United States
Hong KongSpelling patterns worth drilling
Skill 10 reads "Demonstrate command of standard spelling conventions". Conventions, not words. Four patterns cover most of what a multiple-choice item can test: suffix doubling, dropping a silent e, changing y to i, and the ie and ei rule with its real exceptions.
The rule says conventions rather than vocabulary, and that word choice tells you how to prepare. Learning fifty commonly misspelled words is a worse use of an hour than learning four patterns that generate thousands of them.
The four patterns
| Pattern | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Doubling before a vowel suffix | Double the final consonant when the word ends consonant-vowel-consonant and the stress is on the last syllable | refer becomes referring; benefit becomes benefiting |
| Silent e | Drop it before a vowel suffix, keep it before a consonant suffix | hope becomes hoping and hopeful |
| Y to i | Change y to i after a consonant, keep it after a vowel | carry becomes carried; play becomes played |
| ie and ei | i before e except after c, or when sounded as a | receive, believe, neighbor, weigh |
The doubling rule is the one worth reading twice. Refer doubles because the stress falls on fer. Benefit does not double because the stress falls on the first syllable. That single condition explains why referring and benefiting look inconsistent and are both correct.
The ie and ei exceptions that actually appear
- either, neither, leisure, seize, weird, foreign, height
- science, conscience, ancient, efficient, sufficient, where the c makes a sh sound rather than an s
That second group is not an exception so much as a limit on the rule. "Except after c" applies when the c sounds like an s. In science the c is doing something else, so the rule was never in play.
American spelling is the standard here
The exam is set by the Florida Department of Education and tests American standard written English. That matters if you learned British forms.
| American | British | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| organize, recognize, analyze | organize, recognize, analyze | -ize endings |
| color, behavior, honor | color, behavior, honor | -or endings |
| center, theater | center, theatre | -er endings |
| traveled, canceled | traveled, canceled | single l before a vowel suffix |
| program, catalog | program, catalog | shortened forms |
Florida's own rule uses the American forms throughout, including "teacher preparation program", so there is no ambiguity about which standard applies.
Which sentence contains no spelling error?
- The commitee recieved seperate reports on student acheivement.
- The committee received separate reports on student achievement.
- The committee recieved separate reports on student acheivement.
- The commitee received seperate reports on student achievement.
The words that beat every pattern
Some do have to be memorized. The ones that come up most in an education setting are worth a card.
- accommodate, occurrence, embarrass, harass
- separate, definitely, necessary, occasion
- privilege, maintenance, questionnaire, recommend
- principal, assessment, curriculum, superintendent
What we would tell a candidate
Spelling is one skill of twelve under Competency 3, so this is not where your subtest is decided. Learn the four patterns properly, learn the American forms if you did not grow up with them, and read the whole option before you answer. That last habit is the highest-value thing on this page.
If English is not your first language, this skill and the conventions competency around it are the ones where the published gap between first attempt and best attempt is largest, at 15 points. People who come back mostly pass.
Common questions
Does the FTCE use American or British spelling?
American. The exam is set by the Florida Department of Education and tests American standard written English, so organize, color, center, traveled and program are the correct forms. Florida’s own rule uses those spellings throughout.
What is the doubling rule for suffixes?
Double the final consonant before a vowel suffix when the word ends consonant-vowel-consonant and the stress falls on the final syllable. That is why refer becomes referring but benefit becomes benefiting, which otherwise looks arbitrary.
Is i before e except after c reliable?
Mostly, with two qualifications. It only applies when the c sounds like an s, so science and efficient are outside it. And a real exception list exists: either, neither, leisure, seize, weird, foreign and height.
Should I memorize a list of misspelled words?
Patterns first, because they generate thousands of words and a list generates fifty. Keep a short card for the genuine one-offs such as accommodate, occurrence, separate and maintenance, which no pattern will help you with.