Spelling Made Simple

  1. Remember this jingle: i before e except after c or when the sound is ay as in neighbor and weigh"

There are nine exceptions, which you can remember with this little mnemonic:

The weird foreigner neither seizes leisure nor forfeits height.

  1. When the word ends in a y preceded by a consonant, change the y to i before adding endings unless they begin with i.

deny>denial>denying [consonant before y]
vary>variation>varying [consonant before y]
annoy>annoyance>annoying [vowel before y]
convey>conveyor>conveying [vowel before y]

  1. Drop silent e before endings beginning with vowels.

encourage>encouraging>encouragement
use>usage>usable>useful
agree>agreeable>agreement
come>coming>comely

  1. Double the last consonant if there is a vowel before it and the ending begins with a vowel. [If the word has more than one syllable, this is true only if the accent is on the last syllable.]

war>warring>warfare
ship>shipping>shipment
rest>rested>restless
allot>allotting>allotment
commit>committee>committing>commitment
regret>regretted>regretfully
humor>humorous>humorless

Lauren Maxwell | Management Faculty | Marketing, Management, & Information Systems
Economics Faculty | Economics and Finance | Departments & Majors  
CBA Home | UCA Home | Disclaimer

College of Business Administration · University of Central Arkansas · 201 Donaghey · Conway, AR 72035 · (501) 450-3106
If you have any questions or comments concerning the CBA site, please contact Carla Barber.
This page was last updated on Friday, July 21, 2006.