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Spelling is tested in the GL 11+ English exam, and strong spelling also improves your writing mark. Good spellers do not just memorise words one by one — they learn the patterns and rules that make English spelling more predictable than you might think.
English borrows words from many languages — Latin, French, Greek, Old Norse, and more. This means some spelling patterns seem irregular. However, many words do follow patterns, and learning these patterns is much more efficient than memorising every word individually.
This classic rule works for words where the letters make an "ee" sound:
| Follows the rule | Exception (after c) |
|---|---|
| believe | receive |
| achieve | conceive |
| field | deceive |
| shield | perceive |
| piece | receipt |
Exceptions to learn: weird, seize, protein, caffeine, species — these do not follow the rule!
When a word ends in a silent e and you add a suffix beginning with a vowel, drop the e:
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