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Sounds
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• | Experts
in human speech use the term phoneme for the
idea of a single sound in a given language. A phoneme can be spelled by one letter
or a group of letters. |
• | English words use the Roman or Latin alphabet, which is one of many alphabets. English has borrowed words from many languages, many of which use or used a different alphabet. When we bring these words into English, we use our alphabet to represent them. The technical term for this process is transliteration. English words from Greek, Arabic, Japanese, Russian, Sanskrit, and many other languages have been transliterated. |
Let's visit a few languages and take a look at some of the signature spellings of various sounds.
Some sources indicate that almost 30% of the most commonly used English words have Latin in their history. The good news is that the sounds of words from Latin are almost always spelled the same way. When you learn to spell several words that have Latin as the language of origin, you gain a "feel" for how all words from Latin are spelled. Latin has few surprises.
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| long e at end of plural noun | ae | algae, larvae, antennae (Note: Many of these words can also be pronounced with a long i.) | ||
| long i at end of plural noun | i | magi, fungi, cacti, alumni (Note: Some of these words can also be pronounced with a long e.) | ||
| "oo" as in ooze | u | recluse, revolution, nucleus, rumor, affluent, ruin | ||
| /y/ + "oo" as in ooze | u | commute, acute, municipal, nucleus, diffuse, tunic, deduce, cumulus | ||
| /y/ + schwa | u | deciduous, circulate, cellular, articulate, cumulus, argument, accurate, incubate | ||
| /gz/ | x | exist, exhume, auxiliary, exaggerate, exonerate, exhaust, examine | ||
| /k/ | c | candidate, execute, proclaim, constitution, college, locate, facsimile |
Notes on Latin spellings:
• | Most of the time /s/ is spelled s in words of Latin origin. Sometimes, however, /s/ is spelled sc: muscle, rescind, descend, adolescent. |
• | The letter z is rare in words of Latin origin. |
• | The letters k and w do not exist in English words of Latin origin unless the words have passed through another language before coming into English. |
• | Because Latin words have no rh's, ph's, and ch's—unless the Latin word got them from Greek—English words of Latin origin will not usually have rh, ph, or ch in their spellings. |
• | Most of the time /m/ at the end of a word of Latin origin is spelled m. Sometimes, however, it is spelled mb: aplomb, bomb, plumb. |
• | Sometimes /n/ at the end of a word of Latin origin is spelled gn: design, benign, impugn, align, assign. |
• | The letter i is a vowel often used to connect two Latin word elements. If the connecting vowel sound is a schwa and you must guess at the spelling of this sound, the letter i might be a good guess: florisugent, matrimonial, oviform, pediform, bacilliform, bilirubin, manicure, reniform. |
Greek is frequently viewed as the language of science. Because many good "spelling bee words" have definitions that relate to the various sciences, it is important for spellers to explore this language of origin and to learn its signature in words. Learning the meaning and spelling of Greek word elements takes the mystery out of many scientific words.
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| /f/ | ph | alphabet, phase, philosophy, phonics, telegraph, diphtheria, phobia, amphibian, sphere | ||
| short i | y | abyss, dyslexia, synonym, sympathy, system, gymnasium, odyssey, Olympiad, onyx, syzygy | ||
| /k/ | c,
k, or ch | carcinogen, cathode, democracy, kinetic, krypton, kaumographer, kaleidoscope, chrome, chloride, chaos, echo, chorus, technology, architect, character | ||
| /r/ | r/rh/rrh | parallel, periphery, theory, pyramid, thorax, rheostat, rhapsody, rhinoceros, rhythm, hemorrhage, cirrhosis | ||
| /z/ at beginning of word | x
(from Greek letter xi) | xylophone, xanthic, xenial | ||
| /z/ at beginning of word | z (from Greek letter zeta) | zeal, zephyr, zetetic, zeugma |
Notes on Greek spellings:
• | There are many ways to spell the same sound in Greek. For example, /th/ can be spelled th, phth, and chth; and /n/ can be spelled n, gn, pn, mn, and cn. The long u can be spelled u, eu, oo, and ou. Greek is full of surprises! |
• | While y is a telltale Greek spelling of a short i, the short i can also be spelled i in words of Greek origin: hippopotamus, arithmetic, trichotillomania. The letter y can also be used to spell a long i: hygiene, cryogen, myelocyte. |
• | The letter o is the vowel most often used to connect two Greek word elements. If the connecting vowel sound is a schwa and you must guess at the spelling of this sound, the letter o is a very good guess: xylophone, carcinogen, electrolyte, homonym, octopod, economist, atmosphere, geometric, gyroscope, hypnotist. |
Some sources indicate that around one-fourth of the words in the English language were "born" as English words, but these represent a very large proportion of the words we use in our writing and speaking: Words whose origin is English are many of our basic, everyday words. Because of their familiarity, they are easy for us to spell—even if their spelling includes silent letters. Words such as knowledge and writing give us little trouble because we have seen and used them for almost as long as we can remember.
