This English spelling course contains over 450 pages of online teaching within 36 teaching units. It teaches all the English spelling rules and includes 'rule breakers'. There are progress checks in the form of spelling games and spelling tests.
Free Units:
1. Introduction and Guide to the Course - FREE +
What is Spellzone and who is it for?
What does the course cover?
A typical Spellzone Unit, with examples
Why learn to Spell? The problem with spellcheckers.
Information on dyslexia, ESOL etc.
2. Tips on how to learn spellings - FREE
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Some general tips to improve your spelling
How to learn individual words
How to learn groups of similar words
How to learn homophones
13. Spelling the sound /oo/ +
Two sounds for oo: long /oo/ and short /oo/
Spelling test: Is the sound long or short?
Spelling choices for long /oo/: oo ou ui
Spelling test: oo ou ui
More spelling choices for long /oo/: u-e ue ew
Spelling test: u-e ue ew
Rules and rule breakers
Homophones
13H. Beat the Spellchecker: Course unit 13 - FREE
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Test 1: Which word is correct?
Test 2: Spot the wrong word.
21. Spelling the ie and ei words
'i before e except after c' - FREE +
Words that follow the best-known rule 'i before e except after c': ie and cei
Spelling test: ie and cei
Long /a/ sound: ei words. Spelling test. A new rule.
Rules and rule breakers, including: ie in a suffix
Final Spelling test
Homophones
21H. Beat the Spellchecker: Unit 21 - FREE
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Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
All other units are available when you join us:
3. The basic 'Building Bricks' of
the English language
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Introduction
Vowels and consonants + Spelling test
y as a vowel and a consonant + Spelling test
Spelling vowels and consonants: Introduction
Long & short vowels + Spelling test
Syllables + Spelling test
Prefixes and suffixes: Intro. + Spelling test
Suffixes + Spelling test
Final Spelling test
4. Spelling the consonant sounds
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Introduction and Unit Contents
Consonants after a short vowel
Spelling test + rule breakers
Longer words with double consonants
Spelling the /k/ sound: c , k or ck ?
Spelling test: ic or ick ?
Rules and rule breakers and homophones: ic & ick
Spelling the /k/ sound before a vowel: c or k ?
Spelling test for the c/k words
Rules and rule breakers: c/k words
Spelling the /v/ sound: v or ve , + Spelling test
qu words
Quiz questions for qu words
Homophones for qu words + final Spelling test
- que endings + Spelling test
Homophones for -que words
5. Spelling the consonant digraphs
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Introduction and Unit Contents
wh words
Spelling test: w or wh ?
Rules and rule breakers: wh words
Homophones for w and wh words
th words + Spelling test
The /sh/ sound: sh ch ci and ti
Spelling test: /sh/ words
Homophones, rules and rule breakers for /sh/
The /ch/ sound: ch or tch
Spelling test: ch or tch ?
Homophones for ch and tch words
ch saying /k/
Spelling test: ch = /k/
ph words
Spelling test: /ph/ words
Homophones for ph words
4-5H. Beat the Spellchecker:
Course units 4 and 5
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Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
6. Spelling the short vowel sounds
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Introduction and Unit Contents
Short vowel /a/
Homophones for /a/
Short vowel /e/: e or ea ?
Spelling test for /e/: e or ea ?
Homophones for /e/
Short vowel /i/ : i or y ?
Spelling test for /i/: i or y ?
Homophones for /i/
Short vowel /o/: o, wa, qua
Spelling test for /o/: o, wa, qua
Homophones and rule breakers for /o/
Short vowel /u/: u, o or ou?
When to use o spell the /u/ sound.
Spelling test for /u/: u, o or ou?
