Spelling
🔒 Log in to trackExam strategy: how to judge a spelling you have never seen
🔒 Log in to trackSpelling questions come in a few shapes. Some show four versions of one word. Some show four different words and ask for the wrong one. In both, you find the spot that differs or fails, and you apply one test. A short daily routine turns recognising words into spelling them.
Three question types
- Choose the correct spelling. Four versions of one word. Compare the options letter by letter. Look only at the spot where they differ.
- Find the misspelt word. Four different words, and one is wrong. You cannot compare, so check each word on its own.
- Misspelt word in a sentence. The same as type 2, but the words sit in a sentence. Ignore the meaning and check each listed word alone.
A fourth type asks for a plural or related form, such as criterion to criteria.
Four moves for a correct-spelling item
- Find the difference. The options differ in one or two spots, such as recie-ve, recei-ve and rece-ve. Focus on that spot only.
- Apply the rule that spot obeys. A c before the pair means ei. A root in -fer gives -ence. A stressed last syllable doubles. Otherwise it is a bank word.
- Say each option. Mis-CHEE-vious has four syllables. Mischievous has three.
- Split into syllables. Rest-au-rant needs the au. Check that no letter is missing.
Checks for a word you cannot compare
Run four quick checks on each word.
- Doubles: Are the double letters right? Tomorrow has one m and two r's.
- ie/ei: Does the pair follow the sound rule?
- Ending: -ance or -ence? -able or -ible? -ceed or -cede?
- Silent or dropped letters: Wednesday, government, pronunciation.
Tip: If three words pass easily, the fourth is the answer, even if you are unsure of it.
Classical plurals
Latin and Greek nouns keep their original plurals.
| Ending | Plural | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -on | -a | criterion, criteria; phenomenon, phenomena |
| -is | -es | crisis, crises; analysis, analyses; thesis, theses; basis, bases |
| -us | -i | stimulus, stimuli; radius, radii; nucleus, nuclei |
| -um | -a | medium, media; datum, data; curriculum, curricula |
Watch: Adding -s to these plurals (criterias, crisises) is always wrong.
Long words: split into syllables
Write the syllables and check each one.
- con-sci-en-tious (con + science + tious)
- mis-cel-la-ne-ous (double l, then -aneous)
- un-ne-ces-sa-ry (un + necessary)
A prefix does not change the root: un + necessary is unnecessary. Mis + spell is misspell. Dis + satisfied is dissatisfied. Two letters meet at the join, and the exam tests it.
Time and daily plan
A spelling item should take 20 to 30 seconds. If you are torn between two options, pick the one that follows a rule. Setters write wrong options that look natural.
Daily plan, 15 minutes: learn 10 new words. Then write yesterday's 10 from memory and mark each miss. Write sentences with bank words and check them a day later.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Choose the correct spelling
Four versions of one word, and the question asks which is right.
Scan the four options and find the spot where they differ.
Apply the rule that spot obeys.
Say each option and check the syllables.
The options are built to differ in one or two spots, so that spot is the whole question.
Definitely / Definately / Definitly / Defenitely
Show solutionHide solution
The options differ in the vowel after the f.
Definite ends in -inite, and -ly is added.
Only one option matches.
Definitely
Find the misspelt word (four different words)
The four options are different words and the question asks which one is spelt wrongly.
Check each word against its known signature: doubles, ie/ei, ending, silent letters.
Mark the words that pass clearly.
The one that fails is the answer.
Three words are correct, so one clear failure decides the item.
Tommorow / Receive / Beginning / Calendar
Show solutionHide solution
Receive passes the c-test.
Beginning has the stressed-syllable double.
Calendar ends in -dar.
Tomorrow has one m and double r.
Tommorow
Misspelt word inside a sentence
A sentence is given and the options are four words from it. One is misspelt.
Ignore the meaning of the sentence.
Check each option on its own.
Do not mark British forms such as recognised as wrong.
The sentence is only a setting. The test is still one word.
The comittee will announce its decision on Wednesday. Options: comittee / announce / decision / Wednesday
Show solutionHide solution
Announce, decision and Wednesday are right.
Committee has mm, tt and ee.
comittee
Classical plural
The question asks for the plural of a Latin or Greek noun (criterion, crisis, analysis, phenomenon).
Identify the ending: -on, -is, -us or -um.
Apply the change: -on to -a, -is to -es, -us to -i, -um to -a.
Reject any option that adds -s to the plural.
These words keep their original plurals in formal English.
Plural of crisis: crises / crisises / crisis / crisies
Show solutionHide solution
Crisis ends in -is.
The plural changes -is to -es.
crises
Long word: check syllable by syllable
A long word (conscientious, miscellaneous, unnecessary) with options that differ at one or two places.
Split the word into syllables.
Check each syllable in each option, especially where a prefix meets the root.
Choose the option with every syllable right.
Long words are hard to take in at a glance, but each syllable is easy to check.
Unnecessary / Unneccessary / Unecessary / Unnecesary
Show solutionHide solution
Split: un + necessary.
Double n at the join.
Necessary has one c and double s.
Unnecessary
Prefix + root: both letters stay
The word starts with a prefix that meets the same letter in the root (misspell, dissatisfied, unnecessary).
Split the prefix from the root.
Write both parts in full.
Keep both letters where they meet.
A prefix never changes the root, so a double letter appears at the join.
Misspell / Mispell / Misspel / Mispel
Show solutionHide solution
The prefix is mis and the root is spell.
Both s letters stay at the join.
Spell keeps both l's.
Misspell
Shortcuts that save time
Do not read four full words. Find the one position where they differ. That spot is the whole question.
Recieve / Receive / Receve / Reciev
Show solutionHide solution
Find the differing spot: the ei/ie pair.
A c comes before it, so ei.
Receive
Count the syllables. Mischievous has three. Rhythm has two. A wrong spelling often forces a syllable that cannot be said.
Seeing a word is not the same as spelling it. Cover the list, write the words, mark the misses and repeat tomorrow. The misses shrink each round.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Reading all four options in full.
Find the one spot where they differ and check only that.
Adding -s to a classical plural: criterias, crisises.
Use the classical plural: criteria, crises.
Checking meaning in a misspelt-word-in-a-sentence item.
Ignore the sentence and check each word on its own.
Marking British forms like recognised as wrong.
British forms are correct in these exams.
Choosing the option that merely looks familiar.
Choose the one that follows a rule: sound, stress or whole-word.
Leaving a spelling item blank.
Make one informed choice. There is no reason to skip it.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
Choose-the-correct: compare the options at the one spot where they differ.
Find-the-misspelt: check doubles, ie/ei, ending and silent letters for each word.
Classical plurals: criteria, phenomena, crises, analyses, stimuli, radii, media. Never add -s.
Long words: split into syllables. Prefix + root keeps both letters (unnecessary, misspell).
Unsure between two: pick the one that follows a rule.
Spend 20 to 30 seconds per item.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.