Generally
speaking, words that have English as the language of origin do not contain tricky
letter combinations. The safest approach to spelling a mystery word whose language
of origin is English is to spell it exactly as it sounds—if no other clues
are available.
Of all the modern-day foreign languages that can be spotted in English words, French is premier. Of the words most commonly used in English, as many have French in their histories as have Latin. It would be unwise for you to be insouciant about the impact of French on spelling!
Bee participation tip: As you are en route to the top, it might be a good idea to try to develop a certain sangfroid toward the audience.
Fun fact: Over the past several years the French word connoisseur has been the most frequently used word on Scripps National Spelling Bee word lists.
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| long a | e | carburetor, elite, regime, dégringolade, decoupage, demarche, fete | ||
| long a | es | fresnel, demesne | ||
| long a | ez | suivez, rendezvous, oyez | ||
| long a at end of word | et | sachet, crochet, chalet, bouquet, duvet, croquet, parquet, beignet, cabaret, flageolet, gourmet, chalet, sobriquet, guignolet, ricochet, guichet, buffet, ballet, valet, guillemet, piolet, beret, camouflet, cassoulet | ||
| long a at end of word | e/ee | cafe, macrame, abbé, entree, matinee, melee | ||
| /y/ + long a at end of word | ier | dossier, costumier, atelier, cahier, espalier, métier, pompier, tapissier, douanier | ||
| long e at end of word | ee | fricassee, marquee | ||
| long e at end of word | ie | papeterie, japonaiserie, bourgeoisie, menagerie, bijouterie, minauderie, jalousie, batterie, gaucherie, gaminerie, coterie, fourberie, sortie | ||
| long i | aille | rocaille, trouvaille, grisaille | ||
| long o | aut | auteur, soubresaut, hauteur, sauterne, sautoir | ||
| long o | eau | eau, beau, trousseau, nouveau, chapeau, gateau, jambeau, plateau, heaume, Watteau, traineau, rideau | ||
| long o | eaux
(plural of words ending in -eau) | bordereaux, tableaux, watteaux, morceaux | ||
| long o | au | mauve, taupe, paupiette, gaufrette, soubresaut | ||
| /et/ | ette | banquette,
estafette, layette, croquette, fanchonette, blanquette, lorgnette, noisette, marionette,
pirouette Note: There are many words such as baronet, motet, annulet, coronet, flageolet, martinet, and bayonet that do not have the -ette spelling for /et/. | ||
| "ahzh" at end of word | age | fuselage, garage, camouflage, sabotage, dressage, bavardage, espionage, persiflage, escamotage, barrage, montage, maquillage, bocage, moulage, effleurage, empennage, triage, vernissage, badinage | ||
| "odd" at end of word | ade | facade, croustade, ballade, chamade, persillade, glissade, roulade, levade | ||
| "air" at end of word | aire | doctrinaire, cessionaire, billionaire, legionnaire, solitaire, luminaire, functionaire, Voltaire | ||
| "oo" as in ooze | ou | soufflé, boudoir, coup, bouquet, loupe, boutique, couture, rouge, soubriquet, bouffant, bouillon, moulage, couvade, tourlourou, croupier, bijou, croustade, nougat, froufrou, rouleau, bouquiniste, coulomb, sapajou, couchant, soubise, voussoir, soupçon | ||
| "oo" as in ooze | u | fondu, ecru, fichu, impromptu, menu, ormolu, parvenu, tutu | ||