Homophones for /u/
The 'schwa' sound
6H: Beat the Spellchecker: Course unit 6
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/a/ and /e/ words -Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
/a/ and /e/ words - Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
/i/, /o/ and /u/ words -Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
/i/, /o/ and /u/ words - Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
7. Spelling the long vowel sounds
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Introduction and Unit Contents
Long vowel /a/ : a-e, ai, ay, ey, ei
Spelling test for /a/: a-e, ai, ay, ey, ei
Rules and rule breakers for long vowel /a/
Homophones for long vowel /a/
Long vowel /e/ : e in common prefixes
Long vowel /e/ : ee, ea, e-e, y
Spelling test for /e/ : ee, ea, e-e, y
Rules and rule breakers for long vowel /e/
Homophones for long vowel /e/
Long vowel /i/ : i-e, igh, y, ie
Spelling test for /i/ : i-e, igh, y, ie
Rules and rule breakers for long vowel /i/
Homophones for long vowel /i/
Long vowel /o/ : o-e, oa, ow, oe
Spelling test for /o/ : o-e, oa, ow, oe
Rules and rule breakers for long vowel /o/
Homophones for long vowel /o/
Long vowel /u/ : u-e, ue, ew
Spelling test for /u/ : u-e, ue, ew
Homophones, rules and rule breakers for long vowel /u/
Final test on all the long vowel sounds
7H: Beat the Spellchecker: Course unit 7
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/a/ words - Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
/a/ words - Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
/e/ words -Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
/e/ words - Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
/i/ words -Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
/i/ words - Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
/o/ words -Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
/o/ words - Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
/u/ words -Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
/u/ words - Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
8: Syllables: vowel and consonant patterns
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What are syllables? Spelling test
Vowel and consonant patterns. Spelling test
More vowel and consonant patterns
Spelling test: One consonant or two?
Rules and rule breakers and a trivia quiz
9: Adding suffixes: the spelling rules
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Vowel and consonant suffixes. Spelling test
Changing words when adding a suffix
The doubling rule, part 1. Spelling test
The doubling rule, part 2. Spelling test
The doubling rule, part 3. Spelling test
When to drop the letter e. Spelling test
The 'Change y' rule, part 1. Spelling test
The 'Change y' rule, part 2. Spelling test
Rules and rule breakers
Changing -f to -ves. Spelling test
A final Spelling test on all the suffix rules
10. Spelling the sound /ar/+
The most common spelling: ar
Spelling test for ar words
Longer ar words
Spelling test: longer ar words
rule breakers: the al and a spellings
Spelling test: ar, al or a
Homophones and some more rule breakers
11. Spelling the sound /er/
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Spelling choices: ur ir ear er
Spelling test: ur ir ear er
Longer /er/ words and the 'schwa' sound
Spelling test: longer /er/ words
wor words and rule breakers
Homophones for /er/ words
12. Spelling the sound /air/
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Spelling choices: air are ear
Homophones for /air/ words
Spelling test: air are ear
Longer /air/ words
Spelling test: longer /air/ words
Odd words and rule breakers
10-12H. Beat the Spellchecker:
Course units 10, 11 and 12+
Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
14. Spelling the sound /or/
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The most common spellings: or ore au aw
Spelling test: or ore au aw
Longer /or/ words
Spelling test: longer /or/ words
war words
Spelling test: war words
Odd words, rules and rule breakers
Homophones
14H. Beat the Spellchecker: Unit 14
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Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
15. Spelling the sound /ou/
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Spelling choices for /ou/: ou ow
Spelling test: ou ow
Longer /ou/ words
Spelling test: longer /ou/ words
Rules and rule breakers
Homophones
16. Spelling the sound /oi/
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Spelling choices for /oi/: oi oy
Spelling test: oi oy
Longer /oi/ words
Spelling test: longer /oi/ words
Rules and rule breakers
17. ough and augh words
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Different sounds for ough. Spelling test.
More ough words. Spelling test: rhymes
ought and aught words
Spelling test: ought and aught
Rules, rule breakers and homophones
15-17H. Beat the Spellchecker: Units 15 and 17
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Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
18. Common words with odd spellings+
Common words with odd spellings
Homophones for common words
Spelling test: Which word is correct?
Spelling test: Spot the wrong word.
19. The soft g sound: ge gi gy words+
Introduction.Word endings: -ge-dge-age
Spelling test: -ge-dge-age
ge gi and gy words
Spelling test: anagrams for ge gi gy words
Rules and rule breakers and homophones
Adding suffixes to -ge endings
Spelling test: -ge endings + suffixes
gue and gui words
20. The soft c sound: ce ci cy words+
Introduction. Word endings: -ce -nce -rce -ice
Spelling test: -ge -dge -age
ce ci and cy words
Spelling test: anagrams for ce ci cy words
Tricky words: cc exc sc
Spelling test: cc exc sc
Adding suffixes to -ce endings. Spelling test
Homophones
Differences in British and American spelling
20H. Beat the Spellchecker: Unit 20+
Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
22. Words with silent letters+
Introduction and Learning Tips
Silent letters: k w b t
Spelling test: k w b t
Harder Spelling test: k w b t
Silent letters: l n h g
Spelling test: l n h g
Harder Spelling test: l n h g
Silent p; silent letters in common spelling patterns
Spelling test: proof-reading.
