Section 4: The Spelling / Reading Connection

Chapter 26:

The Mechanics of English Spelling

Everywhere I go I hear somebody say,  "I'm the world's worst speller."  Even if it is a logical impossibility, it seems that there must be at least twenty million world's worst spellers.  And I think I have met almost half of them.  What is so frustrating is that many of these self-proclaimed world's worst spellers are in a position to help others become good spellers.  But they have a built-in rationalization that justifies their non-action.  If they are the world's worst speller and if they also happen to be teachers, superintendents of schools, curriculum supervisors, editors of educational magazines, or leaders of educational organizations, and if they can't learn to spell, how can anyone?  So why bother?  It's no big deal.

So what's the answer?  Perhaps there is none for them.  Closed minds are never opened by simple truths.  But for those who do not consider themselves "the world's worst speller" there is a chance that they can listen and become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.  Is there a solution?  I think so.  But the solution certainly will not be doing more of what we have always been doing.  That is part of the problem. 

What are some of the things that we have always been doing?

l Giving students word lists to study.  Results: 

The A students already know at least 90% of the words given for study (13 out of the 15, or 18 out of the 20, 22 out of the 25, etc).  They find it easy to learn two or three words for 100% on their test.

The B students already know at least 67% or 10 out of the 15 words given for study.  Out of the 5 words left they find it easy to learn two or three words to score around 90% on their test.

The C students already know about half the words (8) and memorize correctly only about half of the words they need to learn (4) so they score 75% for a C on their test.

D & E students are lucky to already know any of the words given.  They can memorize more of the spellings than C and A students have to (e.g., 6 words) and still fail because 6 words out of 15 isn't enough to pass.  What have they learned?  Unfortunately, they have learned that they are dumb.

l Correcting students' misspellings on papers.  Results:

Teachers spend countless hours carefully marking all mistakes.  Students generally spend a total of two seconds looking at what the system has carefully taught them is important (the grade) and then crumple up the paper and throw it away.

l Learning the 1,000 most frequently used words that account for 90% of all normal writing.  Results:

Students who do manage to learn these words as they might 1,000 different telephone num­bers, will still misspell 10% of all the words they write.  Can you imagine how frustrating it has to be if you had to stop and use a dictionary for every tenth word?  I would have had to stop twice just in the last sentence!

What are some of the things that have worked?

l Student self-correction.  (Fitzsimmons, Loomer, 1978)

l Carefully programmed and sequenced presentations of words that follow regular patterns.  (McCabe, 1991)

 

Some of the things that work but haven't been tried!

l Systematic teaching of the mechanics of the code/s we use in English spelling.  (Webb, McCabe, 1990)

l Systematic teaching of the differences between spoken and written language, i.e., the elisions and omissions of sounds -- the "Whudjuh Git" for "What did you get?"  (McCabe, 1991).

Why haven't these techniques been tried?

Up until recently, there has not been a complete compilation of all the patterns and all the words that follow these patterns in a format that is usable by either teachers or researchers.  And the mechanics of the code (not the code itself) was not really discovered until this compilation of the patterns was almost completed.  So we cannot easily blame the scholars, the researchers, or the teachers for not knowing that which was not available to them.  Even today, the odds are that your nearest university library doesn't even have a copy of The Patterns of English Spelling (McCabe, 1992).

Premise:  The difficulty in learning a telephone number is directly related to the ease of learning the patterns embedded in it.  For example which numbers would be easier to learn?  Those in column A or in Column B.

       A                                B

C218B00D3A1            1 (800) ABCD-123                           (I.D.A.)

31188080822                1 (800) 228-8813                               (C.L.C)

Obviously Column B is easier.  And the International Dyslexia Association’s[34] (O.D.S.) number is easier to learn than the number of the Contact Literacy Center (C.L.C.) because of its special combin­ation of patterns. 

What is true about learning telephone numbers is also true to a greater extent in learning the spellings of words.  Let's take two words precious which has only eight letters and misunderstanding which has fifteen letters.  The eight letter word precious can be correctly spelled by less than half the adult population.  Yet four out of five can spell the bigger word, misunderstanding.[35]  The reason lies in the patterns which each word contains and whether or not there has been much of an opportunity for these patterns to be learned.

Let's first of all analyze the big word misunderstanding and compare it to the Orton Dyslexia Society's telephone number. 

