Advanced spelling conventions
Spell words using Y5-6 conventions: doubling the final r of -fer when that syllable stays stressed, using hyphens at selected prefix joins or to clarify meaning, recognising ei for the long ee sound after c in receive and ceiling, and learning different pronunciations of ough
What a learner can do afterwards
- Double the final r of a base ending in -fer before a vowel-starting ending when fer stays stressed, and compare forms with a stress change
- Use hyphens at selected prefix joins when the requested spelling style calls for them, and use a hyphen to make re- meaning again clear without rejecting accepted unhyphenated spellings
- Spell receive and ceiling with ei after c for the long ee sound, and read and spell ough words with different pronunciations, including though, through, thought, rough and plough
1 · Read
You have met prefixes and letter groups with different sounds. These checks help with -fer endings, selected hyphenated joins, ei after c and words containing ough. Check the word you are writing rather than stretching one pattern to every word.
Stress is the beat you say more strongly. Before a vowel-starting ending, double the final r of a base ending in -fer if fer stays stressed. Confer + ed becomes conferred: con-FERRED. In reference and preference, stress is at the start, so the final r of the base is not doubled.
A hyphen can separate a prefix and a base: re-enter, co-own or co-ordinate. Coordinate is also accepted. Follow the spelling style requested. Re-cover makes re- meaning again clear. Recover often means get better or get something back, but can also mean cover again. The hyphen helps show the intended parts.
Receive and ceiling use ei after c for the long ee sound. Check that e comes before i in these words. For a worked check, split ceiling into c, ei and ling, then join those parts without changing their order. This is a useful pattern, not a rule for every word.
Learn the sound of each whole ough word. These pairs rhyme: though/go, through/too, thought/taught, rough/stuff and plough/now. The same four letters can represent different sounds. Compare the whole words rather than giving ough one sound everywhere.
Check stress before doubling final r in -fer words. Follow the requested hyphen style. Remember ei in receive and ceiling, and learn the sound of each ough word.
The reading was written for this dataset. Linked video: Why is English so confusing?, by Arika Okrent, from TED-Ed.
More to read
Pick a check for each word
Do not give every spelling the same check. If you add an ending to a -fer word, check the stress and its final r. Doubled letters are part of the spelling; they do not guarantee a particular vowel sound.
For a prefix join, find out which spelling style is wanted. Coordinate and co-ordinate are both accepted. A hyphen can help readers see the parts in a word such as re-cover.
For receive, inspect the letter order after c. For an ough word, learn the sound of that whole word. A familiar letter group may sound different in another word.
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2 · Watch
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Where it sits
This opens up
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.