Spelling

Here’s a list of common spelling errors to check for:

i before e except after c

• unless used as a, as in neighbor or weigh…
• except, of course, for the exceptions (seize, either, weird, height, foreign, leisure, conscience, counterfeit, forfeit, neither, science, species, sufficient)

Missing silent e

• Quit – quite
• Bit – bite
• Cut – cute

y to i before a suffix

• Family – families
• Dry – driest
• Fry – fried
• Happy – happily

Double consonants

• Dropped
• Blessed
• Flagging
• Dessert

Plurals: s or es, or no change

• Potato – potatoes
  
• Splash – splashes
  
• Bus – buses
  
• Fish – fish

Homophones and commonly confused words

• Two, to, too
• Their, there, they’re
• Affect, effect
• Its, it’s

A lot

This is always written as two words.

British/American spelling

Make sure you haven’t switched between British and American spelling practices; use one or the other.

• Favourite – favorite
• Colour – color
• Organise – organize
• Aluminium – aluminum