Barton Spelling Rules

Blends: A blend is two or more consonants, each making its own sound: sl, br, sp, spr, spl...

Blends can be at the beginning, end, or beginning and end of a word.

Digraphs: A digraph is two consonants making just one sound: sh, wh, ch, th, ck

Digraph Blend: A digraph blend consists of a consonant next to a digraph: shr, nch, nth….

Closed Syllable: One vowel “closed in” at the end by one or more letters. If closed, the vowel sound is short. The breve (teacup) shows the short sound: a (apple), e (eddy), i (itchy), o (olive), u (upper).

FLOSS Rule: If a word has only one vowel and ends in f, l, s, or z, double the last letter. (A doubled floss letter is not a blend.) Exceptions: gas, bus, and yes

ALL: A unit. (Group of 3 letters at the end of a word making an unusual sound.)

The /a/ sound is not the /a/pple sound. ALL, OLL (The only word spelled with oll is DOLL.)

KISS THE CAT RULE: Spell /k/ with a c whenever you can (CAT). When you can’t spell /k/ with a c because a watch out vowel is the next letter (KISS), spell it with a k. (Watch out vowels are e, i, y.)

MILK TRUCK RULE: The /k/ sound at the end of a word with only one vowel will never be a C. The only time you use CK is right after a short vowel. Otherwise spell it K.

Words that end in /kt/ are always spelled ct.

ING, INK units: Units are groups of 3 letters that appear at the end of a word and make a slightly different sound as a group, than they would individually. NONE of these units has an E.

CATCH LUNCH RULE: The only time you use tch is right after a short vowel.

*****EXCEPTIONS to the rule: SUCH, MUCH, RICH, AND WHICH

Contractions:

*Change the second word.

*Leave out the first vowel and anything in front of it.

*Put in an apostrophe or “flying comma”.

*Squish

**The Weirdos: not (n’t), would (‘d), let us (let’s), and will not (won’t)

Kind Old Units: Group of 3 letters that make an unusual sound and which always come at the end of a word. The vowel says its own name (long vowel sound).

OLL, OLD, OLT, OST (except lost, frost, cost), ILD, IND

Open Syllables: A vowel not closed in at the end of a single syllable word is its long sound: FLU, PRO

Long /i/ at the end, spell with Y. Exception: HI (short for hello)

Long /u/ has 2 sounds: /ee-oo/ or /oo/

Syllable Division Rule #1: A word with 2 vowels not next to each other has 2 syllables.

To divide the word into syllables, usually move the consonant to the end of the word.

Multi-syllable words DO NOT follow the FLOSS RULE.

Cry Baby: Y says /eye/ in a one-syllable word like CRY, and says /ee/ in a multi-syllable word like BABY.

Italian words can end in I, but not American words.

Y usually comes at the end of a word.

Syllable Division Rule #2: If a word has 2 consonants between the vowels, split them.

Except: digraphs and units

Rotten Letters (If second letter is R or L usually do not split the letters and send both to end.)

Usually spell SEE at end of multi-syllable word -CY. (Nancy)

Music Trick: /ick/ at the end of a multi-syllable word is always IC.

Picnic Chicken Basket: Use this sequence; stop at the first one that works.

C ~ Spell /k/ with a C whenever you can.
CK ~ the only time you use CK is right after a short vowel.
K

Happy: Short vowels must be closed.

If you can’t hear anything closing it off, double the next sound you can hear.

Almost All: ALL only needs two L’s when it’s at the end.

Campus Confess: If the last syllable ends in S and is accented (lasts the longest) double the S.

In most two-syllable words, the first syllable is accented.

EX: If a syllable says /eks/ spell it EX. NEVER e-x-s. No word starts with e-g-s or e-g-g-s.

If EX plus a vowel, it says /egz/.

If EX plus a consonant, it says /eks/.

Schwa: On the syllable that is not accented (usually the last). In dictionary shown with an upside-down E.

To allow us to talk faster, the vowel in an unaccented syllable says /uh/. Only one syllable in a word is accented.

Closed A’s or O’s (Texas Blossom)
Any vowel-L (Cancel Pencil)
Open A’s (Banana)
A at the end of a word (never accented)
Usually A by itself at beginning of a word (adopt)
A is the only vowel that changes to Schwa when it’s open.

Syllable Division Rule #3: If a word has 3 letters between vowels, usually do 1-2 split. (NOT Digraphs or Units.)

If a compound word, just pull the two words apart.

Syllable Division Rule #4: First check for Compound Word to pull the two words apart. (Most of the time)

Otherwise, do 1-3 split to keep three-letter blend together (SCR, SPR, STR, SPL).

Three-Syllable Words:

Start at the beginning.
Find the first two vowels and move them into separate syllables.
Divide the consonants according to the rule.
Find the next set of vowels and repeat this process.
IF only one consonant between vowels, move to the end first.
IF it doesn’t create a real word, move it the other way.

The last syllable is never accented. Usually the first syllable is accented.

Banana Rule: ANY unaccented Open A will change to Schwa. (Banana, Canada)

Accented syllables never change~they are pronounced just like they look, and spelled just like they sound.

Confident: Open I’s or E’s in the middle syllable (of 3 or more syllables) make their short sound.

A word can follow both the Confident and Banana Rule (a closed-A that changes to Schwa).

Vowel Team: Two vowels, side-by-side, making one sound: AY, EE, OW, OE, EW, UE

Long vowel sounds at the end are spelled with Vowel Teams. Never split a vowel team.

A Vowel Team never changes to Schwa.

Long-E~ Y is the most common spelling of /ee/at the end of multi-syllable words.

EE (usually at the end of one-syllable words) always says /ee/.

Only one-syllable words having to do with people use E: He, She, We, Be.

Long-A at the end is spelled AY. (Y is only allowed at the end of a word.)

Long-I at the end should be spelled with Y no matter how many syllables it has. (multiply, July)

Long-O at the end is spelled OW (most common) or O. OE only occurs at the end of 8 one-syllable words: Joe, doe, floe, foe, hoe, throe, toe, woe.

Long-U at the end is spelled EW or UE. Some words are spelled both ways (blue, blew).

American words do not end in U.

W is never a vowel by itself. When it follows a vowel, it is a Vowel Team: OW, EW, AW.

Vowel Teams used at the beginning or in the middle of a word: AI, EE, OA.

Never split a Vowel Team when dividing into syllables.

In multi-syllable words, spell a Long vowel with an Open syllable whenever you can. When you can’t use a Vowel Team.

EE is the only Vowel Team that can be used at the beginning, middle, or end.