Adding -er/est

We make the comparative or superlative forms of short adjectives by adding -er or -est.

Spelling Rule
Just add -er or -est to the end of the adjective, for example:

quick > quicker > quickest

great > greater > greatest

full > fuller > fullest

Exceptions

If the adjective ends in: do this: and add: For example:

consonant + -y change the -y to an -i -er happy > happier > happiest

consonant + -e remove the -e -est late > later > latest

consonant + vowel + double the last letter hot > hotter > hottest
consonant

Note: adjectives ending in -l are regular, except:

cruel > crueller > cruellest

Adding -ing/-ed

Often we need to add -ing or -ed to a verb to make other forms of the verb, for example:
I was talking when John arrived.

Spelling Rule
Just add -ing or -ed to the end of the base verb:

work > working > worked

play > playing > played

open > opening > opened

Exceptions

If the base verb ends in: do this: and For example:

add:

consonant + vowel + double the final -ing stop > stopping > stopped
consonant consonant begin > beginning
-ed tap > tapping > tapped
and a stressed syllable
But, for example:
open > opening > opened
(because no stress on last syllable of
open)

consonant + -e remove the -e -ing phone > phoning > phoned

dance > dancing > danced
-ed make > making
 rake > raking > raked
dye > dying > dyed

-ie change the -ie to -y -ing lie > lying

die > dying

nothing -d lie > lied

die > died

Adding -ly

We often make an adverb by adding -ly to an adjective, for example: quick > quickly.

Spelling Rule
Just add -ly to the end of the adjective:

coy > coyly

loud > loudly

beautiful > beautifully

senseless > senselessly

intelligent > intelligently

Exceptions

If the adjective ends in: do this: and add: For example:

-ll nothing -y full > fully

consonant + -le remove the final -e -y terrible > terribly

-y (except 1-syllable adjectives) remove the -y -ily happy > happily

Note: 1-syllable adjectives ending in -y are regular, except:

day > daily
gay > gaily

Adding -s

We add -s to words for two reasons:

1. to make plural nouns (boy > boys)

2. to form the 3rd person singular of the present simple tense (I work > you work > he works)

Spelling Rule
Just add -s to the end of the word, for example:

dog > dogs

play > plays

demand > demands

Exceptions
If the word ends in: do this: and add: For example:

-ch nothing -es church > churches

-s mass > masses
-sh brush > brushes
-x fax > faxes
-z box > boxes
chintz > chintzes

-f remove the -f or -fe -ves wife > wives

-fe calf > calves

except:
beliefs, cliffs, chiefs, dwarfs, griefs, gulfs,
proofs, roofs

consonant + -y remove the -y -ies spy > spies

baby > babies

Note: words that end in -o normally just add s, except:

buffalo > buffaloes
cargoes (or cargos)
domino > dominoes, echo > echoes, go > goes, grotto > grottoes, halo > haloes, hero > heroes, mango
> mangoes, mosquito > mosquitoes, motto > mottoes (or mottos),potato > potatoes, tomato >
tomatoes, tornado > tornadoes, torpedo > torpedoes, veto > vetoes, volcano > volcanoes

-ible or -able

Many words end in -ible and -able. Sometimes it is difficult to remember which spelling to use.

The -ible ending is for words of Latin origin. There are about 180 words ending in -ible. No new words
are being created with -ible endings. Here are the most common examples:

accessible flexible illegible

admissible gullible irresistible
audible horrible irreversible
collapsible illegible ostensible
combustible implausible permissible
compatible inaccessible plausible
comprehensible incontrovertible possible
contemptible incredible responsible
credible indefensible reversible
defensible indelible sensible
destructible inedible susceptible
digestible insensible suggestible
divisible intelligible tangible
edible invincible terrible
fallible invisible visible

The -able ending is for:

some Latin words, for example: dependable

non-Latin words, for example: affordable, renewable, washable

new (modern) words, for example: networkable, windsurfable

Rule of thumb
This rule can help you decide the correct spelling. It works most (but not all!) of the time. Remember, if
you are not sure about a word, it is probably best to use a dictionary. Here is the rule:
 If you remove -able from a word, you are left with a complete word.
If you remove -ible from a word, you are not left with a complete word (note
that accessible,contemptible, digestible, flexible and suggestible above are among the
exceptions to this rule).

Adding -
-ible o

-ie- or -ei-

Sometimes it is difficult to remember whether a word is spelled with -ie- or -ei-. There is a very simple rule about this:

I before E
except after C
or when sounding like AY
as in neighbour and weigh

Rule Examples

I before E achieve, believe, brief, chief, friend, grief, hygiene, patience, pierce, priest, thief

except after C ceiling, conceit, conceive, deceit, deceive, perceive, receipt, receive

or when sounding like AY beige, feint, freight, inveigle, neighbour, sleigh, vein, weigh, weight

Here are some common exceptions to the above rule:

either, neither, caffeine, codeine, counterfeit, foreign, forfeit, height, leisure, protein, their, weird, seize, seizure

English and American English Spelling

Here are the principal differences in spelling between English and American English.

English American
English

Final -l is always doubled after one vowel in stressed and unstressed rebel > rebel >
syllables in English but usually only in stressed syllables in American rebelled rebelled
English, for example: travel > travel >
travelled traveled

Some words end in -tre in English and -ter in American English, for centre center
example: theatre theater

Some words end in -ogue in English and -og in American English, for analogue analog
example: catalogue catalog

Some words end in -our in English and -or in American English, for colour color
example: labour labor
Some verbs end in -ize or -ise in English but only in -ize in American realise, realize realize
English, for example: harmonise, harmonize
harmonize

Common Differences
English American English

all right all right,

alright (disputed)

analyse analyze

centre center

cheque check

colour color

counsellor counselor

criticise, criticize criticize

defence defense

doughnut donut

favour favor

fibre fiber

flavour flavor

fulfil fulfill

grey gray

honour honor

humour humor

jewellery jewellery, jewelry

judgement, judgment judgment

kerb curb

labour labor
license, licence (verb) license (verb)
licence (noun) license (noun)

litre liter

metre meter

mould mold

neighbour neighbor

offence offense

practise (verb) practice (verb)

practice (noun) practice (noun)

pretence pretense

programme (plan, concert etc) program

program (computer software) program

pyjamas pajamas

realise, realize realize

savour savor

speciality specialty

theatre theater

travelled travelled, traveled

travelling travelling, traveling

tyre tire

valour valor