Homophones
22H. Beat the Spellchecker: Unit 21+
Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
23. Prefixes+
Introduction. Spelling test: Spot the prefix
The meaning of prefixes. Spelling test
Confusing prefixes e.g. per/pre anti/ante
Spelling test: Choose the best prefix
Rules for changing prefixes. Spelling test
24. Spelling the 'schwa' sound - the neutral vowel+
What is the schwa sound?
Stressed and unstressed syllables. Spelling test.
Learning tips for schwa words
25. Spelling the schwa ending: er ar or our re a+
2 sounds for er ar or . Rules for word endings.
Words ending in -er -ar -or . Learning tips
Spelling test: -er -ar -or endings.
British & American differences: -our/-or -re/-er
Spelling test - British spelling: -our -re
Spelling test - American spelling: -or -er
Words ending in -ery -ary -ory .
Spelling test: -ery -ary -ory .
Words ending in -a .
Homophones
26. Spelling the endings -le -al -el+
Words ending in -le -al -el . -al as suffix.
When to use -le: -ble -cle -kle -dle -fle -gle -ple -tle stle -zle
Spelling test: -le endings
Rules and rule breakers
When to use -al and -el. Some -il words
Spelling test: -le -al -el
Homophones
25-26H. Beat the Spellchecker: Units 25 and 26+
Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
27. Spelling the endings -able and -ible+
Introduction. Spelling test: -able words
Spelling test: -ible words
Common -able and -ible words
Spelling test: - able or -ible?
Adding suffixes to -able and -ible words
Spelling test: add the suffixes
Rules, rule breakers and review
28. Spelling -tion -cian and -sion words+
Syllables in -tion words. Spelling test.
3 ways of spelling the /sh'n/ sound: -tion -cian -sion
Spelling test: -tion -cian -sion
Another sound for the -sion ending. Spelling test
Rules and rule breakers. Final Spelling test.
29. Spelling the endings -ous and -us+
Adjectives ending in -ous; nouns ending in -us
Spelling test: -ous or -us ?
The suffixing rules for -ous
Spelling test: adding -ous .
Vowels before -ous: -eous -ious -uous words
Final Spelling test
30. Spelling the endings -cial -tial -cious -tious+
Word endings -cial and -tial.
Spelling test: -cial and -tial.
Word endings -cious and -tious.
Spelling test: -cious and -tious.
Rules and rule breakers and homophones
31. Spelling the endings -ture -ain -ine+
Introduction and Unit Contents
Words ending in -ture. Spelling test
2 sounds for the -ain ending. Spelling test
3 sounds for the -ine ending. Spelling test
32. Spelling the endings -et -ot -ate -ite+
Endings -at, -et, -ot, -ut. Learning tips
The /it/ sound spelled -et
Spelling test: -ot -et -it
Rules and rule breakers and Homophones
Endings -ate, -ite. Learning tips
Spelling test: -ite words
Spelling test: -ite and -ate words
33. Spelling the endings -ant -ent -ance -ence+
Introduction and learning tips for -ant and -ent words
Some common -ant and -ent words
Spelling test: -ant or -ent?
Some common -ance and -ence words
Word endings -ancy and -ency
Spelling test: -ance -ence -ancy -ency
Homophones
30-33H. Beat the Spellchecker: Units 30, 32 and 33+
Spelling test 1: Which word is correct?
Spelling test 2: Spot the wrong word.
34. Adding suffixes to longer words+
Review: Suffix rules; Stressed syllables - Spelling test
The suffixing rules for longer words. Spelling test
More on these rules. Spelling test
Rules and rule breakers: Words ending in l.
35. Why is English spelling so hard?+
Introduction and quiz.
History of English spelling: the early years. Quiz
History of English spelling: the later years.
Recent additions. Word origins.
Spelling proper nouns. Brand names.
What does the future hold for English spelling?
36. British and American English spelling differences
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Summary of the main differences
Detailed lists of differences
Spelling test: British spellings
Spelling test: American spellings
Spelling test: Pick the correct spelling
37. Useful links
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Dyslexia and spelling problems
Resources for further work on spelling
British and American spelling differences
More examples of homophones
Learning English as a foreign language
The reform of English spelling
