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- Yes, we know it's boring, but always, always check your work.
Almost everybody makes spelling mistakes as they write, but good
spellers go back and check what they've written.
- Never trust computer spellcheckers, at least not 100 per cent.
Yes, they're fantastic, but they'll let you get away with things
like 'drawer a picture'.
- Always check for homophones (like drawer/draw) and other tricky
same-sound words (like its/it's and their/there/they're). If you're
not sure of the difference between two words, ask someone to explain,
then work out a way to remember.
- Memory strategies are a big part of spelling. Find your own
way to remember tricky words, for instance 'a rat is separate
from me'.
- Take an interest in words. Once you've got the basics worked
out, a lot of English spelling is visual. That means you've got
to know what the word looks like, not just what it sounds like.
- Keep a record of words you need to spell often, and work out
a way to remember them.
- Keep reading – anything that interests you! This doesn't
guarantee better spelling, but at least you’ll have seen
the words you want to spell, in print.
- Keep writing. We know one businessman who improved his spelling
amazingly, just by keeping a daily diary. Anything counts –
email, poems, songs, short stories, a journal – whatever
grabs you.
- Do the word puzzles and games that you find in magazines. Anything
that helps you focus on words will help your spelling.
- Don't fret too much about your spelling. English isn't an easy
language to spell. Yes, good spelling is important, but fear of
spelling the odd word wrongly shouldn't stop you writing!
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