Spelling Words 2019-2020

Our spelling words this year represent some of the most commonly misspelled words.

Four Basic Rules for Spelling:

1) Words containing ie or ei

I before e, except after c, or when sounding like a, as in neighbor and 

weigh. Exceptions include ceiling, neither, weird, and either.

piece, deceive

2) Silent or final e

If a word ends with a silent e, drop the e before adding a suffix that begins 

with a vowel. Exceptions include truly, ninth, and argument.

bore/boring. love/loving. skate/skating

Do not drop the silent e before adding a suffix that begins with a 

consonant.

bore/boredom. hate/hateful. skate/skateboard

3) Final y

If a word ends in a consonant followed by a y, change the y to i before

adding a suffix. Exception... crying.

cry/cried. friendly/friendliness. gloomy/gloominess

If a word ends in y with a vowel before it, do not change the y to i before

adding suffixes or other endings.

destroy/destroyed. play/playing. volley/volleys

4) Consonant preceded by a vowel

If a one-syllable word ends with one consonant with a vowel before it,

double the final consonant before adding a suffix.

can/canned. nut/nutty. pot/pottery

Unit 1 words: achieve 

believe

conscious

height

disappear

environment

government

neighbor

occurred

ceiling

Unit 2 words: appearance 

basically

beginning

coming

definitely

embarrass

irresistible

piece

separate

tomorrow

Unit 3 words: argument

across

business

congratulations

disappoint

finally

freight

guard

humorous

necessary

Unit 4 words: accommodate

completely

curiosity

existence

noticeable

occasion

remember

surprise

unfortunately

weird

Unit 5 words: apparently

bizarre

cemetery

committee

familiar

happened

immediately

lollipop

persistent

successful

Unit 6 words: aggressive

calendar

foreign

friend

independent

knowledge

politician

preferred

received

tendency 

Vocabulary Routine