Spelling better : Putting vowels in the correct order

How is your spelling? Besides knowing the powers of the silent "e" and our handy phrase "i" before "e" except after "c", I continue with another trick to help spell and pronounce troublesome words:

When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking. This means that when there are two vowels in a row, the first usually has a long sound and the second is silent. I warn you that this doesn't apply to all words because English is a language full of exceptions so think of this as more of a guideline.

ee: green, wheel, sleep (The first “e” says its name while the second “e” is silent)

ea: sea, easy, peach (The first “e” says its name while the second “a” is silent)

oa: coat, loan, approach (The first “o” says its name while the second “a” is silent)

ai: mail, paint, fail (The first “a” says its name while the second “i” is silent)

ui - juice, fruit, suit (The first “u” says its name while the second “i” is silent)

ei - ceiling, receive, receipt (The first “e” says its name while the second “i” is silent)

oe - toe, goes, tomatoes (The first “o” says its name while the second “e” is silent)

ue - blue, true, hue (The first “u” says its name while the second “e” is silent)


Not only will this rule will help you put vowels in the right order when spelling, you will also know how to pronounce them correctly when reading.
So there are many instances when these vowels "go walking".

Spelling words with the silent 'e'

If you want to become a better speaker, it helps to be a good writer. This post is a continuation of my previous one because a focus on spelling English words will help you pronounce them and we all know that's not always so easy.

We already covered the first rule: 'i' before 'e' except after 'c' (receive, for example). Can you think of any words that fit this rule? Do you know any words that defy it?

This week's rule: silent 'e' helps a vowel say its name.

When a word ends with a vowel followed by a consonant and then silent 'e', the vowel has a long sound.

That's all you need to make a difference between hat and hate, cut and cute, fat and fate, not and note, etc. One little silent 'e' can have a big impact on English words!

Spelling English words

Pronouncing many English words is a challenge. What about spelling them?
We have the silent "e", unusual letter combinations and blends, inconsistent patterns, and all sorts of obstacles. Luckily for all of us, there are a few aids or tricks to help spell many words that give us trouble.

i before e, except after c: A good and useful rule if you are unsure whether a word is spelled with the sequence ei or ie. The correct order is ie unless the preceding letter is c, in which case it is ei. For example:

friend, believe, relief
perceive, receive, receipt

The good thing about this rule is that it rhymes thus making it easy to remember. The bad thing is that there are exceptions that break this rule. There are always exceptions!

When in doubt, think of this little poem. It always helps me.

i before e, except after c.