Spelling Rules & Patterns

11+ English · Spelling Rules

Spelling rules and patterns

English spelling follows patterns. Learning the main rules helps you spell tricky words and spot mistakes in 11+ papers.

Adding suffixes (endings)

Words ending in a silent 'e'

Drop the e before a vowel suffix (-ing, -ed, -er):

hope → hoping, make → making, ride → rider.

Keep the e before a consonant suffix (-ly, -ment):

hope → hopeful, move → movement.

The "1-1-1" doubling rule

For a short word ending in one vowel + one consonant, double the final consonant before a vowel suffix:

run → running, stop → stopped, big → bigger.

Words ending in 'y'

Change y to i when adding a suffix (unless it follows a vowel):

happy → happiness, carry → carried. But: play → played (vowel before y).

"i before e" rule

i before e, except after c (when the sound is "ee"):

believe, field, but receive, ceiling.

(Watch out for exceptions like weird and seize.)

Making plurals

Most words: add -s (cat → cats).
Words ending in s, x, ch, sh: add -es (box → boxes, church → churches).
Words ending in consonant + y: change to -ies (baby → babies).
Some words ending in f: change to -ves (leaf → leaves, knife → knives).

Prefixes

A prefix goes at the front and changes meaning (un-, dis-, re-, pre-). The spelling of the root doesn't change: un + happy = unhappy; dis + appear = disappear (two s's? no — dis + appear).

Worked example

Add "-ing" to swim and hope.

swim → short word, one vowel + one consonant → double the m → swimming.
hope → ends in silent e → drop the e → hoping. ✓

Common mistakes

Forgetting to double the consonant (runing instead of running).
Not changing y to i (carryed instead of carried).
Adding an extra letter with prefixes (unnhappy).

Top tips

Say the word slowly and break it into sounds (syllables).
Learn the small list of common exceptions.
When unsure about a suffix, check: silent e? short word? ends in y?

Quick recap

Drop silent e before a vowel suffix; double the final consonant in short 1-1-1 words; change y to i.
"i before e except after c" (ee sound); plurals add -s/-es/-ies/-ves.
Prefixes don't change the root's spelling.