English spelling has a reputation for being maddening — "why is there a silent 'b' in 'doubt'?" — but that reputation is only half deserved. Most English words follow a small set of reliable rules, and only a stubborn minority are true exceptions you simply memorize. The Civil Service Exam tests whether you can spot the correctly (or incorrectly) spelled word, and this chapter gives you both the rules that cover the majority and the exception-list for the rest. Master these and spelling becomes a source of quick, sure marks.
Spelling questions ask you to identify the correctly spelled word among choices — or, in a reversed format, the incorrectly spelled one. A handful of rules (the "i before e" guideline, consonant doubling, silent-e handling, and plural formation) cover most words, while a set of notoriously tricky words and homophones (words that sound alike but spell differently) must simply be learned.
On the Civil Service Exam, spelling items are a steady part of the Verbal section, and good spelling also protects you in any written portion and in professional writing. Because the rules are finite and the tricky words are predictable, targeted study pays off directly.
The difficulty is beginner to intermediate. The reliable path is to know the core rules and their exceptions, memorize the frequently misspelled words, and watch for homophones that spell-check would miss. This lesson lays out each.
After completing this lesson you will be able to:
You should be comfortable with:
A quick refresher on the two ideas the rules depend on. Vowels are a, e, i, o, u (and sometimes y); everything else is a consonant. And stress is the syllable you say a little louder: in "beGIN," the stress is on the second syllable; in "OPen," it's on the first. Several spelling rules depend on vowels vs. consonants and on where the stress falls, so keep both in mind.
Correct spelling is a practical, everyday credibility marker:
The exam tests spelling because clear, correct writing is expected in nearly every job — and errors have visible consequences.
Let's cover the rules first, then the words worth memorizing.
The classic guideline: i before e (believe, chief, field, piece), but e before i after c (receive, deceive, ceiling, perceive).
Common exceptions to memorize: weird, seize, either, neither, height, foreign, their, protein, ancient, science. (A fuller version of the rhyme adds "or when sounded like A, as in neighbor and weigh.")
The rule covers many words, but the exceptions are common, so learn them as a set.
When adding a vowel-suffix (-ing, -ed, -er), double the final consonant if the word ends in a single vowel + single consonant and the stress is on that final syllable:
But don't double if the stress isn't on the last syllable, or the ending isn't single-vowel-single-consonant:
Analogy: The double consonant "protects" the short vowel sound. Without it, "hoping" (long o, from hope) and "hopping" (short o, from hop) would look identical — the doubled p keeps the short sound.
When adding a suffix to a word ending in silent e:
Notice the rule runs opposite depending on the suffix's first letter — drop before a vowel, keep before a consonant. (A few exceptions keep the e before a vowel-suffix to preserve a soft sound: courageous, noticeable — the e keeps the g/c soft.)
Some words are simply worth memorizing:
Homophones sound alike but mean and spell differently; a spell-checker won't flag the wrong one:
These are guaranteed marks once you fix the distinctions in memory.
Genuinely irregular spellings (rhythm, bureaucracy, conscientious) don't follow rules, so spaced repetition — reviewing a word after increasing gaps — beats a single memorization session. Irregular spellings fade fastest, so revisit them periodically.
With the rules set, let's picture, tabulate, and drill.
Spelling runs on rules and memory hooks:
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| i before e (except after c) | believe; receive |
| Double final consonant | stop → stopping (single vowel+consonant, stressed) |
| Don't double (unstressed) | open → opening |
| Drop e before vowel-suffix | make → making |
| Keep e before consonant-suffix | hope → hopeful |
| -es after s/x/z/ch/sh | box → boxes |
| Consonant + y → -ies | city → cities |
| -f/-fe → -ves (often) | knife → knives |
| Homophones | its/it's, their/there/they're |
| When you see… | Check… |
|---|---|
| ie/ei in a word | "i before e except after c" + exceptions |
| a short word + -ing/-ed | whether to double the final consonant |
| a silent-e word + suffix | drop (vowel-suffix) or keep (consonant-suffix) |
| a plural of a -y word | consonant+y → -ies; vowel+y → -s |
| a plural of a -f/-fe word | often -ves (leaf→leaves) |
| a "sounds like" word | homophone — pick the right spelling by meaning |
| a notorious word (definitely, separate) | recall the memorized spelling |
Step 1 — Read each choice carefully, letter by letter (spelling errors hide in a single letter). ↓ Step 2 — Apply the relevant rule (ie/ei, doubling, silent-e, plural) to test the ending or tricky part. ↓ Step 3 — Check for a homophone if the word sounds like another (its/it's). ↓ Step 4 — Recall the word from your memorized list if it's a known tricky one. ↓ Step 5 — For "which is misspelled," verify each choice and pick the odd one out; for "which is correct," confirm one passes every rule.
