List 10: The sound f is usually spelled with an f, as in after. It can also be spelled with ff, as in stiff.
Sometimes the f sound is spelled with ph, as in photo and graphs. The f sound can also be spelled with gh, as in cough and laughs.
photo
graphs
laughs
cough
trophy
roughly
enough
alphabet
shelf
after
stiff
elephants
giraffe
geography
nephew
phase
orphan
dolphin
phony
autograph
crept
crunch
sounds
dusk
refund
colder
skunk
unfold
risk
milk
halt
different
protesting
twister
independent
absent
stretch
printing
blended
product
carton
heart
sports
artist
spare
dirty
shore
curb
fair
sherbet
boards
fearless
journal
cheerfully
garbage
organ
error
sparks
harbor
perfume
thunder
farther
reaches
chicken
wheat
thursday
foolish
gather
brother
awhile
chimney
sharply
leash
bother
shipment
feathers
charge
shovel
whiskers
crush
photo
graphs
laughs
cough
trophy
roughly
enough
alphabet
shelf
after
stiff
elephants
giraffe
geography
nephew
phase
orphan
dolphin
phony
autograph
ghost
thumb
known
often
folks
west
halfway
listen
knuckle
comb
wrecks
flight
honest
island
Wednesdays
numb
wrench
crumb
soften
answer
List 9: Consonant digraphs are two consonants together that make a completely new sound. They can be anywhere in a word.
sh as in sharply, foolish
wh as in whiskers, wheat
ch as in chicken, reaches
The consonant digraph th has two different sounds.
th as in thunder th as in bother
thunder
farther
reaches
chicken
wheat
Thursday
foolish
gather
brother
awhile
chimney
sharply
leash
bother
shipment
feathers
charge
shovel
whiskers
crush
List 8: When the letter r comes after a vowel or vowels, it sometimes changes the vowel sound. Say each pair of words. Notice how the r changes the sound that the vowel or vowels make.
heat-heart (ar sound)
spot-sports (or sound)
cub-curb (ur sound)
carton
heart
sports
artist
spare
dirty
shore
curb
fair
sherbet
boards
fearless
journal
cheerfully
garbage
organ
error
sparks
harbor
perfume
List 7: Remember that when two or more consonants come together in a word, their sounds may blend together. In a consonant blend, you hear each letter. A blend may be found anywhere in a word.
sk in risk cr and pt in crept
ld in colder sk and nk in skunk
lk in milk tw and tw in twister
crept
crunch
sounds
dusk
refund
colder
skunk
unfold
risk
milk
halt
different
protesting
twister
independent
absent
stretch
printing
blended
product
banner
hundred
fame
later
seven
hammer
twelve
barrel
dollar
letters
silent
wild
until
swift
bottles
pineapple
film
gallon
traffic
eleven
hands
dentist
lifted
crack
bumps
practice
solid
clasp
sticks
spent
locked
adopt
judge
contest
stand
shrimp
stamp
trust
fender
pencil
these
deny
rules
safety
locate
crime
stove
scale
costume
arrive
opened
musical
equal
idea
tight
clover
rodent
tuba
cubes
pride
edge
common
circle
cactus
gifts
gentle
stage
strange
corner
graceful
center
baggage
category
gerbil
cement
prices
force
celery
decide
energy
gloves
speed
skill
screens
protect
front
craft
brains
scared
proper
trace
dream
straight
splinter
screech
spaces
stuff
greedy
sprinkle
strict
List 5: A consonant blend is two or more consonants that come together in a word. Their sounds blend together, but each sound is heard. Listen to the sounds of these consonant blends: gl as in gloves
dr as in dream
str as in straight
scr as in screens
Gloves
Speed
Skill
Screens
Protect
Front
Craft
Brains
Scared
Proper
Trace
Dream
Straight
Splinter
Screech
Spaces
Stuff
Greedy
Sprinkle
Strict
Edge
Common
Circle
Cactus
Gifts
Gentle
Stage
Strange
Corner
Graceful
Center
Baggage
Category
Gerbil
Cement
Prices
Force
Celery
Decide
Energy
Opened
Musical
Equal
Idea
Tight
Clover
Rodent
Tuba
Cubes
Pride
List 2: The letters a, e, i, o, and u are vowels. If a word or syllable has one vowel and it comes at the beginning or between two consonants it usually stands for the short-vowel sound. Study these examples.
