Spelling Patterns

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.

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Why English Spelling Can Be Tricky

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.

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Key Spelling Rules

Rule 1: i before e, except after c

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!

Rule 2: Drop the e, add -ing

When a word ends in a silent e and you add a suffix beginning with a vowel, drop the e:

Base word	+ ing	+ ed	+ able
make	making	—	—
hope	hoping	hoped	—
write	writing	—	—
love	loving	loved	lovable
believe	believing	believed	believable

But keep the e when adding a suffix that starts with a consonant: hope + ful = hopeful, care + less = careless.

Rule 3: Double the consonant

When a short word ends in one vowel + one consonant, double the final consonant before adding -ing, -ed, or -er:

Base word	+ ing	+ ed	+ er
run	running	—	runner
sit	sitting	—	sitter
hop	hopping	hopped	—
swim	swimming	—	swimmer
begin	beginning	—	beginner

Compare: hop → hopping (short vowel, double p) vs hope → hoping (long vowel, drop e)

Rule 4: Change y to i

When a word ends in a consonant + y, change the y to i before adding most suffixes:

Base word	+ ed	+ es	+ er	+ est
carry	carried	carries	carrier	—
happy	—	—	happier	happiest
beauty	—	—	—	— (beautiful)
tidy	tidied	tidies	tidier	tidiest

But keep the y when adding -ing: carry → carrying, study → studying.

Rule 5: Plurals

Rule	Example
Most nouns: add -s	cat → cats, book → books
Nouns ending in s, sh, ch, x, z: add -es	bus → buses, church → churches
Nouns ending in consonant + y: change y to -ies	baby → babies, city → cities
Nouns ending in vowel + y: just add -s	monkey → monkeys, day → days
Nouns ending in f or fe: change to -ves	leaf → leaves, knife → knives
Irregular plurals	child → children, mouse → mice, tooth → teeth

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Tricky Spelling Patterns for the 11+

The "shun" sound

The "shun" sound at the end of a word can be spelled in different ways:

Spelling	When to use it	Examples
-tion	Most common (after a vowel or after certain consonants)	nation, education, invention
-sion	After d, s, or when the root word ends in -d or -se	explosion, decision, television
-ssion	After a short vowel sound	permission, discussion, confession
-cian	When it means a person (like a job)	musician, electrician, magician

Silent letters

Some words contain letters that are not pronounced: