Spelling Unit 1:
Words En ding wi th - ate, -ion, -or, -er
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A word that describes an action is a verb: decorate; -ate is a verb ending,
A word that names a person is a noun: decorator; -or is a noun ending,
sometimes -er is also used
A word that names a thing is also a noun: decoration; -ion is a noun ending.
Your Examples:
- ate Words :
1. _______________________ 2. ______ ________ _________
- or, -er Words : 1. _______________________ 2. ______ ________ _________
- ion Words :
1. _______________________ 2. ______________ _________
Spelling Words:
1.
equate
2.
separator
3.
narration
4.
irritation
5.
decorator
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
inflate
participate
evacuation
isolate
coordinator
YYYYYZZZZZ
Spelling Unit 2:
1+1+1 Wo rds, VAC Wo rds, and Doubling Final Co nson ants
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A word that has one syllable, one vowel, and one final consonant is called a
1+1+1 word: fit .
A word that has a single vowel in a final accented syllable with one final
consonant is called a VAC word: ad ~mit '.
Double the final consonant of a 1+1+1 word or a VAC word before a suffix that
begins with a vowel. Do not double before a suffix that begins with a consonant.
A VAC word must have a final accented syllable.
Some VAC words have a form in which the accent shifts to a different syllable
when the suffix is added. For these forms, do not double the final consonant of
the base words when adding the suffix: con ~fer ' con '~fer ~ence .
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
thinner
2.
summar y
3.
occurrence
4.
equipment
5.
regrettable
6.
permitting
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
propeller
reference
editor
canceling
quarreling
inference

p.
1
Spelling Unit 3:
Compoun d Words, Contraction s, and Hyphen ated Wo rds
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Complete words can be combined to form other words in several different ways:
When two words are simply connected with no changes in either word, the word
formed is called a compound word.
When an apostrophe is used to show that one or more letters have been omitted,
the new word is called a contraction.
When an hyphen,a punctuation mark used to make words into compounds, is
used the following rules apply:
a. When two words are used as a single adjective (right-handed pitcher)
b. When the words name a family relationship (sister-in-law)
c. When fractions are written as words (two-thirds)
d. When the numbers twenty-one through ninety-nine are written as
words.
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
scoreboar d
2.
roommate
3.
videotape
4.
anyone
5.
forty-eight
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
left-handed
haven't
weren't
shoul d've
could’ve
YYYYYZZZZZ
Spelling Unit 4:
Words En ding in -able/-ible or -ance/-ence/-ent
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The suffixes -able and -ance are more commonly added to complete words
than to roots. The suffix -able forms adjectives meaning able to be. The suffix ance is added to verbs to form nouns.
The suffixes -ible, -ence, and -ent are more commonly added to roots than to
complete words. The suffix ible forms adjectives meaning able to be. The
suffix -ence is a noun ending. The suffix -ent can form adjectives meaning that
which has or shows.
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
dependa ble
2.
compatible
3.
obtainable
4.
incredible
5.
ingredient
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
compliance
alliance
permanent
adjacent
experience

p.
2
Spelling Unit 5:
Final Silent e Words an d Suffixes
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A suffix is a word ending that changes the use of the word.
When adding a suffix that begins with a vowel to a word that ends with a silent e,
drop the final e.
When adding a suffix that begins with a consonant to a word that ends in silent
e, keep the final e.
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
pleasant
2.
rehearsal
3.
ignition
4.
legislature
5.
financial
6.
arguing
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
writing
cooperative
severely
definitely
achieving
engageme nt
YYYYYZZZZZ
Spelling Unit 6:
Prepo sitional P refixes
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A preposition is placed before a word to show that word's relation to another
word in the sentence:
o pre (before) + position = preposition
o Examples of prepositions are: between, through, beside, and from.
A prefix often carries the meaning of a preposition before a word:
The prefix inter- means between.
The prefix para- means beside.
The prefix per- means through or throughout.
The root dic- means to say or proclaim.
The root struct- means build.
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
interview
2.
parallel
3.
absence
4.
destruction
5.
deprived
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
perforated
interpreter
interrupt
interstate
perseverance