a in stand e in spent
i in sticks o in locked
u in judge
hands
dentist
lifted
crack
bumps
practice
solid
clasp
sticks
spent
locked
adopt
judge
contest
stand
shrimp
stamp
trust
fender
pencil
List 1: Consonants are all the letters of the alphabet except a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y. In most words, you can hear the sounds of several consonants. Listen for the w, l, and d sounds in wild. Sometimes a consonant in a word is doubled, but you hear it only once as in banner and dollar.
banner
hundred
fame
later
seven
hammer
twelve
barrel
dollar
letters
silent
wild
until
swift
bottles
pineapple
film
gallon
traffic
eleven
List 11: Some words contain silent letters. We don’t hear the sounds of those letters when we say the words. Study the silent letters in the following words.
known wrist folks often
honest halfway flight thumb
Be careful when you spell words like these. Now, study the silent letters in the remaining list words.
ghost
thumb
known
often
folks
west
halfway
listen
knuckle
comb
wrecks
flight
honest
island
Wednesday
numb
wrench
crumb
soften
answer
Lesson 13: You can add ed, er, or ing to some words without changing the spelling of the base word. Study these examples:
clean + ed = cleaned
wish + ing = wishing
learn + er = learner
sing + er = singer
Finish the unchanged base word in each list word.
watching
checking
finishing
learner
bending
cleaned
sorted
missed
singer
guessed
teacher
walker
remembered
following
tossed
turning
wishing
landing
leading
catcher
Lesson 14: When a word ends in silent e, the e is usually dropped before adding an ending or suffix that begins with a vowel.
trade + ed = traded
move + er = mover
surprise + ing = surprising
coming
loved
raking
served
proved
sharing
traded
mover
saved
giving
rider
dancer
promised
surprising
bouncing
writing
sliced
reduced
pictured
comparing
List 15: When a short-vowel word ends in a single consonant, the consonant, the consonant is usually doubled before adding an ending that begins with a vowel.
hum + ing = humming
In words with two or more syllables, the final consonant is usually doubled if the last syllable has a short vowel followed by a single consonant:
outfit + ed = outfitted
beginning
humming
dropped
sitting
slipping
joggers
grabbing
bobbing
tripped
padded
skimming
scrubbing
winners
outfitted
wrapped
clapping
dragging
chatting
quitter
trimmer
List 16: When a word ends in y preceded by a consonant, change the y to i before adding an ending, unless adding the ending ing.
worry + es = worries
dry + ing + = drying
copy + ed = copied
fry + ing = frying
tries
carried
worries
buying
dissatisfied
relying
denies
copied
emptied
hurrying
cries
buries
multiplied
replies
supplied
drying
petrified
frying
applied
scurrying
watching
checking
finishing
learner
bending
cleaned
sorted
missed
singer
guessed
teacher
walker
remembered
following
tossed
turning
wishing
landing
leading
catcher
coming
loved
raking
served
proved
sharing
traded
mover
saved
giving
rider
dancer
promised
surprising
bouncing
writing
sliced
reduced
pictured
comparing
beginning
humming
dropped
sitting
slipping
joggers
grabbing
bobbing
tripped
padded
skimming
scrubbing
winners
outfitted
wrapped
clapping
dragging
chatting
quitter
trimmer
tries
carried
worries
buying
dissatisfied
relying
denies
copied
emptied
hurrying
cries
buries
multiplied
replies
supplied
drying
petrified
frying
applied
scurrying
angrier
angriest
happier
happiest
easier
easiest
earlier
earliest
funnier
funniest
prettier
prettiest
lonelier
loneliest
heavier
heaviest
fancier
fanciest
juicer
juiciest
List 19: In vowel pairs, two vowels come together to make one long vowel sound. The second vowel is silent.
ee and ea as in fleet and reason
oa and oe as in loaned and hoed
ue as in clues
In vowel digraphs, two vowels come together to make a vowel sound that can be long or short.
ea as in measure
between
eastern
breeze
clues
hoed
meaning
tiptoes
reason
treating
roasted
freedom
loaned
approach
measure
glued
instead
eagle
boasted
fleet
meadow
List 20: The letters ie and ei can be vowel pairs or digraphs. They are vowel pairs in pies and seize. They are vowel digraphs in brief and sleigh. Use this rhyme to spell words with ie and ei:
I before E
except after C
or when sounded as A
as in neighbors and weigh
dried
fields
brief
relief
shriek
weigh
believe
sleigh
receive
eighteen
seize
neighbors
receipt
amplifies
chiefly
freighter
deceive
perceive
pies
diet
List 21: Be careful when spelling words with the /o/ sound that you hear in fault and dawn. The vowel digraphs au and aw make the /o/ sound, and they sound alike.
