10 RULES BELOW 

First - WHY does English have so many strange spellings and so many exceptions to a rule. According to many academic scholars the answers seems to be simply because English has so many sources from which its words are derived. Namely, Greek and Latin, in addition to many other languages such as French and German. And of course, Old English too.

So let's learn some RULES and words:

First:  What are Homophones ? These are words that sound the same but are spelled differently.

Here are some examples :

wood - would
beet - beat
meet - meat
flower - flour
muscle - mussel

There are HUNDREDS - as you learn English you will really see just how many there are. Sorry to say - the only rule here is you just have to remember which word means what and use it correctly. You will determine which word to use based on the context and intended meaning.

THE 10 GREAT SPELLING RULES

Except after "c" for example : ceiling, receive, perceive, deceive
and if it sounds like "ey" or "ay" example : eight, weight, neighbor

And Finally other exceptions with no rule - height, weird, their, neither, and seize.

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Making Plurals - adding "s" and "es"

Usually we simply add an "s" and that is all - but we add and "es" in the following cases

Here's the rule: When the word ends in "s, x, z, ch, and sh"

see the examples: buses, boxes, buzzes, churches, bushes 

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Adding "s" after the letter "y" for example here are two words : donkey and penny

donkey becomes donkeys and penny becomes pennies 

Here's the rule: if a VOWEL (a,e,i,o,u) is before the "y" like donkey then you just ad an "s"     if a consonant is before the "y" then you have to ad "ies" like pennies.

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Doubling a consonant - for example two "tt, pp, nn, dd"

Here are some example -
spot - spotted
begin - beginner
stop - stopping
fun - funny
mud - muddy

Here's the rule: if the last three letters have a vowel in the middle then you double the consonant - look at the words above and you will understand.

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When do we drop or keep the letter "e" ?

Here' the rule: f the word ends in "e" and the next letter is a consonant then you keep the "e"

like - likely
care - careful
amaze - amazement but not amazing (there is not consonant but the vowel "i"
home - homely
close - closely

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When the word ends in "y"

Here's the rule:  drop the "y" and add an "i + whatever ending suffix EXCEPT when you are going to add "ING"

happy - happiness
worry - worried
supply - supplier
dirty - dirtier
pretty - prettier

"ING" the exception - Examples : study - studying  or cry - crying

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When to use the suffix "able or ible" at the end

Here's the rule:  if the word -  is a word when you take the "able" - then use "able" - if it is not a word then use "ible" 

Here are the examples and you will see:

taxable - tax (ok this is a word)
remarkable - remark (ok this is a word)
enjoyable - enjoy (ok)
respectable - respect (ok)

now look at these :

terrible - terr (is not a word)
visible - vis (is not a word)
horrible - horr (is not a word)

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When do I add an "e"

Here's the rule:  when the word ends in an "e" it the vowel before it is usually long, when there is no "e" at the end it usually stays short.

Look at these examples:
can - cane
tap - tape
slid - slide
plan - plane
rob - robe

In all of the above examples - the first word is a short vowel and the second is a long vowel.

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When do I use "ick" or "ic" at the end of a word ?

Here's the rule: if it is two or more syllables then use "ic" and if it is one syllable then use "ick"

Look at these examples:
panic
ethnic
picnic
traffic
romantic

and "ick"
trick
click
brick
pick
thick    

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When do I use "cal" or "cle" at the end of a word ?

Here's the rule: if it is an adjective then use "cal" and if it is a noun then use"cle"

Look at these "cal" examples:
topical
logical
comical
vertical
mechanical

and these "cle" examples
miracle
article
particle
vehicle
bicycle

So there you have 10 great rules to help your spelling now let's take some tests !

Here are the Easy tests:

2nd grade
Test 1   Test 2    Test 3   Test 4    Test 5

3rd grade
Test 1   Test 2    Test 3

  4th grade
  Test 1   Test 2    Test 3

 
For Intermediate and Advanced Tests click here: