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Authors: John J Fulford
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Spelling rule #3: Many words that derive from Latin or Greek use a c for the k sound after a short vowel, especially words that end in ic or ac . They are almost always multisyllable word.
Note that the anomalies are arc and zinc :
Fewer than fifty words end in ac . About half of them are descriptive nouns:
Only a tiny handful of words end in oc :
Note that the words flack and flak are not the same. The first refers to publicity, whereas the second is an acronym from the German words Fleiger abwehr kanonen , or antiaircraft fire.
Visitors to Britain will find that curb is spelled kerb. Both words follow the spelling rules; both are therefore correct. Just to add to the confusion, in the last few decades many exotic new words using the k have been adopted and adapted into English.
A historical note: Less than two hundred years ago, public and domestic were spelled publick and domestick.
C HAPTER 21
Using ch and tch
H undreds, perhaps even thousands, of English words contain the digraph ch . It can be used at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a word. The problem is when to use ch and when to use tch . The spelling rules are quite simple, and the anomalies number less than a dozen.
Note that lieutenant is an interesting word. The British pronounce it lef-tenant , while the Americans pronounce it loo-tenant. The Latin root is locum tenens , a phrase that is still used by lawyers and which means a person acting for somebody else, an official representative. We still use the word lieu (“in lieu of”) , which is pronounced loo. Therefore, the American pronunciation is historically more accurate and linguistically correct.
Spelling rule #1: The tch is used after a short vowel. It is used mainly in single syllable words, but when used in multisyllable words, it will be part of a short vowel syllable:
Note that no commonly used English word starts with tch.
Spelling rule #2: After a long vowel or a consonant, we usually use the simple ch :
But there are anomalies:
Note that both breeches and britches are correct, as each obeys the spelling rule.
C HAPTER 22
Using j, ge, dge
T he letter j is a very underused letter. About seventy-five percent of the time, when we hear the j sound it is actually spelled with g or dge.
Visitors to Britain will find that curb is spelled kerb. Both words follow the spelling rules; both are therefore correct.
Spelling rule #1: Except for a few exotic imports, the j is never used at the end of English words:
The j can be followed by any of the vowels except y , but it is never followed by a consonant except in the popular contraction Jr (junior).
Spelling rule # 2: We use ge when a j sound is needed at the end of a word if the word has a long vowel sound or if there is a consonant following the vowel:
Spelling rule #3: We use dge if the word is a short vowel word and there is no consonant following the vowel. There are many of these words. They are usually single-syllable words, but there are also a few multi-syllable words.
When adding a suffix that begins with a hard vowel or a consonant, we would normally retain the final silent e , but when the dge is used, we drop the e because the d forms part of the soft j sound.
Note that some dictionaries allow a choice when adding able, but there is no logical reason to retain the e . Compare knowledgeable and knowledgable.
C HAPTER 23
Using oy and oi
W hile the long vowel sounds produced by oy and oi are exactly the same, there is a logical reason to use one rather than the other. There are very few exceptions.
Spelling rule #1: The oy is used at the end of a word:
Spelling rule #2: The oi is used in the middle of a word:
Note that the oi must be followed by at least one consonant:
Note that oid is also a suffix meaning “resembling” or “like” :
Very few words start with either oy or oi
Spelling rule #3: Many words that derive from Latin or Greek use a c for the k sound after a short vowel, especially words that end in ic or ac . They are almost always multisyllable word.
Note that the anomalies are arc and zinc :
Fewer than fifty words end in ac . About half of them are descriptive nouns:
Only a tiny handful of words end in oc :
Note that the words flack and flak are not the same. The first refers to publicity, whereas the second is an acronym from the German words Fleiger abwehr kanonen , or antiaircraft fire.
Visitors to Britain will find that curb is spelled kerb. Both words follow the spelling rules; both are therefore correct. Just to add to the confusion, in the last few decades many exotic new words using the k have been adopted and adapted into English.
A historical note: Less than two hundred years ago, public and domestic were spelled publick and domestick.
C HAPTER 21
Using ch and tch
H undreds, perhaps even thousands, of English words contain the digraph ch . It can be used at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a word. The problem is when to use ch and when to use tch . The spelling rules are quite simple, and the anomalies number less than a dozen.
Note that lieutenant is an interesting word. The British pronounce it lef-tenant , while the Americans pronounce it loo-tenant. The Latin root is locum tenens , a phrase that is still used by lawyers and which means a person acting for somebody else, an official representative. We still use the word lieu (“in lieu of”) , which is pronounced loo. Therefore, the American pronunciation is historically more accurate and linguistically correct.
Spelling rule #1: The tch is used after a short vowel. It is used mainly in single syllable words, but when used in multisyllable words, it will be part of a short vowel syllable:
Note that no commonly used English word starts with tch.
Spelling rule #2: After a long vowel or a consonant, we usually use the simple ch :
But there are anomalies:
Note that both breeches and britches are correct, as each obeys the spelling rule.
C HAPTER 22
Using j, ge, dge
T he letter j is a very underused letter. About seventy-five percent of the time, when we hear the j sound it is actually spelled with g or dge.
Visitors to Britain will find that curb is spelled kerb. Both words follow the spelling rules; both are therefore correct.
Spelling rule #1: Except for a few exotic imports, the j is never used at the end of English words:
The j can be followed by any of the vowels except y , but it is never followed by a consonant except in the popular contraction Jr (junior).
Spelling rule # 2: We use ge when a j sound is needed at the end of a word if the word has a long vowel sound or if there is a consonant following the vowel:
Spelling rule #3: We use dge if the word is a short vowel word and there is no consonant following the vowel. There are many of these words. They are usually single-syllable words, but there are also a few multi-syllable words.
When adding a suffix that begins with a hard vowel or a consonant, we would normally retain the final silent e , but when the dge is used, we drop the e because the d forms part of the soft j sound.
Note that some dictionaries allow a choice when adding able, but there is no logical reason to retain the e . Compare knowledgeable and knowledgable.
C HAPTER 23
Using oy and oi
W hile the long vowel sounds produced by oy and oi are exactly the same, there is a logical reason to use one rather than the other. There are very few exceptions.
Spelling rule #1: The oy is used at the end of a word:
Spelling rule #2: The oi is used in the middle of a word:
Note that the oi must be followed by at least one consonant:
Note that oid is also a suffix meaning “resembling” or “like” :
Very few words start with either oy or oi
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