Useful spelling rules for teachers of beginning readers and spellers
1. The role of y in words
When you hear a /y/ at the start of a word, spell it with y.
When you see a y at the end of a word, it won’t sound like /y/.
In little words it probably sounds like a long /i/ (cry, sky), and on longer words ( with more than one
clap or syllable) it probably sounds like a long ‘e’ (happy, baby).
Sometimes a y on the end of a word has a vowel letter before it – ay, ey, uy, oy – these patterns
have their own vowel sounds – ay (long /a/), ey (long /e/ or long /a/), uy (long /i/), oy (/oy/).
2. Spelling the long /e/ on the end of a word
If the word has one clap or syllable, use an e pattern (e, ee, ea) – me, she, see, tea
If the word has two or more claps or syllables, use a y or ey pattern – happy, funny, honey, monkey
3. Spelling the /j/ sound
If you hear a /j/ at the start of a word it can be written with j or g
If you hear a /j/ at the end of a word it will be written with a ge or a dge – never with a j
N.B. The letter g will only sound like /j/ if it is followed by an e, i or y. Every word that has a g
followed by e or i will not sound like /j/ (get, give, giggle) but in most words where there is a g
followed by y, the g will be pronounced ‘j’ (gypsy, gymnast).
4. Using ck for /k/
The ck pattern is used to spell /k/ on the end of lots of words that have only one clap or syllable. It
always comes after a short vowel sound.
N.B. If children see it in words like jacket, package, clicking etc., cover up the letters or suffix after
the ck and show them how there is still a whole one-syllable word left over that ends in ck (jack,
pack, click).
5. Spelling the /ng/ sound
Lots of words end with the /ng/ sound after a vowel – ang, ong, ing, ung words. It is always written
ng on the end of a word.
Some words have the /ng/ sound before a /k/ or /g/ – then it is just written with n – think, bank,
clunk, single, jungle
6. /v/ on the end of a word
All words that end in v must be followed by e. Sometimes the e is part of the vowel_ e ending for a
long vowel sound (cave, gave, hive) and sometimes it isn’t (give, love, have).
7. Spelling the /z/ sound
When you hear /z/ at the start of a word it will almost always be written with z. When you hear /z/
at the end of a word it is often written with s (his, as, was, does).
N.B. There are other rules for this but they aren’t relevant for beginners.
8. Spelling the short /u/ sound
When you hear a short /u/ sound and it has its own clap (it is a syllable by itself), write it with a – a,
around, again, about, par/a/chute, car/a/van. If it doesn’t have its own clap, write it with u.
In some words the short /u/ is written with o – mother, month, Monday, some, done etc.
Sometimes we use an a to spell the short /u/ on the end of words too – pizza, panda, gorilla.
We never spell the short /u/ with a if it is part of a syllable – un/der, un/cle, um/brell/a, fun, rub
9. Spelling long vowel sounds
If you hear a long vowel sound inside a syllable or at the beginning of a syllable, it is usually written
with a long spelling pattern – two vowels , either together (train, green, leaf, thief, ceiling, soap,
spoon, fruit), or split - the vowel_e pattern (cake, these, like, home, cute, move).
N.B. The long /i/ is slightly different because it has the igh pattern as well (night, sight) and
sometimes is just written with a single i inside a syllable (child, kind).
10 Spelling the /oy/ sound
When you hear the /oy/ sound at the end of a word or syllable, use oy (boy, toy, royal). When it is at
the start of or inside a word or syllable, use oi (ointment, choice, noise).
N.B. Words that contain ‘oil’ mostly use oi, which often sounds like more than one syllable (boil, coil,
toilet).
11. Spelling the /ow/ sound
When you hear /ow/ at the end of a word or syllable, use ow (cow, now, pow/er, show/er).
When you hear /ow/ at the start of, or inside a word or syllable, use ou (ounce, house, loud).
BUT: If the word rhymes with down (frown, clown, town) or owl (howl, towel, growl) we usually use
ow.