Prefix #1        = mis            cf (1) long distance

Prefix #2        = under        cf. (800) toll free

Base              = stand         cf. ABCD

Suffix             = ing             cf. 123 

 

Any word in the English language may be defined as having a BASE sound that conveys meaning.  It may have almost any combination of prefixes and suffixes.  Although the concepts of prefixes and suffixes have been taught for years and years, this simple concept of a word containing a BASE sound is not taught in any elementary school, middle school or high school text that we have ever seen. 

We hope that it soon will be standard teaching and common knowledge.  Of even more conse­quence is the fact that there are two kinds of bases.  One base has one syllable only.  The other base has more than one syllable. 

                          BASE....................

 

Common One syllable e.g.,  stand as in misunderstandings

Power Polysyllabic e.g., precious (Cannot be reduced to one meaningful syllable)

There are two distinct types of BASES in the English Language.  One may be called COMMON because most ordinary words in our language are of this nature and follow this pattern.  The second may be called POWER because most of these words in our language carry special or significant meanings.

Sample Words with Common Bases:                          Sample Words with Power Bases:

1.  stepping flashing playfully playmate                  2.  crucial union patient social

     standing stamping skipping spilling                        vision mirage unique session

Notice that the sample words with common bases have more letters and more consonant blends than the sample words with power bases.  Yet they are easier to read and spell.  Why?  Because the base words are taught and the suffix -ing is taught. The same cannot be said about the words with power bases.  Right?  Can students be blamed for not learning what they haven't been taught?  No.   Can teachers be blamed for not teaching that which they haven't been taught?  No.  So?

So, those of us who really care about solving the literacy problem, must make the educational world aware of this simple concept.  No matter how well students learn to read in grades one through three, if they haven't been taught the spelling patterns of power words, we cannot expect them to now read to learn especially when in grades four on up the curriculum is loaded with new words that have power bases not simple bases. 

On the next page are  two paragraphs that are exactly the same as the one below with just a few minor alterations in the visual appearance of some of the words.  Please read each one and note the difference in your ability to decode the common and the power.

There are two distinct types of  bases in the
 English language.  One may be called
COMMON because most ordinary words in our
language are of this nature and follow this
pattern.  The second may be called POWER
because most of these words in our language carry
special or significant meanings.

 

 

COMMON words in a simple "code" Thayr ar too distinct tipes uv BAYsis in thuh English Language.  Wun may bee Kawld COMMON bekuz most ordinary wurds in ar language ar uv this nature and FAHloh this pattern.  Thuh second may bee kawld POWER bekuz most ov theez wurds in ar language kairy special ohr significant meeningz.

POWER words in a tougher "code" There are two fodyomvy types of bases in the Rmh;odj :smhishr. One may be called COMMON because most ptfomstu words in our ;smhishr are of this msyitr and follow this [syyrtm.  The drvpmf may be called POWER because most of these words in our ;smhishr carryd[rvos; or dohmogovsmy meanings .

Although you were able to "break" the simple codes, please notice that the amount of mental effort required to break them interfered with your immediate fast comprehension.  Decoding must be at the state of nearly 100% automaticity if true rapid comprehension is to take place.  The second code is the one that happens when your fingers slide one space over on the typewriter.  Breaking this code might have been easy for you.  But most people would need to have it taught to them, and still they would have problems reading it.  Right?

As should be obvious from the two illustrative paragraphs above, to be a good reader and speller one must know how to read and spell both types of words.  For beginners, it is most important to learn the common words first.  One can communicate to some degree using just common words.  However, both COMMON BASES and POWER BASES have one thing in common.  They have the same structures of sounds and use various different letters to represent sounds. 

 

The simplest of all words are words that contain just a vowel.  No shaper in front.  No shaper in back.  For example:

Word                                                          Vowel    

A[36]                                                      -       AY         -

oh                                                       -       OH         -

I, eye, aye                                           -       YH[37]       -                      

Oy!                                                     -       OY         -

Ow!                                                    -       OW        -

 