p.
3
Spelling Unit 7:
Prefixes, Base Words, an d Roo ts
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A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its
meaning.
A prefix can be added directly to a base word to form a new word with a
different meaning. The spelling of the base word does not change when the
prefix is added.
A root is a word part that cannot stand alone. It must be joined to other parts to
form a word.
prefix +
Root
+ Suffix
=
Complete Word
re
flect
ion
reflection
A root or base word can be joined with many different prefixes. Changing the
prefix forms a new word with a different meaning:
The root ject means “to throw”
deject = to throw down, depress
reject = to throw back
project = to throw forth or forward
Prefixes:
con = with, together
de = down, away
dis = lack of
ex = form, out
in = in, into, or not
per = through, by
pro = forward, forth
sub = below, lower
Roots:
flect = bend
ject = throw
stitute = stand
sume = take
hibit = breathe
spire = breathe
suade = advise
Your Examples:
1. ____________ ________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
dissatisfied
2.
subcommittee
3.
rejection
4.
incorporate
5.
exchange
6.
demerit
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
persuade
substitution
constitution
reflection
perspire
presume

p.
4
Spelling Unit 8:
Final "Y" Words and Suffixes
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•
If the letter before a final -y is a vowel, do not change the -y when you add a
suffix.
If the letter before the final -y is a consonant, change the -y to -i before you add
any suffix except -ing. The -y never changes before -ing.
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
subway
2.
employed
3.
attorneys
4.
applied
5.
centuries
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
penalty
modifying
university
faculty
controversies
YYYYYZZZZZ
Spelling Unit 9:
Pronunciation Pro blems
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Your
An unstressed middle vowel is sometimes dropped when the word is
pronounced. The three syllable word seems to shrink to a two syllable word:
gen-er-al sounds like gen-ral
fav-or-ite sounds like fav-rite
Certain consonant combinations do not blend together smoothly: tp, mn, and
gn. One of the consonants may accidentally be dropped when the word is
pronounced:
gov-ern-me nt sounds like gov-er-ment
re-cog-nize sounds like re-co-nize
post-pone sounds like pos-pone
In some other words the difficult consonant is retained in the spelling, but is
never pronounced:
kit-chen
whis-tle
Remember these problems when you spell these words.
Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
several
2.
proba bly
3.
decimal
4.
privilege
5.
chocolate
6.
etcetera
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
environme nt
recognize
budget
government
sophomore
laboratory

p.
5
Spelling Unit 10:
Indistin ct V owel s and R elated Forms
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Unstressed vowels before the letter -r are difficult to identify. First, think of
related forms in which the mystery vowel may be stressed (history; historic).
Then use other clues to help you distinguish -ar from -or and -ary from -ory :
The ending -ar often precedes the letter i.
The ending -ary is more common than -ory and -ery.
The ending -or often refers to a person or occupation.
An unstressed vowel sound in the middle of a three syllable word is often
dropped when the word is pronounced: his~to~ry becomes his~try. Do not
forget the unstressed syllable when you spell these words.
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
popularity
2.
librarian
3.
voluntarily
4.
imagination
5.
editorial
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
authority
superiority
minority
similarity
victorious
YYYYYZZZZZ
Spelling Unit 11:
Words F rom th e French Lan gu age
Spelling follows certain patterns in every language. The vowel combinations ou,
au, and ie occur in many words taken from the French language. The ou
combination most frequently appears in a first syllable.
• Only words from the French use the geon ending. They cause spelling problems
because the ge sounds like the dge in many English words: fudge, judge.
Your Examples:
•
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
coupon
gour met
souve nir
boulevard
limousine
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
restaurant
chauvinist
lieutenant
chandelier
surgeon

p.
6
Spelling Unit 12:
Greek and Latin Words
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Suffixes can be added to some Greek combining forms to make English nouns
and adjectives:
The noun suffix ic forms the noun static: stat + ic.
The adjective suffix cal forms the adjective optical: opti + cal.
Knowing the meaning of the separate parts will help you to understand the
different words made by combining the parts.
Some words still use only the Latin or Greek plural forms. A few of these have an
alternative English plural. For other words, the English plural form is preferred.
Because these kinds of language changes are gradual, older dictionaries may
have different information than more recent dictionaries.
Common usage has almost eliminated the Latin singular of some words, such as
datum and agendum.
Mnemonic device: Latin singular forms are usually longer than plural forms.
Some Greek and Latin Base Words,Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes:
agon = contest, struggle
an = without
ant, anti = against
astro = star
bol = put, place
chondr os = cartilage
chron = time
doxa = opinion
em, en = in
geo = earth
gram, graph = something written or drawn, word
hypo = under
logos = to reason
logy = study of
meter, metry = measure
naut = sea, sailor
odontos = tooth
onym = name,word
opti, opto = vision
orthos = right, straight
para = contrary to
paren = beside
pathos = feelings
pathy = feel
phon = sound
pseu = false
stat = stand
stere = strong
syn = with, together
tele = far
thermo = heat
thesis = idea
typos, typi = type
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words: (Plural forms in parenthesis)
1.
grammar
8.
2.
phonics
9.
3.
graphic
10.
4.
meter
11.
5.
geometry
12.
6.
thermometer
13.
7.
synthesis
14.
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08
hypot hesis
anonymous
pseudonym
crises (crisis)
curriculum (curricula)
octopus (octopi)
Alumnus (alumni)

