works for many words (believe, receive), but some exceptions — such as 'weird', 'seize', 'foreign' — should also be remembered.
More Useful Spelling Rules
When a word ends in 'y' preceded by a consonant, the 'y' is changed to 'i' and '-es' is added when forming the plural or adding a suffix — for example, the plural of 'city' is 'cities' (not 'cityes'). But if 'y' is preceded by a vowel, only 's' is added — for example, the plural of 'boy' is 'boys', and the 'y' doesn't change.
This rule also applies to verbs — 'study' becomes 'studies' (consonant+y), but 'play' becomes 'plays' (vowel+y). Recognising this distinction prevents one of the most common spelling mistakes.
Commonly Confused Similar-Sounding Words
| Word 1 | Word 2 | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Their | There / They're | Possession vs. place vs. a contraction |
| Its | It's | Possessive vs. the contraction of 'it is' |
| Affect (verb: to influence) | Effect (noun: a result) | Verb vs. noun |
| Stationary (standing still) | Stationery (writing materials) | Adjective vs. noun |
| Principal (head of school / main) | Principle (a rule) | Person/adjective vs. an abstract rule |
| Complement (something that completes) | Compliment (praise) | Completing something vs. praising someone |
| Desert (a wasteland / to abandon) | Dessert (a sweet dish) | One 's' vs. two 's's |
| Lose (verb: to misplace) | Loose (adjective: not tight) | One 'o' vs. two 'o's |
These word pairs are repeatedly asked in competitive exams, both for their spelling and their meaning.
Words with Silent Letters
Many English words have one or more letters that are written but not pronounced (silent letters) — for example, the 'k' in 'know', the 'w' in 'write', the 'h' in 'honest', the 't' in 'listen', and the 'b' in 'climb' are all silent. Spelling mistakes happen most often in such words because pronunciation gives no clue to the letter.
To remember these words, it helps to highlight the silent letter in a different colour or bold it and practise writing the word repeatedly, so the eye memorises the word's whole visual pattern, not just its sound.
More Spelling Examples (Set 2)
| Correct spelling | Common mistake |
|---|---|
| Committee | Comittee / Commitee |
| Immediately | Immediatly |
| Government | Goverment |
| Environment | Enviroment |
| Privilege | Priviledge |
| Rhythm | Rythm |
| Successful | Succesful / Successfull |
| Tomorrow | Tommorow / Tomorow |
| Vacuum | Vaccum |
| Argument | Arguement |
In these words, double letters or the adding/dropping of 'e' cause the most mistakes.
Spelling of Compound Words
A compound word is formed by joining two words, and it can be spelt in three ways — closed (joined together, like 'classroom'), hyphenated (like 'well-known'), or open (written separately, like 'ice cream'). There's no single fixed rule for this, so the spelling of such words should be memorised only after confirming it in a dictionary.
The main trap with such words is that the options give the wrong hyphenation or wrong joining (e.g. giving the incorrect form among 'class room' or 'classroom') — so it's useful to separately note down the standard spelling of commonly used compound words.
Memory Trick / Exam Tip
Remember for words like 'Machinist': whenever you add a vowel-suffix (-ist, -ing, -able) to a word ending in a silent 'e', drop that final 'e' first — 'machine' + 'ist' = 'Machinist'; the 'e' doesn't survive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'Machinist' the correct spelling, not 'Machinest'?+
When the suffix 'ist' is added to the word 'machine', the final silent 'e' is dropped, so the correct spelling is 'Machinist'.
What is the best way to improve spelling?+
Making a list of commonly misspelt words, practising them regularly, and testing yourself with dictation is the most effective method.
Why is the plural of 'City' 'Cities', not 'Citys'?+
When a word ends in 'y' preceded by a consonant, the 'y' is changed to 'i' and '-es' is added to form the plural, so the correct form is 'Cities'.
What is a Silent Letter?+
A letter that is written in a word but not pronounced, such as the 'k' in 'know' and the 'w' in 'write' — the spelling of such words has to be memorised through special practice.
What is the rule for deciding a compound word's spelling?+
There is no single fixed rule — a compound word can be written closed (classroom), hyphenated (well-known), or open (ice cream), so each word's standard spelling should be memorised only after confirming it in a dictionary.