Five tips for how to improve spelling – so you never forget

Correct spelling is essential for clear communication in English. Spelling errors are unprofessional and confusing for your reader, affecting your credibility – especially in the workplace.

English spelling can be challenging because:

• Some words sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
• Many spelling rules have exceptions.
• Some letters are silent.
• Pronunciation doesn’t always match the way the word is written.

So, with all these challenges, you might be wondering how to improve spelling. The good news? There are lots of methods that can help you remember the correct way to spell words in English. Your brain learns spelling more easily when you connect sounds, meanings and letter patterns.

The following techniques can help you strengthen those connections.

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How to spell in English: five essential memory tricks

These five techniques can help you to improve your understanding of British English spelling and remember how to spell challenging words correctly.

1. Try to look for words within words

One way to improve your spelling is to look for smaller words that you already know inside longer, more difficult words.

For example:

Surprise contains rise. Think of someone jumping up or rising in surprise – this can help you remember how it is spelled.

Breaking words down like this helps your brain link meaning to spelling, so it’s easier to remember.

You can also split tricky words into parts to create a visual image or tell a story.

For example:

Think of island as is land. The ‘s’ is silent, so think of an isolated piece of land where nothing makes a sound. This will help you remember the spelling.

Here are some more examples of words within words:

• Together → imagine going ‘to get her’ so you can be together
• Knowledge → ‘know’ + ‘ledge’ – you’re on the edge of knowing!
• Emotional → ‘motion’ is inside the word. Think of how feelings move you.

2. Phonics and word patterns

Phonics helps you to understand the connection between letters and sounds.

When you understand that connection, it’s easier to read, pronounce and spell certain words.

For example, once you learn that -sion creates a ‘shun’ sound, it’s easier to spell words like decision, television and explosion.

Learning common spelling rules and patterns is another useful technique to improve your spelling.

For instance, ie often sounds like ‘ee’ in words like believe or piece. However, when that ‘ee’ sound comes after c, the spelling is ei – examples include ceiling and receive.

Double consonants usually appear after a short vowel sound, like in running or bigger.

Start with simple sound–letter rules, then look for families of words that share the same pattern or ending. This helps your brain group them together more easily when writing or speaking.

Try practising with these examples:

• Nation, station, celebration → ‘shun’ sound = –tion
• Believe, achieve, perceive → ‘i before e except after c’
• Hopping, sitting, running → double consonant after short vowels

3. Mnemonics

Mnemonics are clever memory aids that make spelling easier to remember. They often take the form of short rhymes, images, funny phrases or even songs that stick in your mind.

Mnemonics are particularly useful for remembering the spelling of homophones. These are words that are easily confused because they sound the same but have different spellings and meanings. For example, write and right, hear and here.

Since the sounds give no clues, try using a mnemonic to help you remember.

For example:

• Write/right

‘You write with your hand’ (the ‘w’ in ‘with’ is the clue)

• Hear/here

‘You hear with your ear’.

• To/too

‘There are too many oo’s in too’.

You can also create vivid mental images or funny phrases for tough spellings.

For example, ‘you only have to cross one sea to reach the desert (only one ‘s’), but you have to cross two seas to get dessert’ (two s’s).

Remember, the more creative or silly it is, the more likely you are to remember!

4. Alliteration

Alliteration is when several words in a sentence begin with the same sound or letter.

It’s often used in English in poetry, slogans or sayings. Repeating a sound adds rhythm, gets people’s attention, and makes things easier to remember. It also strengthens the connection between sound and spelling. When the same first sound is repeated, your brain notices the pattern.

A popular example is the phrase:

‘She sells seashells on the seashore.’

The repeated s and sh sounds make it catchy and memorable.

Alliteration can make even ordinary sentences more engaging and help reinforce sound-spelling links. Compare these two:

• Plain: Sally’s shop has lots of nice clothing.
• With alliteration: Sally’s shop sells stylish shirts.

5. Rhymes, songs and stories

Sometimes the best way to remember tricky spellings is to turn them into something fun – like a short rhyme, story or even a tune. Attaching rhythm or mental images to words makes them easier to remember.

One classic spelling rhyme is ‘i before e, except after c’. This helps you remember the spelling of words like ‘believe’, ‘piece’ or ‘weigh’.

Here are some more examples:

• We’re all going to a wedding on Wednesday – ‘wed’ helps you remember that there’s a silent ‘d’ that comes before the ‘n’ in Wednesday.
• The knight came creeping silently through the night – the repetition of ‘k’ sounds helps you remember that ‘knight’ has a silent ‘k’.

How to improve spelling: Use our 5 memory tricks

Knowing how to improve spelling in English can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. Our five tips – words within words, phonic patterns, mnemonics, alliteration, rhymes, stories and abbreviations – can help you feel confident instead of confused when you’re writing in English.

By linking sounds, visuals, and images to words, you can train your brain to recall even the most challenging spellings. And once you’ve mastered spelling, you’ll be able to focus on expressing your ideas in more detail, without worrying about every word.

Try out some different techniques and find what works best for you. Then, aim for regular practice. Before you know it, you’ll be spelling with confidence!

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