Vowels Shaped Only in Front        Shaper/s          Vowel             

bay                                                                b          AY    -

bee, be, Bea                                                   b          EE     -

by, bye, buy, bi-                                             b          YH    -

Bo, bow, beau                                               b          OH    -

boo!                                                               b          OO    -               

boy                                                                b          OY    -

bow, bough                                                   b          OW   -

at                                                                   -           a        t               

ebb                                                                -           e        b              

it                                                                    -           i         t               

on                                                                  -           ah      n              

up                                                                  -           u        p              

aim                                                                -           AY    m             

eat                                                                 -           EE     t               

ice                                                                 -           YH    s              

oat                                                                 -           OH    t               

ooze                                                               -           OO    z              

ought                                                             -           AW   t               

out                                                                 -           OW   t               

oil                                                                  -           OY    l               

bat                                                                 b          a        t                bats

bet                                                                 b          e        t                bets

bit                                                                  b          i         t                bits 

lot                                                                  l           ah      t                lots

but                                                                 b          u        t                buts

bait                                                                b          AY    t                baits

beet                                                               b          EE     t                beets

bite                                                                b          YH    t                bites

boat                                                               b          OH    t                boats

boot                                                               b          OO    t                boots

book                                                              b          uu      k               books

hawk                                                             h          AW   k               hawks        

void                                                               v          OY    d               voids

bout                                                               b          OW   t                bouts          

The fourteen[38] basic vowel sounds in the English language have multiple spellings.  In fact, there are so many different spellings that some scholars such as Dewey (1970) have despaired of ever
having a system to teach spelling and have advocated that we scrap our present system of spelling for a simplified phonetic spelling system (Rondthaler and Lias, 1988).  However, we feel that upon analysis there is an inner logic of our language that simplifies its spelling and makes it superior to that of a totally phonetic approach.  More about that on page 145.

VOWELS

It seems strange that although every word must have a vowel,[39] for the purposes of reading and spelling, vowels are not half as important as the consonants (which we sometimes call shapers). 

Vowels removed from the above paragraph and replaced with asterisks:

*t   s**ms   str*ng*   th*t   *lth**gh   *v*ry   w*rd   m*st   h*v*   *   v*w*l,   f*r   th*   p*rp*s*s   *f   r**d*ng   *nd   sp*ll*ng,   v*w*ls   *r*   n*t h*lf   *s   *mp*rt*nt   *s   th*   c*ns*n*nts   (wh*ch   w*   s*m*t*m*s   c*ll   sh*p*rs).

Consonants removed from the above paragraphs:

I*   *ee**   ***a**e   **a*   a***ou**   e*e*y   *o**   *u**   *a*e   a   *o*e*,   *o*   **e   *u**o*e*   o*   *ea*i**   a**   **e**i**,   *o*e**   a*e   *o*   *a**   a*   i**o**a**   a*   **e   *o**o*a***   (**i**   *e   *o*e*i*e*   *a**   **a*e**).

What stands out on the VOWEL chart on the next page is the utter simplicity of the short vowels in the common bases.  This is perhaps why nearly all reading and spelling systems begin with the short vowels.

The next most obvious observation concerning the chart is that the LONG VOWELS appear to be the most inconsistent with 9 different spellings for the sound of "AY", 11 different spellings for "EE", 6 for "YH", 7 for "OH", and 9 for "OO".

Less obvious is the difference between the spellings used for vowel sounds in words that have POWER BASES (Polysyllabic) and those that have COMMON BASES (One syllable).  One difference that we perceive is in the TIME ON TASK devoted to instruction in schools on the sounds in words and how these sounds are spelled.  However, we don't want to get bogged down in a controversy about current practices in the teaching, non-teaching, or incorrect teaching of "PHONIC RULES."  (Anderson, 1984)  What we do want to stress is that:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short Vowels

                               Common Bases                                         Power Bases

Spellings that occur in Common Bases (One Syllable) such as state in understatement "a" = a in cat; "e" = e in bet; ea in sweat. "i" = i in Jim;      y in gym. "AH" = o in dot;        a in wad. "u" = u in cut.

Spellings that occur in Power Bases (Polysyllabic) such as special in specialties a = a in panic. e = e in epic. i = i in mimic;      y in physician;      i_e in definite;      a_e in private;      u_e in minute;      ai in fountain. "AH" = o in comic;        oi in memoires. "UH" = a in steward;        e in falter;        i in confirm;        o in onion;        u in lettuce;        ou in courage.

