Literacy

Spelling

 

The English language as we know it today, is like a giant multi-tiered cake. But did you know that there are several features and spelling patterns that give insight into a word’s language of origin? These key features can explain why a word is spelled the way it is!

 

Kn vs N- Knight or night, no or know? How do we know which spelling is correct? Well, understanding the morphology of the spelling helps you to know which way to spell as word. The ⟨kn⟩ and ⟨gn⟩ letter combinations usually indicate a Germanic origin of the word. In Old English, ⟨k⟩ and ⟨g⟩ were not silent when preceding ⟨n⟩. This made it easier to distinguish between words.

So how do we know which to use now? Words containing /kn/ at the start have the meaning of something sharp or pointy.

Knee- stick out from body when legs are bent

Knuckles – stick out from the wrist when fist is closed

Knitting – Pointy needles

Knight- has a sharp sword

So how does knowledge or know fit into this? We sometimes describe a knowledgeable person as sharp!

 

Another spelling pattern where we can look at the morphology to know which letters to write is /wr/ and /r/. Words that begin with the letters /wr/ pertain to twisting or turning.

For example:

Wreath – flowers twisted around a circular frame

Wrist – you twist or turn this part of your body in different actions such as writing

Wrap – you twist or turn the paper around the object

Write – you twist or turn your hand to write

 

English has the largest vocabulary of any language in the world. With an Anglo Saxon base and Greek, Latin and French influences, this creates a mixing bowl of a language for students to learn. Knowing a words, origins, its history and its use can help students to know which word to spell and why.