claws
fault
causing
dawn
straw
drawings
launch
sauce
jaw
haunt
yawn
fawns
awkward
gnaw
audience
scrawl
fraud
gaunt
restaurant
shawl
List 22: The vowel pairs ai and ay make the /a/ sound you hear in waist and fray. Diphthongs are different from vowel pairs in that the two vowels blend together to make one sound. The diphthongs oi and oy make the /oi/ sound you hear in voices and employ.
voices
sprain
noises
disloyal
employ
waist
destroyed
fray
broiling
swaying
displays
praised
disappoint
railroad
royalty
appointed
crayon
boiling
soybean
spoiled
List 23: The diphthongs ou and ow can make the /ou/ sound, as in without and towns.
The letters ow can also be a vowel pair making the /o/ sound, as in hollow.
The letters ou can make the /o/ sound in although, the /o/ sound in thought, or the /u/ sound, as in southern.
hours
sparrows
towns
powerful
amount
without
allows
shower
brought
sought
hollow
swallowed
southern
thousand
thought
trouble
bouquet
although
mountain
chowder
between
eastern
breeze
clues
hoed
meaning
tiptoes
reason
treating
roasted
freedom
loaned
approach
measure
glued
instead
eagle
boasted
fleet
meadow
dried
fields
brief
relief
shriek
weigh
believe
sleigh
receive
eighteen
seize
neighbors
receipt
amplifies
chiefly
freighter
deceive
perceive
pies
diet
claws
fault
causing
dawn
straw
drawings
launch
sauce
jaw
haunt
yawn
fawns
awkward
gnaw
audience
scrawl
fraud
gaunt
restaurant
shawl
voices
sprain
noises
disloyal
employ
waist
destroyed
fray
broiling
swaying
displays
praised
disappoint
railroad
royalty
appointed
crayon
boiling
soybean
spoiled
hours
sparrows
towns
powerful
amount
without
allows
shower
brought
sought
hollow
swallowed
southern
thousand
thought
trouble
bouquet
although
mountain
chowder
List 25: You make most singular words plural by adding just s to the singular form.
shoe + s = shoes
If a singular word ends in x, ss, sh, or ch, you usually add es to make it mean more than one.
fox + es = foxes
axes
chains
bosses
shoes
kisses
waxes
foxes
splashes
ashes
crashes
matches
sandwiches
toothbrushes
eyelashes
sashes
ditches
flashes
churches
paces
clashes
List 26: If a word ends in y preceded by a vowel add s to make it plural.
holiday + s = holidays
If a word ends in y preceded by a consonant, change y to i and add es.
copy + es = copies
holidays
partiers
stories
flies
birthdays
copies
duties
ladies
countries
valleys
groceries
hobbies
libraries
highways
batteries
injuries
cherries
melodies
surveys
communities
List 27: Most words end in f/fe change the f/fe to v and add es to male plurals.
calf - calves knife - knives
A few words ending in f just add s.
chief - chiefs hoof - hoofs
Words ending in o add s or es.
buffalo - buffaloes
Irregular plurals change their spelling or stay the same.
mouse - mice sheep - sheep
teeth
mice
women
knives
leaves
halves
loaves
lives
calves
moose
sheep
oxen
yourselves
geese
chiefs
buffaloes
handkerchiefs
scarves
hoofs
bison
List 28: Use an apostrophe to show where letters have been left out in a contraction.
she will - she’ll
how is - how’s
Use an apostrophe and s to show singular ownership
the bike of my uncle - my uncle’s bike
she’ll
wouldn’t
they’ll
how’s
let’s
where;s
we’re
desert’s
person’s
sister’s
bicycle’s
Arizona’s
child’s
aunt’s
cousin’s
Florida’s
uncle’s
doctor’s
hasn’t
season’s
List 29: From the possessive of a plural ending in s by adding just an apostrophe, as in armies - armies’. If the plural does not end in s, form its possessive by adding an apostrophe and s, as in men - men’s.