| "oo" as in ooze | ieu | lieu, bondieuserie, purlieu, maieutic, lieutenant, milieu | ||
| /sh/ at beginning of word | ch | chagrin, chablis, chevaline, chaise | ||
| /sh/ at beginning of word | sh | shallot, shalloon, shako | ||
| /sh/ at end of word | che | gobemouche, brioche, cache, demarche, gauche, louche, panache, quiche, seiche, parfleche, potiche | ||
| /k/ at end of word | que | antique, grotesque, cinque, technique, mosque, arabesque, boutique, pique, claque, roque, clique | ||
| /g/ at end of word | gue | gigue, vogue, morgue, intrigue, fugue, fatigue, colleague, plague | ||
| "el" at end of word | elle | gazelle, mademoiselle, nacelle, belle, chandelle, jumelle | ||
| schwa + /l/ | el | bevel, estoppel, camel, cancel, caramel, enamel, gravel, kennel | ||
| /w/ + "oz" | oise | ardoise, dacquoise, bourgeoise, nicoise, reboise, genoise | ||
| /n/ + /y/ | gn | beignet, rognon, chignon, espagnole, vigneron, guignol, vignette, poignant, lorgnette, seigneur, champignon, carmignole | ||
| /n/ + /w/ | gn | baignoire, peignoir | ||
| schwa + /r/ | eur | friseur,
persifleur, jongleur, auteur, flaneur, fleuron, tiqueur (See note on -er/-re and -or/-our.) | ||
| "ill" at end of word | ille | coquille, escadrille, quadrille |
Notes on French spellings:
• | French, true to its Latin heritage, tends to use c and avoid k for spelling the /k/ sound. | |
• | Many words from French have silent consonants: Examples include maillot, debut, picot, griot, ouvert (silent t); debris, Franglais, patois, coulis, apropos (silent s); champagne, bersagliere (silent g); roux, faux, bordereaux (silent x); coup (silent p); sangfroid (silent d), and email (silent l). | |
• | A nasal vowel ("honk, honk") can be spelled many ways in English words of French origin. The nasal vowel results in various silent consonants: | |
• • • • • • • • | -ent
(denouement, battement, accouchement, rapprochement) -ant (croissant, dansant) -on (frisson, garcon) -emps (contretemps) -in (boudin, baragouin) -en- (tendu, malentendu, entrepreneur) -em- (croquembouche, embonpoint) -oint (embonpoint) | |
• | One of Noah Webster's goals was to simplify the spelling of English words by making them more similar in appearance to the way that they sound. With words from French ending in schwa + /r/, such as theatre and centre and colour and glamour, he tried hard to change their spellings to theater/center and color/glamor. Many words were already firmly established in English, however, so what we have now are two acceptable spellings of each word. Some words such as massacre, mediocre, and ogre were so firmly established that they have only the traditional French spelling. | |
• | The oi letter combination is seen in many words of French origin and has many different sounds. Familiarize yourself with the sound and spelling of words such as foible, adroit, renvoi, moire, chinoiserie, boudoir, coiffure, grimoire, avoirdupois, connoisseur, porpoise, and mademoiselle. | |
English words from Spanish are almost always spelled the way that they sound. If you are at the microphone and are asked to spell a mystery word of Spanish origin, spell the word the way it sounds! For example, if the final sound is a long o, spell it with an o. Don't pull out the French -eau. Don't try to put a fancy spin on the spelling of words from Spanish!
