English is complicated.
Learning it doesn’t have to be.
A list of our most popular spelling and vocabulary lessons — from spelling rules and syllables to vocabulary topics, word games, and practical ways to remember what you learn.
English borrowed widely.
Its spelling kept the receipts.
Spelling in English is challenging! This is due to a combination of historical factors and linguistic influences. More specifically, English "borrowed" many of its words from a number of languages, including Latin, French, and German, which resulted in highly inconsistent spelling patterns.
Additionally, English underwent significant changes in pronunciation over time, while its spelling rules remained relatively unchanged. As a consequence, many English words are spelled differently from how they are pronounced, making it difficult for both native speakers and learners.
Don't worry though. There are rules and patterns that cover the majority of words. Once you have learned those, it is just a case of learning the exceptions.Rules, sounds and patterns
that make spelling click.
These lessons were written for teachers, but they are also suitable for advanced self-help students.
Top 10 spelling rules
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Improve spelling
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Common misspellings
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The schwa
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Diphthongs
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Vowels
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Consonants
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Syllables
Open lesson ↗Two simple ways to make spelling stick.
If you struggle to remember words or spellings, here are some techniques to help. The "mnemonic devices" lesson shows you some ways to remember things, and the "look-cover-write-check" method is a great way to teach or master spelling.
Learn words
in context.
Using categories to learn words is an efficient approach to boosting vocabulary as it gives structure to the learning process and means words are learned in context.
83 vocabulary topics
Learn words in categories so they are remembered in context.
1,000 useful words
A drag-and-drop collection of useful English words.
Counting in English
Practise numbers and counting vocabulary.
Telling the time
Learn the language used to tell the time.
Role-play scenarios
Use vocabulary in practical speaking situations.
Useful word lists,
ready to explore.
Quick-reference lists covering the most common nouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs and more.
Build the skill.
Then play with it.
Prefer to learn
visually?
Here are some videos related to vocabulary.
▶ Flowers
Learn the different flowers in English
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▶ Fruit
Learn the different fruits in English
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▶ Furniture
Learn the different types of furniture in English
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▶ Places in Town
Learn the different places in town in English
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▶ Shapes
Learn the different shapes in English
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▶ Vegetables
Learn the different vegetables in English
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▶ Top 100 English Verbs
Action verbs, stative verbs, regular and irregular verbs, and auxiliary verbs.
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▶ Verb 'To Be'
A detailed lesson on the verb “to be” for advanced students or teachers.
Open lesson ↗140 grammar videos
Are you a visual learner? Explore all of our grammar-related videos.
Teach it.
Practise it.
Make it memorable.
Games, lists and techniques from the existing Grammar Monster library, collected here for teaching or independent practice.