Spelling Patterns
5 minQuiz at the end
Why Spelling Patterns Matter
English spelling can seem unpredictable, but many words follow regular patterns. Learning these patterns makes you a stronger speller and reader.
Silent Letters
Many English words contain letters that are written but not spoken:
| Silent Letter | Examples |
|---|---|
| Silent k | knife, know, knee, knight |
| Silent w | write, wrong, wrist |
| Silent b | climb, lamb, comb, doubt |
| Silent gh | light, night, tough |
| Silent h | honour, hour, heir |
i Before e
"i before e, except after c" — when the sound is /ee/: ✅ believe, field, priest ✅ deceive, receive, ceiling (after c)
Exceptions: weird, seize, species.
Doubling the Final Consonant
When adding -ing, -ed, -er to a short vowel + consonant word, double the consonant:
- run → running / sit → sitting / big → bigger
But if the word ends in two consonants or a long vowel: no doubling.
- jump → jumping / clean → cleaned
Common Difficult Words
Learn these frequently misspelled words: accommodation, because, beginning, believe, definitely, necessary, separate, receive, which, friend