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| long a | e | ceja, rejoneador, zarzuela, coleta, capeador, sevillana | ||
| /g/ + long a | gue | vargueno, malaguena | ||
| long a at end of word | e | suerte, padre, atole, baile, compadre, guanche, infante, jarabe, olé, jefe, molave, norte, pinche, sucre, tiple, hombre, amole, bisagre | ||
| long e at end of word | i | bonaci, Bribri, caji, guazuti, houvari, javali, mani, macabi, tecali, zemi, aguaji | ||
| long e at end of word | e | vigilante, amole, adobe, bisagre, casabe, cenote, jinete, chapote, chayote, mole, monte, pinole, rosinante, timbe, Apache, hombre | ||
| long e followed by "yuh"/"yoh" | illa/illo | banderilla, mantilla, tortilla, blanquillo, piloncillo, tomatillo, quesadilla | ||
| long o | o | desperado, pronto, rodeo, Latino, amigo, concho, diablo, gazpacho, tango, zocalo | ||
| /h/ | j | jicama, junta, aparejo, jinete, rejoneador, jacal, zanja | ||
| /k/ | c | cabana, cacao, cordovan, hurricane, cafeteria, cantina | ||
| /k/ | qu | ronquil, quiaquia, quinta, vaquero | ||
| "kay" | que | quesadilla, quebrada, quebracho | ||
| schwa at end of word | a | bonanza, bodega, hacienda, cabana, junta, plaza, fajita, chinchilla |
Notes on Spanish spellings:
• | The Spanish alphabet does not contain a k. The letter k is found in English words from Spanish only when Spanish has borrowed those words from some other language. |
• | Don't use ph to spell the /f/ sound in English words from Spanish. |
• | With the exception of ll and rr, double letters in words of Spanish origin are uncommon. |
• | The letters ch and ll are considered single letters in Spanish. That's why these letter combinations pop up frequently in English words of Spanish origin. |
• | Make lists of words that do not follow the "spell it like it sounds" guideline: For example: tilde (final schwa spelled with e). |
• | A /th/ sound will be spelled with a d if it is surrounded by vowels. Examples: rejoneador, toreador, cogida, capeador. |
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| long e | ie | vorspiel, glockenspiel, kunstlied, kriegspiel, blitzkrieg, volkslied, zwieback, wienerwurst, wiesenboden | ||
| long i | ei | abseil, Fahrenheit, gesundheit, Deiters, gauleiter, leitmotiv, einkanter, gneiss, zeitgeist, gutzeit, Kneippism, schwarmerei, meister, ortstein, geige, poltergeist, leitmotiv, reiter | ||
| /ch/ and /sh/ | sch | affenpinscher, gegenschein, schottische, kitsch, Nietzschean, schnitzel, putsch, schappe, austausch, schefflera, bergschrund, Braunschweiger, schuss, festschrift, kirsch, meerschaum, schadenfreude | ||
| "lick" (sort of!) | lich | geistlich, lieblich, schlich, frohlich | ||
| /v/ | w | wenzel, edelweiss, wisent, weltpolitik, weimaraner, wedel, leberwurst, wiesenboden, Wagnerian, weltschmerz | ||
| /k/ | k | einkorn, katzenjammer, einkanter, kohlrabi, lebkuchen, blitzkrieg, kipfel, randkluft, kuchen, nachtmusik, kitsch, steinkern, weltpolitik, realpolitik | ||
| /k/ | ck | pickelhaube, schnecke, zwieback, pumpernickel | ||
| /k/ | ch | echt | ||
| /ts/ or /z/ | z | marzipan, zeitgeist, blintze, czar |
Note on German spellings:
• | German words love k's, ck's, and ch's. They avoid c's, except when the German word is borrowed from Greek or some other language that has an unusual preference for c's. Remember: The letter c rarely appears alone in words of German origin. |
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| long a at end of word | e | padre, volante, tagliatelle, pappardelle, ballabile, padrone, macrame, principe, scintillante | ||
| long e at end of word | i | spaghetti, salami, macaroni, perciatelli, ziti, Amati, brindisi, cannelloni, cannoli, calamari, literati, Carbonari, ravioli | ||
| long e at end of word | e | minestrone, torrone, fettuccelle, schiavone, brillante, campanile, canzone, pococurante, monte, lazzarone, pallone, panettone | ||
| long e + long o at end of word | io | impresario, atrio, punctilio, arpeggio, nuncio, oratorio, pistachio, studio, capriccio, intaglio | ||
| long o at end of word | o | alto, bravo, crescendo, bambino, fiasco, motto, maestro, libretto, largo, ghetto, graffito, inferno, incognito, palmetto, pesto, piano, piccolo, capriccioso, prosciutto, soprano, tremolo, zero, amaretto, Reggio | ||