passengers’
armies’
families’
thieves’
ranches’
benches’
umpires’
airlines’
dresses’
hostesses’
banjos’
pianos’
men’s
children’s
bodies’
daisies’
televisions’
members’
governments’
businesses’
axes
chains
bosses
shoes
kisses
waxes
foxes
splashes
ashes
crashes
matches
sandwiches
toothbrushes
eyelashes
sashes
ditches
flashes
churches
paces
clashes
holidays
partiers
stories
flies
birthdays
copies
duties
ladies
countries
valleys
groceries
hobbies
libraries
highways
batteries
injuries
cherries
melodies
surveys
communities
teeth
mice
women
knives
leaves
halves
loaves
lives
calves
moose
sheep
oxen
yourselves
geese
chiefs
buffaloes
handkerchiefs
scarves
hoofs
bison
she’ll
wouldn’t
they’ll
how’s
let’s
where;s
we’re
desert’s
person’s
sister’s
bicycle’s
Arizona’s
child’s
aunt’s
cousin’s
Florida’s
uncle’s
doctor’s
hasn’t
season’s
passengers’
armies’
families’
thieves’
ranches’
benches’
umpires’
airlines’
dresses’
hostesses’
banjos’
pianos’
men’s
children’s
bodies’
daisies’
televisions’
members’
governments’
businesses’
List 31: A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a root or base word to make a new word. Every prefix has a meaning, and it changes the meaning of the root or base word.
pre = before, as in preview
re = again, or back, as in refills
im and non = not, as in imperfect
con = with or together, as in construct
nonsense
prepaid
control
returned
impractical
nonstop
conduct
preview
report
imperfect
nonprofit
refills
construct
immovable
precaution
predict
convince
impersonal
impure
reaction
List 32: Each prefix below has a meaning, and it changes the meaning of the base word or root that it is added to.
ex = out of or from, as in express
de = down or away from, as in defend
dis and un = not or the opposite of, as in unclear
ad = to, at, or toward, as in advice
express
design
unknown
admit
unclear
explore
disagree
defend
unreal
adventure
unwise
disclose
advice
excuse
disinterested
dishonest
unprepared
unpleasant
advance
adverb
List 33: A compound word is made up of two or more words joined together to make a new word.
A sidewalk is a place to walk near the side of the road.
Study the list words to find the words that make up each compound word.
northwest
outdoors
everybody
teaspoon
waterfall
downtown
schoolhouse
southeast
supermarket
therefore
homework
sidewalk
breakfast
outstanding
overcoat
typewriter
horseshoes
toothache
aircraft
knapsack
List 34: A synonym is a word that means the same as another word. The word long is a synonym for lengthy.
An antonym is a word that means the opposite or almost the opposite of another word. The word brief is an antonym for lengthy.
difficult
tender
lengthy
sturdy
expensive
repaired
enormous
journey
weary
tense
cautious
sorrow
vague
ancient
courage
drowsy
disbelief
current
descend
rapidly
List 35: Homonyms are a word that sound the same, but have different meanings and spellings.
heel - the back of the foot
heal - to make someone well
The meaning of a sentence helps you know which homonym to use.
tale
tail
heel
heal
peace
piece
plain
plane
there
their
sense
scents
which
witch
whose
who’s
break
brake
hair
hare
nonsense
prepaid
control
returned
impractical
nonstop
conduct
preview
report
imperfect
nonprofit
refills
construct
immovable
precaution
predict
convince
impersonal
impure
reaction
express
design
unknown
admit
unclear
explore
disagree
defend
unreal
adventure
unwise
disclose
advice
excuse
disinterested
dishonest
unprepared
unpleasant
advance
adverb
northwest
outdoors
everybody
teaspoon
waterfall
downtown
schoolhouse
southeast
supermarket
therefore
homework
sidewalk
breakfast
outstanding
overcoat
typewriter
horseshoes
toothache
aircraft
knapsack
difficult
tender
lengthy
sturdy
expensive
repaired
enormous
journey
weary
tense
cautious
sorrow
vague
ancient
courage
drowsy
disbelief
current
descend
rapidly
tale
tail
heel
heal
peace
piece
plain
plane
there
their
sense
scents
which
witch
whose
who’s
break
brake
hair
hare
50 States List (In alphabetical order)
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Arkansas
California
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Connecticut
Delaware
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Texas
Utah
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