Scholar Handbook
Master the nuances of English spelling with these key lessons from the official Words of the Champions study guide.
1
The Mystery of Silent Letters
Many English words have "sneaky" silent letters that aren’t pronounced. For example, "debt" comes from the Latin "debitum". The French dropped the "b", but English scholars later added it back to emphasize its classical roots!
Expert Tip
Silent letters often tell a story about where a word came from. If a word feels "fancy", check for hidden silent letters.
2
All About the Schwa
The "schwa" (/ə/) is the most common vowel sound in English. It is the "chillest" sound—totally unstressed—and can be spelled with any vowel: a, e, i, o, u, or y!
Expert Tip
If a word is derived from Greek and has a schwa sound, try spelling it with an "o" (like in "bacteriolytic").
3
Adjectives vs. Nouns (/us/ sound)
Having trouble deciding between "-us" and "-ous" at the end of a word? Check the part of speech!
Expert Tip
Nouns (people, places, things) usually end in "-us". Adjectives (describing words) usually end in "-ous" (e.g., "generous").
4
Double Trouble Consonants
When adding a suffix to a word, the final consonant is often doubled if the preceding vowel sound is short.
Expert Tip
Think: "hop" -> "hopped", "plod" -> "plodded", "chug" -> "chugged". If the vowel is short, double the consonant!
5
The Hodgepodge of English
English is built from many other languages (Latin, Greek, French, etc.). We have 26 letters but around 44 different sounds!
Expert Tip
Understanding the "Language of Origin" is your secret weapon. It helps you decide which spelling rules to apply.