How to Avoid Spelling Mistakes?

[marilyn84]

Since last year, i started to make many mistakes as regards spelling..don't know how to improve....do you have any suggestion?

[Jka]

Hi marilyn84!

I suggest you memorize words as if they are written in your native language (This sounds crazy. Of course, it doesn’t mean you should speak the same way):) I’m sure after a while you’ll spell words automatically, without any mistakes.

Good luck!

[danmahaffey]

Jka, you suggest an interesting approach. Please help us understand a little
bit about how it works.

[Rusty]

Since last year, i started to make many mistakes as regards spelling..don't know how to improve....do you have any suggestion?
Marilyn: I have found some good advice by searching for "improve spelling." Here are two that may help you:
http://www.spelling.hemscott.net/
http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/spellingtext.htm

[Jka]

Jka, you suggest an interesting approach. Please help us understand a little
bit about how it works.
Hello danmahaffey.
It's not only my approach. Most of language learners I know do the same. I suggest marilyn84 read according to reading rules of her native language and memorize two variants of pronunciation: the right one and the second one which is just for writing. For instance, if I read right according to the rules of my native language, I’ll pronounce i like i in Nick, g like g in Gabrielle and h like h in Helen. This sounds really awful but it helped me not to confuse right with write. To be frank, I’m not sure of suitability of this method for everyone but for me it works perfectly well.

[Jka]

I'm trying to read my last message from the point of view of a native English speaker and I can hardly understand what I wrote.:o

[danmahaffey]

So, as you begin to spell right, you hear an exaggerated pronunciation in your mind of "rig-hut," or something like that, that helps you remember all the proper letters? And knife would be k-nif-fee, and laugh would be la-uu-gg-huh, and so on, right? :) Sounds like it would work in many cases to make hidden letters visible.

If someone's problem is mixing up letters in combos like ie/ei, then they can try some rules, or they can memorize.

Most good writers have learned (memorized) all the spellings from having read a million words. This is the best way to do it in the long run.

Thanks for the idea.

[Jka]

So, as you begin to spell right, you hear an exaggerated pronunciation in your mind of "rig-hut," or something like that, that helps you remember all the proper letters?
Only at first. After a while I don't need this exaggerated pronunciation at all. I completely agree with you that reading a lot (as well as writing) is the best way to avoid spelling mistakes.