1.21 Spelling Tips

Spelling is a vital part of your written English skills. Your spelling needs to include both an understanding of general spelling rules and a mastery of common words that you will use often. You can visit Chapter 19 “Mechanics”, Section 19.1 “Mastering Commonly Misspelled Words” for an overview of general English spelling rules. The following are some of the most common words you will need to spell listed in categories.

Days and Months

Time

Directions
  • Monday
  • Tuesday
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
  • Friday
  • Saturday
  • Sunday
  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September
  • October
  • November
  • December
  • second
  • minute
  • hour
  • day
  • week
  • month
  • year
  • decade
  • century
  • millennium
  • moment
  • left
  • right
  • straight
  • east
  • west
  • north
  • south
  • far
  • near
  • next to
  • up
  • down

Grocery Lists

General Shopping Lists

Family Words
  • apples
  • asparagus
  • bananas
  • beans
  • bread
  • butter
  • cabbage
  • carrots
  • celery
  • cheese
  • chicken
  • cucumber
  • eggs
  • ham
  • hamburger
  • fish
  • lamb
  • lettuce
  • milk
  • pork chops
  • roast
  • soda
  • tortillas
  • bath soap
  • deodorant
  • dish soap
  • floss
  • shampoo
  • toilet bowl cleaner
  • toothpaste
  • window cleaner
  • aunt
  • brother
  • father/dad
  • grandfather
  • grandmother
  • husband
  • mother/mom
  • sister
  • uncle
  • wife

Services

Words for Packing to Move

Math Words

Measurement
  • barber
  • dentist
  • doctor
  • hair dresser
  • lawyer
  • nurse
  • pharmacist
  • teacher
  • bathroom
  • bedroom
  • dining room
  • family room
  • garage
  • kitchen
  • laundry room
  • living room
  • add
  • subtract
  • multiply
  • divide
  • more
  • less
  • sum
  • difference
  • equals
  • plus
  • total
  • inch (in.)
  • foot (ft.)
  • yard (yd.)
  • mile (mi.)
  • millimeter (mm)
  • centimeter (cm)
  • kilometer (km)
  • cup
  • quart (qu.)
  • gallon (gal.)
  • teaspoon (tsp.)
  • tablespoon (tb.)
 

Holidays

Common Names
  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Valentine’s Day
  • St. Patrick’s Day
  • Mother’s Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Flag Day
  • Father’s Day
  • Fourth of July
  • Labor Day
  • Halloween
  • Columbus Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas
  • Barbara
  • Elizabeth
  • Jennifer
  • Linda
  • Maria
  • Mary
  • Patricia
  • Susan
  • Adam
  • David
  • James
  • John
  • Michael
  • Richard
  • Robert
  • William
  • Anderson
  • Brown
  • Davis
  • Garcia
  • Harris
  • Jackson
  • Johnson
  • Jones
  • Martin
  • Miller
  • Moore
  • Smith
  • Taylor
  • Thomas
  • White
  • Wilson

 

Adapted from Appendix A, “Writing for Nonnative English Speakers” in Writer’s Handbook v 1.0  used according to Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 3.0

Back to: Grammar and Sentence Construction Handbook > Writing for Nonnative English Speakers