The Rules That Decide English Spelling
Sixteen head-to-head comparisons, each with the rule, sorted word lists and audio. Where a pattern genuinely has no rule, we say so instead of inventing one.
📝 Which spelling?
Same sound, different letters — and a rule that tells you which to write.
ai vs ay
29 words · rain · day
AI hides in the MIDDLE… AY loves being LAST!
oa vs ow
27 words · boat · snow
OA sits in the MIDDLE… OW takes the END!
oi vs oy
21 words · coin · boy
OI stays in the MIDDLE… OY jumps to the END!
ou vs ow
29 words · cloud · cow
OU works in the MIDDLE… OW finishes the word!
au vs aw
27 words · pause · saw
AU likes the MIDDLE… AW likes the END!
c vs k vs ck
36 words · cat · kite · duck
C likes a,o,u… K likes e,i… CK ends the word after a short vowel!
ch vs tch
28 words · chip · catch
Right after a short vowel → TCH! Anywhere else → CH.
ge vs dge
24 words · cage · bridge
Right after a short vowel → DGE! After anything else → GE.
tion vs sion
24 words · action · vision
-TION is the usual champion… -SION comes from S and D families!
🔊 Which sound?
Same letters, different sounds. Mostly no rule — try both and learn the exceptions by sight.
oo — moon or book?
28 words · moon · book
OO usually howls a long \u{201C}oooo\u{201D} like the moon… a small book-family says a quick \u{201C}u\u{201D}!
ea — read or bread?
25 words · read · bread
EA usually says /ē/ like read… the bread-family says short /e/!
ow — snow or cow?
26 words · snow · cow
OW says /ō/ in snow… and /ow!/ in cow!
th — thin or that?
24 words · thin · that
Helper words BUZZ 🐝 — thing words blow soft air 👄!
ed — /t/, /d/ or /id/?
41 words · jumped · played · planted
After quiet sounds ED whispers /t/… after noisy sounds /d/… after t and d it sings /id/!
c — cat or city?
25 words · cat · city
Hard /k/ like CAT… soft /s/ before e, i, y like CITY!
g — goat or gem?
21 words · goat · gem
Hard /g/ like GOAT… soft /j/ before e, i, y like GEM!
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