Spelling rules
How words change when they add -s, -ing, -ed or -er: boxes, cities, running, stopped, bigger, and when to use a capital letter.
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When you add an ending to a word, the spelling of the word sometimes changes. Find what you are doing below: making a plural or a he/she form, making an -ing form, making a past form, or comparing. The last section is about capital letters.
Plurals and he, she, it: -s or -es
For a plural noun (two books) and for the present simple after he, she, it (she works), most words just add -s. Words that end in a hissing sound add -es, and so do a few verbs that end in -o.
Last letters | Ending | Examples |
|---|---|---|
-s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x | -es | bus → buses, class → classes, watch → watches |
consonant + y | -ies | city → cities, study → studies, baby → babies |
vowel + y (ay, ey, oy) | -s | day → days, key → keys, play → plays |
go, do, potato, tomato | -es | goes, does, potatoes, tomatoes |
everything else | -s | book → books, phone → phones, photo → photos |
Most nouns that end in -o just add -s: photos, radios, kilos, pianos. Check a dictionary when you are not sure.
- She washes the dishes after dinner.
- We need two more boxes for the books.
- My manager goes to Manchester every Tuesday.
- Incorrect: He watchs the news every evening.
- Correct: He watches the news every evening.After ch, add -es.
- Incorrect: Two of my friends have new babys.
- Correct: Two of my friends have new babies.Baby ends in a consonant + y, so y → ies.
The -ing form
Most verbs just add -ing: work → working, play → playing. Four groups change.
The verb | What happens | Examples |
|---|---|---|
ends in a silent e | lose the e | make → making, write → writing |
ends in -ie | ie → y | lie → lying, die → dying |
has one syllable: one vowel + one consonant | double the consonant | sit → sitting, run → running, get → getting |
ends in one vowel + l (British English) | double the l | travel → travelling |
The y never changes before -ing: study → studying, carry → carrying. Verbs with -ee keep both letters: see → seeing, agree → agreeing, and be becomes being.
- They're living with friends for a few weeks.
- Are you getting off at the next stop?
- Incorrect: She's writeing a report.
- Correct: She's writing a report.Take away the e, then add -ing.
- Incorrect: I'm studing for an exam.
- Correct: I'm studying for an exam.The y stays before -ing.
The -ed form
Regular verbs add -ed for the past: work → worked, play → played. These change.
The verb | What happens | Examples |
|---|---|---|
ends in e | add only -d | live → lived, dance → danced |
ends in a consonant + y | y → ied | study → studied, carry → carried |
has one syllable: one vowel + one consonant | double the consonant | stop → stopped, plan → planned |
ends in one vowel + l (British English) | double the l | travel → travelled, cancel → cancelled |
A vowel + y keeps the y: play → played, stay → stayed.
- Lena studied law in Riga.
- We danced until midnight.
- The train stopped outside the town for an hour.
When not to double
Doubling happens only when the word ends in one vowel and one consonant. With two vowels or two consonants, just add the ending: eat → eating, cook → cooked, work → working. We never double w, x or y: show → showing, fix → fixed, play → playing.
In verbs with two syllables we usually double only when we stress the last part: begin → beginning, prefer → preferred. When the stress is on the first part, don't double: visit → visited, open → opening.
- Incorrect: We're planing a trip to Wales.
- Correct: We're planning a trip to Wales.Plan has one syllable and ends in one vowel + one consonant, so double the n.
- Incorrect: I visitted my aunt on Sunday.
- Correct: I visited my aunt on Sunday.In visit the stress is on the first part, so don't double the t.
Comparing: -er and -est
Short adjectives add -er and -est (cheap → cheaper, the cheapest). The same changes happen here as with -ed.
The adjective | What happens | Examples |
|---|---|---|
ends in e | add only -r, -st | nice → nicer, the nicest |
ends in a consonant + y | y → i | easy → easier, happy → the happiest |
one syllable: one vowel + one consonant | double the consonant | big → bigger, hot → the hottest |
- Today is hotter than yesterday.
- Taking the train is easier than driving.
Capital letters
Start every sentence with a capital letter. Some words always start with a capital, even in the middle of a sentence.
Always a capital | Example |
|---|---|
I (when you talk about yourself) | Tom and I work together. |
names of people and places | Maria lives in Leeds. |
days and months | on Monday, in September |
countries, nationalities, languages | Spain, Spanish, a Spanish film |
Seasons don't need a capital: in spring, in the winter.
- My meeting is on Thursday at ten.
- She speaks German and Italian.
- Incorrect: I'm free on monday.
- Correct: I'm free on Monday.Days of the week always start with a capital letter.
- Incorrect: He's from brazil, and he speaks portuguese.
- Correct: He's from Brazil, and he speaks Portuguese.
- Incorrect: Can i call you later?
- Correct: Can I call you later?I always has a capital letter.