 

Notice the consistency among the spellings of the short vowels.  Generally speaking, there are only two possibilities for any particular pattern.  The only apparent exceptions come with suffixes such as -ate, -ite, and -ute that are pronounced "it" as in private, definite, and minute.  But since these suffixes are consistent in their pronunciations, they should not be considered "exceptions" to the silent e rule.  In fact, because these words have a polysyllabic base we say: 

Long Vowels

                               Common Bases                                         Power Bases

Spellings that occur in Common Bases (One syllable) such as state in understatement "AY" = ay in tray; ai in train;           ey in they; ei in vein;           eig in reign;           eigh in weigh;           ea in break;           a_e in brake. "EE" = e in we; ee in wee;           ea in tea;           e_e in Pete;             ie in field;           ei in weird;           ey in key. "YH" = i in I;           y in my;           igh in high;           ei in stein. "OH" = o in go;           o_e in vote;           oa in goat;                ow in grow;           ough in dough. "OO" = u in flu; ou in you           o in to; oo in too;           eu in feud; ew in dew;           ue in due;           ua in dual;           ui in fruit.

Spellings that occur in Power Bases (Polysyllabic) such as special in specialties "AY" = e in debut;     é resumé;     ée in fiancée;     et in buffet.     "EE" = i in technique;     is in debris;     it in esprit;             i_e in petite. "YH" = y in psycho. "OH" = au in chauffeur;     eau in plateau;     ot in depot. "OO" = ut in debut;     ou in vermouth;     eu in Europe.

 

Other Vowels

Common Bases                                                     Power Bases

 

Spellings that occur in Common Bases "UU" = u in put;                oo in foot. "OY" = oi in boil;               oy in boy. "OW" = ow in pow;                ou in pout. "AW" = a in call;                aw in hawk;                al in talk;                au in fraud;                augh in taught;                           ough in bought;                          au_e in cause.

Spellings that occur in Power Bases "UU" = u in butcher. "OY" = oi in exploit;               oy in employ. "OW = ou in announce. "AW" = au in sausage.

 

 

 

Shapers (Consonants)

                               Common Bases                                         Power Bases

Spellings that occur in Common Bases b  = b in bib;           bu in build. d  = d in did;           ed in roared. f  = f in fall;          ph in phone;          gh in cough.         g  = g in go;           gh in ghost;           gu in guilt. h  = h in hat;           wh in who. j  = j in jam;         g in gem;         dge in bridge;         ge in George. k  = k in kiss;          c in cat;          ck in back;                    q in quick. l = l in luck;         ll in all. m = m in me;            mb in dumb.

Spellings that occur in Power Bases   b  = b in ballistics. d  = d in dedicated;       ed in resolved. f  = f in frantic;      ph in photograph.    g  = g in gasoline;      gh in ghetto;      gue in fatigue. h  = h in hazardous;        j = in Jose and Baja. j  = j in jewelry;        ge in surgeon;        gi in religion. k  = k in kernel;         q in liquid;         qu in liquor;         que in unique;         ch in mechanic;         c in panic;         cu in circuit. l = l in label;      ll in llama. m = m in mutual;         mn in condemn.

 

Shapers (Consonants) Continued

                               Common Bases                                         Power Bases

Spellings that occur in Common Bases n = n in new;           kn in knew;           gn in gnat. p = p in pop. r = r in roar;          wr in wrap. s = s in sits;          ss in kiss;          ce in prince;          ts in prints;          se in rinse;          sc in scene. t = t in toot;          ed in missed. v = v in vat;          ve in solve. w = w in wick;            u in quick y = y in you;          nothing[41] in f-ew. z = z in zoo;          s in throws;          se in cause.

Spellings that occur in Power Bases n = n in notorious;        pn in pneumonia;        mn in mnemonics. p = p in popular. r = r in regular;       rh in rhapsody. s = s in social;       ss in permissive;       ce in residence;       ts in residents;       se in response;       sc in descend.       ps in psychology t = t in tenant;       ed in released;       pt in pterodactyl. v = v in victory;       ve in relieve. w = w in warrant;        u in Guatamala. y = y in yodel;       i in union;       nothing in  union. z = z in zebra;        s in appraisal.