Why Step 1 matters most: spelling errors are often a single doubled or missing letter (occurred vs. "occured"). Reading letter by letter, not at a glance, is what catches them.
Example 1. Which is correctly spelled: (a) recieve (b) receive (c) receeve (d) receve? Solution: (b) receive — e before i after c. Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Example 2. Add -ing to "run": (a) runing (b) running (c) runnning (d) runeing. Solution: (b) running — double the final consonant (single vowel + consonant, stressed). Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆
Example 3 (silent e). Add -ing to "hope": (a) hopeing (b) hoping (c) hopping (d) hopping. Solution: (b) hoping — drop the silent e before -ing. ("Hopping" is from "hop.") Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Example 4 (plural). Plural of "city": (a) citys (b) cities (c) cityes (d) citties. Solution: (b) cities — consonant + y → change y to i, add -es. Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Example 5 (keep e). Add -ful to "care": (a) carful (b) careful (c) carefull (d) caful. Solution: (b) careful — keep the e before a consonant-suffix; one l in -ful. Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Example 6 (misspelled one). Which is INCORRECTLY spelled: (a) definitely (b) separate (c) neccessary (d) occurred? Solution: (c) — "necessary" has one c, two s's ("neccessary" is wrong). Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Example 7 (plural -ves). Plural of "leaf": (a) leafs (b) leaves (c) leafes (d) leavs. Solution: (b) leaves — -f → -ves. Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Example 8 (doubling exception). Add -ing to "visit": (a) visitting (b) visiting (c) viseting (d) visiteing. Solution: (b) visiting — stress is on the first syllable, so don't double. Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Example 9 (homophone). Choose: "The team lost ___ first match." (its / it's) Solution: its — possessive. ("It's" = it is.) Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Example 10 (tricky word). Which is correct: (a) accomodate (b) accommodate (c) acommodate (d) accommadate? Solution: (b) accommodate — two c's, two m's. Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Example 11 (ie/ei exception). Which is correctly spelled: (a) wierd (b) weird (c) weerd (d) weird? Solution: (b) weird — a common exception to "i before e." Difficulty: ★★★★☆
Example 12 (homophone trio). Choose: "___ going to bring ___ books over ___." (their/there/they're) Solution: "They're going to bring their books over there." (they are / possessive / place). Difficulty: ★★★★★
Choose the correctly spelled word (unless the question says otherwise).
Most English spelling follows reliable rules: "i before e except after c" (with a memorized exception set), double the final consonant on a short stressed word before a vowel-suffix (stop → stopping), drop silent e before a vowel-suffix but keep it before a consonant-suffix (making vs. careful), and form plurals by the -s/-es, consonant+y→-ies, and -f/-fe→-ves patterns. The rest is a finite set of notorious words (definitely, separate, necessary, accommodate) and homophones (its/it's, their/there/they're) that you simply memorize — spell-check won't catch the homophones. Read choices letter by letter, apply the rule where one fits, and drill the tricky words with spaced review. Do that and spelling becomes fast, dependable points.
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| i before e / except after c | believe / receive |
| Exceptions | weird, seize, either, height, foreign |
| Double consonant | stop → stopping (stressed, vowel+consonant) |
| Drop e (vowel-suffix) | make → making |
| Keep e (consonant-suffix) | care → careful |
| -es after s/x/z/ch/sh | box → boxes |
| consonant + y → -ies | city → cities |
| -f/-fe → -ves | knife → knives |
| Homophones | its/it's, their/there/they're, your/you're |
| Notorious | definitely, separate, necessary, accommodate |
When do I double the final consonant? When a word ends in a single vowel + single consonant and the stress is on that final syllable: stop → stopping, begin → beginning. Don't double if the stress is earlier (open → opening).
Drop or keep the silent e? Drop it before a suffix starting with a vowel (make → making); keep it before a suffix starting with a consonant (care → careful). A few keep it to protect a soft sound (noticeable, courageous).
How do I stop confusing its and it's? "It's" always means "it is" (or "it has"). "Its" shows possession. If you can replace it with "it is," use "it's"; otherwise "its."
Why doesn't "i before e" always work? English absorbed words from many languages, creating exceptions like weird, seize, and foreign. Learn the rule for the majority and memorize the common exceptions.
What's the best way to learn irregular spellings? Spaced repetition — review the word after increasing time gaps (day 1, 3, 7, 14). Irregular spellings fade fastest, so periodic review keeps them fresh.
Tick them all and spelling becomes quick, reliable marks — and your writing will look polished and professional.
Put it to the test with 1,104 practice questions on this topic.