Recent research has shown that spelling-to-sound correspondences in English are less irregular than has been thought in the past and that a large percentage of irregularities consists of irregularly spelled words which recur in various derived and compound words. In order to determine the degree to which irregularities occur in multiple-derived…

Defining regularity in the English language is not a straightforward matter because of the complex relations between sound and spelling. Predictable patterns are those spellings that can be readily predicted from pronunciation. Rare and unpredictable spellings are found only in a small set of words--probably 10% or less of the vocabulary in…

As part of the development of the phonics-based reading component of the SWRL Model 2 Communication Skills Program for kindergarten through third grade, this set of 166 spelling-to-sound correspondence rules for one- and two-syllable words was created. Designed to accompany a lexicon for beginning reading instruction, this booklet includes an…

Noting that students write more freely if they feel confident about their spelling, this paper offers seven practical and effective ways that teachers can help their students become better spellers. The suggestions offered are as follows: (1) teach students that English spelling is systematic; (2) teach students which spellings are predictable;…

The English spelling system and the teaching of English spelling are discussed in relation to students who are learning English as a second (or foreign) language. The systematic nature of English spelling is described and a brief summary is presented of sound-to-spelling correspondences and of other spelling rules. Specific difficulties which may…