p.
7
Spelling Unit 13:
Silent Letters
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A few consonants are silent in certain combinations:
gn
bt
ps
gh
mn lm
mb rh
ts
kn
pn
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
designer
2.
spaghetti
3.
psychology
4.
campaign
5.
column
6.
autumn
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
qualms
rhythmic
mortgage
subtle
knife
tsunami
YYYYYZZZZZ
Spelling Unit 14:
Assimilated Prefixes
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Your
When the last letter of a prefix changes to match the first letter of a root, the
prefix is said to become assimilated.
ad
+
similated
=
assimilated
(to)
(same or similar)
(to make similar)
The prefix ad - is assimilated more than any other prefix. It also causes more
double consonant spelling problems than any other prefix.
If prefixes were always added directly to a base word or root, some consonant
combinations would be difficult to pronounce:
adford
comlapse
comrespond
disficult
subfocate
Assimilated prefixes solve pronunciation problems but cause spelling problems.
Double consonants result when the last letter of the prefix changes to match the
first letter of the root.
Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
accelerate
2.
relocate
3.
pronounce
4.
apprehend
5.
arrive
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
excuse
sufficient
official
difficult
correspondent

p.
8
Spelling Unit 15:
The L etters "qu"
The letter q is always followed by the letter u in the English language. In some
words, qu is pronounced like the letter k. In most words, qu is pronounced
like kw.
• When qu is pronounced like k, it can appear in the middle of a word or at the end
of a word: conquer, plaque. The spelling is always que at the end of a word.
• When qu is pronounced like kw, it can appear in the middle of a word or at the
beginning of a word: sequel, quarrel.
Your Examples:
•
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
unique
2.
clique
3.
masquera de
4.
acquainted
5.
banquet
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
sequel
questionnaire
quarantine
quiver
conquer
YYYYYZZZZZ
Spelling Unit 16:
The P refixes com- and in•
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A prefix may be spelled in several different ways:
com + servative = conservative
in + mortality = immortality
in + postor = impostor
The prefixes com- and in- follow the same spelling pattern. Both are spelled with
an n before most letters of the alphabet. Both are spelled with an m before roots
or words that begin with the letters, m-, p-, or b-. They are spelled this way to
make more compatible combinations that are easier to pronounce:
Say inmediately and immediately. Say conmute and commute.
Mnemonic devices: Remember "common compatible combinations"
Double consonants often result from joining prefixes and roots. Remember that
one consonant belongs to the prefix, and one belongs to the root.
Your Examples:
1. __________________ __ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
conservative
2.
connotation
3.
innocent
4.
commentator
5.
immortality
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
immediately
compr omise
impostor
impatient
combustion

p.
9
Spelling Unit 17:
The L etter C ombin ation s "ph" and "gh"
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•
Any word in which the sound of f is spelled gh comes from the Anglo-Saxon
language.
Any word in which the sound of f is spelled ph comes from the Greek language.
Many of those words begin with the letters ph.
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
enough
2.
laughter
3.
coughe d
4.
phantom
5.
physician
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
pamphlet
alphabetical
hemisphere
amphibian
catastrophe
YYYYYZZZZZ
Spelling Unit 18:
Hard and Soft "c" and "g"
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When the letters c and g have a soft sound, they are usually followed by an e, an
i, or an y.
When the letters c and g have a hard sound, they are usually followed by the
vowels a, o, or u, or by any consonant except y.
Many words end with the letters -cle (recycle, miracle, vehicle) or -gle (angle,
jungle, untangle). Remember that these endings cannot be spelled -cel and gel without changing the sound of c and g.
It is sometimes difficult to choose between the following endings when you are
spelling a word: -ant or -ent , -able or -ible , -uous or -ious , -ance or -ence .
When the letters c and g have a hard sound, they will be followed by the vowels
a or u. Use the endings -ance , -ant , -able , -uous .
When the letters c and g have a soft sound, they will be followed by the vowels e
or i. Use the endings -ence , -ent, -ible, -ious .
The final silent -e is sometimes kept to protect the soft sound of c or g when a
suffix is added.
Your Examples:
1. ____________________ 2. ____________________ 3. ___________ ______ ___
Spelling Words:
1.
diligent
2.
license
3.
calendar
4.
reluctant
5.
guarantee
6.
urgency
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
Spelling Units 1-18 08.12.08

extravagance
intelligent
applicant
suspicious
innocence
significance
p. 10