Hard Spellings: Examples and Types
"Hard spellings" can refer to words with:
1. Unexpected Pronunciation:
* "ough" sound:
* *cough*, *though*, *through*, *dough*, *enough*
* *bough*, *rough*, *tough* (different sounds)
* "ei" or "ie" sound:
* *friend*, *believe*, *field*
* *thief*, *chief*, *piece*
* "silent" letters:
* *knee*, *knife*, *know*, *write*, *island*
* "weird" vowel combinations:
* *yacht*, *aisle*, *heir*, *gauge*, *queue*
2. Words that are spelled differently than they sound:
* Homophones:
* *there*, *their*, *they're*
* *to*, *too*, *two*
* *hear*, *here*, *hear*
* Commonly misspelled words:
* *accommodate*, *definitely*, *necessary*, *separate*, *weird*
3. Words with unusual letter combinations:
* "sch" sound:
* *school*, *schedule*, *schizophrenia*
* "ph" sound:
* *phone*, *graph*, *phantom*
* "gn" sound:
* *gnat*, *sign*, *foreign*
4. Foreign Words:
* *café*, *faux pas*, *déjà vu*
* *tsunami*, *kimono*, *schadenfreude*
5. Technical or Scientific Terms:
* *antidisestablishmentarianism*, *pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism*, *pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis*
Why are these spellings hard?
* English language history: English evolved from many languages, leading to inconsistencies in spelling.
* Sound changes: Pronunciation has changed over time, but spelling has remained more stable.
* Lack of clear pronunciation rules: English pronunciation is not always predictable.
It's important to note:
* What constitutes a "hard spelling" is subjective. What is challenging for one person may be easy for another.
* The best way to improve spelling is through consistent practice and exposure to the written language.