1. spelling

2. MAKING WORDS PLURAL most of the time, we can just add an “s.”
ex:  keys, footballs, pancakes.
words that end in “ch,” “x,” or “s,” you have to add “es.”
ex:  boxes, witches, fusses, buses.

3. MAKING WORDS PLURAL
words that end in a consonant and a “y,” change the “y” to an “i” and add “es.”
ex:   ruby —> rubies marry —> marries
words that end in “ f “ or “ fe,” change the “ f “ sound to a “v” sound, add “es.”
ex:    life —> lives     leaf —> leaves
hoof —> hooves elf —> elves
*Exceptions: dwarfs, roofs

4. MAKING WORDS PLURAL irregular plural forms (odd cases)
ex:   woman —> women
goose —> geese
mouse —> mice
person —> people
deer —> deer

5. Words that end with “e”
Drop the “e” if the suffix (ending) starts with a vowel
Blame + ing = Blaming
Don’t drop the “e” if the suffix starts with a consonant
Same + ness + Sameness

6. Words ending in a consonant and ‘y’
Change the “y” to an ‘i’ before adding ending
Pretty + ness + prettiness
. . . Unless the ending begins with an ‘I”
Cry + ing + crying

7. Words ending with a vowel and “y”
Keep the “Y”
Destroy + ing = destroying

8. One syllable words
If they end with a single consonant and a single vowel, double final consonant
Slam + ed = slammed

9. “i” before “e” except after “c”
Niece
Piece
But Receipt, receive, deceive
Exception: when the word sounds like “way”
Sleigh
Neigh

10. Rules to improve spelling
Use a dictionary or spell-checker
Check it over yourself. You will catch more mistakes than you think
Break larger words into smaller:
Beau ti ful
Look for smaller words in larger ones
To mor row