| /y/ + long o at end of word | io | imbroglio, intaglio, bardiglio, latticinio, preludio, verdicchio | ||
| "eenie" at end of word | ini | rappini, spiedini, ditalini, spaghettini, zucchini, tortellini | ||
| /ch/ | cc | breccia, carpaccio, capriccio, fettuccelle, mostaccioli, focaccia, fettuccine | ||
| /k/ before schwa or long o | cc | beccafico, spiccato, squacco, zocco, zoccolo, zacco, stucco, piccolo | ||
| /k/ before schwa, short a, or long o | c | cantata, pecorino, cambio, campanile, magnifico, giocoso, pococurante | ||
| /k/ before long e, short e, or long a | ch | chianti, chiaroscuro, marchesa | ||
| /ts/ | zz | pizza, intermezzo, mozzarella, palazzo, pizzicato | ||
| /ny/ | gn | agnolotti, signorina, lasagna, malmignatte | ||
| /sk/ before long or short e | sch | maraschino, scherzo | ||
| schwa at end of word | a | regatta, bravura, buffa, camorra, durezza, fughetta, saltimbocca, sonatina, toccata, cantata, ocarina, piazza |
Notes on Italian spellings:
• | Watch out for a silent g in a few words of Italian origin! Examples include intaglio, gnocchi, and scagliola. |
• | Italian words seem to avoid using k to spell the /k/ sound. |
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| long a | ei | reiki, geisha, issei, kibei, nisei, sansei | ||
| long a at end of word | e | yosenabe, urushiye | ||
| long e at end of word | i | Kabuki, odori, hibachi, origami, tsunami, wasabi, zori, Meiji, Romaji, dashi, kanji, awabi, odori, tatami, sashimi, chorogi, fuji, haori, koji, obi, randori, shikii, torii, shogi, sukiyaki, urushi, gi, surimi, sushi, tamari, teriyaki, umami, yakitori | ||
| long e at end of word | e | kamikaze, momme, mume | ||
| long i | ai | bonsai, yamamai, mai, samurai, banzai, haikai, shintai, aikido, kaiseki | ||
| long o | o | mikado, pachinko, koto, miso, odori, genro, gyokuro, judo, kendo, mondo, sumo, tenno, dojo, zendo, gingko | ||
| "oo" as in ooze | u | chanoyu, Bunraku, ayu, kudzu, haiku, hokku, shiatsu, zaibatsu, tofu, ansu, kwazoku, maru, Gagaku | ||
| /k/ | k | kakemono, bugaku, kana, kimono, haiku | ||
| schwa at end of word | a | ikebana, ama, katana, geisha, sayonara, kana, mana, ninja, soba |
Note on Japanese spellings:
• | Double consonants seem to be uncommon. Only a handful of words that have come to us directly from Japanese have double consonants. These include gobbo, hokku, isse, momme, seppuku, shikken, tenno, and teppanyaki. |
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| long e at end of word | i | vali, Azeri, raki, effendi, kasseri | ||
| long i | ai | taiga, bairam, serai | ||
| /k/ | c | canun, caza | ||
| /k/ | k | kilim, altilik, kismet, mamluk, palanka, sanjak, moussaka, kasseri | ||
| /k/ | kh | khagan, khilafat, tarkhan |
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| long e at end of word | i | abbasi, Kabuli, kusti, tangi, Turki | ||
| /g/ | g | idgah | ||
| /g/ | gh | ispaghul, ghorkhar | ||
| /k/ | c | calean, carboy | ||
| /k/ | k | abkar, kamboh, kusti, Kabuli, karez, kran | ||
| /k/ | kh | Bakhtiari, dakhma, farsakh, ghorkhar, nakhoda |
Some notable sounds and spellings:
sound (what you hear) | spelling (what you often see) | example
words | ||
| long e at end of word | i | Hindi, amani, bibi, basmati, tandoori, begari, chakari, jungli, chhatri, dasturi, dhauri, granthi, kangri, koftgari, Pindari, lassi, poori, roti, pachisi, darzi, sabzi | ||
| schwa at end of word | a | mahatma, Buddha, karma, natya, chokra, pajama, makara, mandala, sattva | ||
| schwa at end of word | ah | almirah, keddah, ayah, khankah, kajawah, numnah | ||
| "ana" as in British pronunciation of banana (sort of!) at end of word | ana | nirvana, gymkhana, dhyana, jnana, rana, zenana, prana, vimana, thana |
Notes on Sanskrit/Hindi spellings:
• | English words from Sanskrit sometimes contain a silent h: | |
• • • • • |
/t/ can be spelled th (kathakali, thana) /b/ can be spelled bh (bhalu) /d/ can be spelled dh (dharma) /k/ can be spelled kh (gymkhana) /p/ can be spelled ph (phansigar) | |
English has borrowed less heavily from many other languages that are not listed above. In many cases, words borrowed from the less-stolen-from languages are somewhat unfamiliar. They are, however, good "spelling bee words"!
