16 spelling rules you should have memorised

If you’ve been tripped up by “embarrassed,” “necessary,” or “rhythm,” you’re not alone. Use these tips to never misspell these tricky words again.

Spelling rules are a necessary part of proper grammar, and good old “necessary” definitely counts as a word that might give you pause when you’re trying to spell it. The C’s and S’s both make the exact same sound, so it’s hard to know where each goes (not to mention whether they’re double or single letters). When you need to use the word “necessary,” think about ordering one coffee with two sugars – one C, two S’s. This will be especially helpful for you if you’re someone for whom coffee is, indeed, necessary.

“Dessert” is a tasty treat; a “desert” is a dry, sandy stretch of land. Their meanings are different as can be, but they’re only one letter apart. Here’s a great way to know without a doubt which one belongs in your sentence: Remember that the kind of dessert you can eat has two S’s, just like a tasty “strawberry shortcake.”

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Don’t be afraid to admit that “bicycle” is a confusing word to spell. The placement of the Y and the I can be misleading, so it’s no wonder that people are far more likely to use its monosyllabic abbreviation, “bike.” But all it takes to remember how to spell the full word is this simple (and true) sentence: “You shouldn’t ride your bicycle when it’s icy.”

If you say the word “cemetery” out loud, it’s easy to see why people might be inclined to spell it with at least one “A.” Just remember that a cemetery can be “eerie,” a word with three E’s – just like “cemetery.”

Suffixes are confusing. Why do you leave the “E” when “arrange” becomes “arrangement,” but get rid of it when “guide” becomes “guidance”? While the fate of the E in these cases might seem totally random, there actually is a rule to it – and once you know it, these words will never trip you up again. Leave the “E” when the suffix begins with a consonant. This applies to words like “fate-ful,” “complete-ly,” and “excite-ment.” When the suffix begins with a vowel, remove the E, as in the case of “lov-able,” “relat-able,” and “hop-ing.” But because English can’t resist being extra-confusing, there are a couple of exceptions to the rule, like “truly” and “noticeable.”

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How many H’s? How many Y’s? “Rhythm” is one wacky word when you really look at it; that second syllable doesn’t have a vowel in it at all! Luckily, there’s a simple little mnemonic device you can use to remember how to spell it. Recite this sentence: “Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move.” The first letters of each of those words spell “rhythm.”

These two words mean virtually the same thing, but they’re different parts of speech, which adds a whole new level of confusion. That makes this one of the trickiest spelling rules to keep straight. But there’s a way to do it, and once you know it, you’ll never mix up these words again! “Affect” starts with A because it’s the action word, or the verb. “Effect,” on the other hand, is the end result, and they both start with E.

You know the rule: If you’re pluralising a word that ends with Y, the Y becomes an IE. That is, unless you’re using keys to get through the doorways of your house so you can finish writing your essays that you’re going to read on your best friends’ birthdays. When does the Y stick around? For the answer to this tricky spelling puzzle, look to the letter before the Y. If it’s a vowel, leave the Y be. If it’s a consonant, like in the words “baby,” “puppy,” and “party,” go ahead and make the IE swap.

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With its pair of double letters, “embarrassed” follows the opposite spelling rules as another tricky word, “necessary.” With some tricky spelling words, “necessary” among them, erring on the side of double letters is not the way to go. “Embarrassed” is not one of those words. Both the R and the S are double in this word, so when in doubt, use double letters. Or remember this trick: If you don’t leave out any RR’s or SS’s, you’ll never be “embarrassed” by a typo.