Tricky English Spelling Patterns: How to Teach Common Letter Combinations
Why Do Some Letter Combinations Make Spelling Tricky?
English spelling is full of patterns that can be difficult to predict. Why does phone start with ‘ph’ instead of ‘f’? Why do chef and chess share the same first letters but sound different? These inconsistencies can be frustrating at first, but once students start to recognise common letter patterns, spelling becomes more manageable.
By understanding patterns such as ‘ph’, ‘ch’, and ‘sh’, students will develop stronger spelling skills and greater confidence in their writing. In this article, we’ll explore how these letter combinations influence pronunciation and provide practical, engaging strategies that educators can use to support their students.
1. The ‘Ph’ Spelling: A Link to Greek Origins
Many words in English that contain ‘ph’ come from Greek. In these cases, ‘ph’ is pronounced as ‘f’ – like in words like phone, elephant, and physics. Recognising this pattern not only helps students spell these words correctly but also deepens their understanding of language origins.
Strategies for Teaching ‘Ph’ Words
- Exploring Word Origins: Introduce students to the Greek roots of ‘ph’ words, highlighting examples such as photo (meaning ‘light’) and graph (‘writing’). Encourage them to identify other words with similar roots.
- Ph-f Substitutions: Ask students to rewrite words by replacing ‘ph’ with ‘f’ (phantom → fantom). Encourage them to read each word aloud. While these spellings are incorrect, the exercise reinforces the connection between ‘ph’ and the ‘f’ sound.
- Categorising ‘Ph’ Words: Have students group words into categories, such as scientific terms (physics, sulphur), everyday words (phone, photo), and names (Philip,
Daphne).
2. The Versatile ‘Ch’: Three Different Pronunciations
The letters ‘ch’ can be pronounced in three distinct ways:
- A /ch/ sound, as in cheese and chicken (common in words of English origin).
- A /sh/ sound, as in chef and machine (borrowed from French).
- A /k/ sound, as in chorus and school (derived from Greek).
Because ‘ch’ does not have a single pronunciation, students may struggle to determine the correct spelling of certain words.
Strategies for Teaching ‘Ch’ Pronunciations
- Sound Sorting Activity: Provide students with a mix of ‘ch’ words and ask them to group them by pronunciation. This will help them identify patterns in word origins.
- The Story Challenge: Encourage students to write a short paragraph that includes all three pronunciations of ‘ch’. For example: The chef checked the chessboard while a chorus sang in the background.
3. The /Sh/ Sound: More Than Meets the Eye
The /sh/ sound appears in many English words, but it isn’t always spelled with ‘sh’. Variations include:
Since these alternative spellings are not always intuitive, it is important to help students learn how to recognise the different patterns.
Strategies for Teaching the ‘Sh’ Sound
- Pattern Recognition: Present students with a passage containing different spellings of the /sh/ sound. Ask them highlight the words in different colours for each spelling pattern.
- Sound and Spelling Match-Up: Provide a list of /sh/ words and ask students to sort them by spelling variation (sh, ti, ci, si).
- Creative Writing with Constraints: Challenge students to write a short poem or story using as many /sh/ spellings as possible. Example: The special musician searched for shells by the shore.
Why Teaching Letter Combinations Matters
Helping students recognise common spelling patterns will help them to spell with greater accuracy and confidence. Rather than memorising individual words, they will develop a deeper understanding of how English works.
Key Takeaways for Educators:
✔ Encourage students to identify patterns in spelling and pronunciation.
✔ Use engaging activities to make learning interactive.
✔ Reinforce spelling rules through storytelling, categorisation, and creative exercises.
By making spelling instruction both systematic and engaging, we can help students approach language with curiosity and confidence. Exploring letter combinations not only improves spelling but also enhances vocabulary, pronunciation, and overall literacy skills.
For a structured, interactive way to support students with tricky spelling patterns, Spellzone provides personalised spelling lists, engaging games, and multi-sensory activities tailored to each student. Try it today and help your students take the guesswork out of spelling!
19 Feb 2025
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