In words of Polish origin:
• | /v/ is usually spelled with a w: kujawiak, krakowiak, many Polish surnames |
• | /k/ is usually spelled with a k: kishke, kielbasa, babka, oberek |
In words of Russian origin:
• | /k/ is usually spelled with a k: burka, tokamak, apparatchik, zolotnik, troika, Bolshevik, chinovnik, gopak, gudok, suslik, kulak, obrok, sputnik, kurgan. Note: We have "ck'd" some spellings such as cossack. |
• | /k/ + schwa is usually spelled ka: babushka, perestroika, balalaika, chastushka, nagaika |
• | "ock" as in rock can be spelled ak or ok: trepak, kulak, gudok, obrok, Slovak |
In
words of Portuguese origin:
• | /ny/ is often spelled nh: ainhum, pupunha, cavaquinho, piranha |
In
words of Hawaiian origin:
• | there are no silent letters such as the e in hole |
• | the only consonants used are h, k, l, m, n, p, and w |
• | consonants are never doubled |
• | the last letter is always a vowel |
In
words of Hebrew origin:
• | a final "ah" sound and a final schwa sound are often spelled ah: bedikah, genizah, menorah, aliyah, takkanah, bamah, amidah, asherah, neilah, taharah, parashah, gezerah, hashkabah, Jeremiah, kapparah, Jonah, kabbalah, mizpah, messiah |
• | double consonants seem relatively common: hosanna, kibbutz, shibboleth, Gehenna, akkum, kiddush, bikkurim, kapparah, kinnor, gabbai, koppa, messiah, hallel, Perizzite, rabbi, sabbath, shittah, takkanah, viddui |
In
words of Scandinavian origin:
• | Many borrowed Old Norse words contain the consonant group /sk/, which is still spelled sk as it was in Old Norse: skid, skin, skip, skirl, skirt, skulk, skull, sky. Other Old Norse words that had the consonant group /sk/ took a detour: When they landed in present-day English, their /sk/ sounds were spelled sc: scab, scale, score, scrape, scowl, scrimp. |
In
words of Hungarian origin:
• |
/s/ can occasionally be spelled s or tz but is nearly always sz: |
In
words of Eskimo origin:
• | /k/ is almost always spelled k: Eskimo, komatik, manak, kooletah, muktuk, anorak, kamik, makluk, kashim |
• | /k/ is sometimes spelled q: qiviut |
• | long e is sometimes spelled ih: mihrab, ihram, faqih, tasbih, Lihyanic |
• | many words are spelled more or less as they sound: mancala, masjid, kemancha, albetad, azoth, bejel |
• | there is sometimes a silent h: madhab, dhimmi, dhikr, dukhn, fellagha |
In
words of Afrikaans origin:
• | Familiarize yourself with letter combinations in words such as uintjie, Uitlander, uitspan, vaalhaai, volksraad, umfaan, aardvark, bobbejaan, geeldikkop, wildebeest, vetkousie. Make a list of unusual spellings for various sounds! |
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• | Do you know anyone who is trying to learn a new foreign language? Does this person have a textbook? Find textbooks for various foreign languages and peruse the vocabulary sections. Some spelling patterns might surface! An alternative is to take a look at various dictionaries for foreign languages that use the Roman alphabet. Look at the pronunciations for the entries. You might gain a sense of sound and spelling correspondences for words that have come into English from these languages. | |
• | Do you have an "electronic" dictionary that has a search feature? If so, search for all the words in the dictionary that have a particular language of origin. Look at each list of words from a given language and see if you can spot spelling patterns within this language. | |
Look
at the lists for each language listed above and notice that there is something
mentioned about the spelling of /k/ in almost every list. Correctly spelling the
/k/ sound in English words is sometimes like flipping a coin. IF YOU MUST GUESS
how to spell the /k/ sound in a word and the word has a non-European language
of origin, especially one that uses a non-Roman alphabet, YOUR SAFEST GUESS is
to spell the /k/ sound with a k.
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Note
from Carolyn:
Thank you to two individuals who provided feedback
on the
observations provided on this Web page:
Dr. Brian Sietsema, Scripps National
Spelling Bee Associate Pronouncer
Barrie Trinkle, Scripps National Spelling
Bee word panelist
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