 

 

 

                               Common Bases                                         Power Bases

 

Beginning Special Shapers for Common Bases Sound    Spelling bl          = bl in black br         = br in bring by         = b- in bugle ch         = ch in church dr         = dr in drop dw        = dw in dwell fl          = fl in flop;  fr          = fr in free;  fy         = f- in few gl          = gl in glass; gr         = gr in grass gw        = gu in Guam hy         = h- in huge kl          = cl in class kr         = cr in creep kr         = chr in Christ kw        = qu in quit ky         = c- in cute my        = m- in mule pl          = pl in play pr         = pr in pray py         = p- in pew sf         = sph in sphere sh         = sh in shop;                  s in sure             sk         = sk in skip;   sc in scat;                 sch in school skr        = scr in scrap skw      = squ in squat sl          = sl in slip sm        = sm in small sn         = sn in snip sp         = sp in spot spl        = spl in splash spr        = spr in spring st          = st in stop str        = str in strap sw        = sw in swim;  tr          = tr in trap tw        = tw in twin vy         = vi in view

Beginning Special Shapers that occur in Power Bases Sound           Spelling bl                  = bl in blatant br                  = br in brilliant by                 = b- in bureau ch                 = t  in nature dr                  = dr in drama dw                = dw in dwindle fl                   = fl in fluid; phl phlebitis fr                  = fr in frenzy; phr phrensy fy                  = f- in futile gl                  = gl in glucose gr                  = gr in grunion gw                = gu in Guatamala hy                 = h- in heuristic kl                  = cl in clients kr                  = cr cripple;                           chr Christian kw                = qu in question ky                 = c- in cuneiform my                = m- in mutants pl                  = pl in placid pr                  = pr in proficient py                 = p- in pewter sf                  = sph in sphygmometer sh                  = ch chauffeur;  si tension;                          ssi mission; xi anxious;                          ti initial;  sch schlimazel sk                  = sk skeptic;  sc scavenge;                          sch in schedule skr                = scr in scrabble skw               = squ in squabble sl                   = sl in slumber sm                 = sm in smother sn                  = sn in snivelling sp                  = sp in spiritual spl                 = spl in splendid spr                = spr in sprinkle st                  = st in stellar str                 = str in strenuous sw                 = sw swivel; persuasive tr                   =  tr in tradition tw                 = tw in twiddle vy                 = vi in review zh                  = s treasure;   si in vision

 

Special Ending Shapers (Ending Consonants)

bd=bed in robed

bd=bbed in robbed

bz=bs in grabs

bz=bes in babes

dz=ds in lads

dz=des in shades

fs=ffs in stiffs

fs=fts in lifts

fs =fes in safes

ft=ft in raft

ft=ffed in staffed

gd=gged in dragged

gz=gs in drags

jd=ged in raged

ks=cks in socks

ks=x in sox

ks=kes in lakes

kt=ct in pact

kt=cked in packed

ld=ld in build

ld=lled in billed

ld=led in ruled

lf=lf in shelf

lj=lge in bulge

ljd=lged in bulged

lk=lk in milk

lks=lks in silks

lkt=lked in bilked

lm=lm in film

lmd=lmed in filmed

lmz=lms in films

ln=ln in kiln

lp=lp in help

lps=lps in helps

lpt=lped in helped

ls=lse in false

ls=lts in faults

lt=lt in silt

lz=lls in hills

lz=ls in pencils

md=mmed in dimmed

md=med in aimed

mp=mp in camp

mps=mps in limps

mps=mpse in glimpse

mt=mpt in tempt

mt=mped in camped

mz=ms in rams

nd=nd in band

nd=nned in banned

ng=ng in bang

ngd=nged in banged

ngk=nk in bank

ngkt=nked in ranked

ngks=nks in tanks

ngz=ngs bangs

ns=nse in rinse

ns=nce in prince

ns=nts in prints

nt=nt in plant

ps=ps in laps

ps=pse in lapse

rb=rb in garb

rbd=rbed in barbed

rbz=rbs in barbs

rd=rd in yard

rd=rred in scarred

rd=red in scared

rdz=rds in yards

rf=rf in scarf

rft=rfed in barfed

rg=rg in burg

rj=rge in barge

rjd=rged in enlarged

rk=rk in dark

rks=rks in marks

rks=rx in Marx

rkt=rked in parked

rl=rl in carl

rld=rled in curled

rlz=rls in pearls

rm=rm in farm

rmd=rmed in armed

rmz=rms in harms

rp=rp in burp

rps=rps in burps

rpt=rped in warped

rs=rse in nurse

rt=rt in art

rv=rve in curve

rvd=rved in carved

rz=rs in cars

sk=sk in ask

sk=sc in disc

sp=sp in grasp

sps=sps in lisps

spt=sped in grasped

st=st in mist

st=ssed in missed

st=sked in asked

st=ced in raced

st=sed in chased

st=ste in chaste

vd=ved in loved

vz=ves in loves

zd=zed in hazed

zd=sed in raised

zd=zzed in razzed

zm=sm in spasm