Writing: Basic Mechanics and Formation (A1) - Lesson 3: Spelling Own Name & Very Common Words

Lesson 3: Spelling Your Name & Very Common Words

You have learned to write and type English letters. Now, let's use those letters to write words¹! Spelling² is how we put letters in the correct order to make a word.

Today, we will learn how to spell the most important word—your name³—and other very common⁴ words you will see every day in Cambodia.

How to Spell Your Name

Your name is special, and it has an important spelling rule: it must always start with an uppercase, or capital⁵, letter.

Good Example

My name is Sokha.

(The name starts with a capital 'S'.)

Bad Example

My name is sokha.

(This is incorrect. The name must not start with a lowercase 's'.)

To spell your name, say it slowly and listen for the sounds. Let's practice with the name "Dara".

D → D a → D a r → Dara

Spelling Common English Words

Some words are very common. It is helpful to learn to spell them from memory. Here are some you might see on signs around Kampot.

• Greetings: hello, goodbye, yes, no, thank you, welcome
• Places: river, market, shop, school, hotel, restaurant, temple, beach
• Transport: tuk-tuk, moto, bicycle, bus, car
• Essential Words: food, water, money, help, open, closed, pepper

A Simple Spelling Pattern: Double Letters

Some common English words use the same letter twice in a row. You just need to remember them.

Common words with 'oo': food, good, school

Common words with 'll': hello, full, small

Common words with 'ee': see, three, beef

Spelling Tips: "Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check"

This is a great method to learn new words.

1. Look: Look at the word carefully. (e.g., restaurant)
2. Say: Say the word out loud. ("res-tau-rant")
3. Cover: Cover the word with your hand.
4. Write: Write the word from memory.
5. Check: Uncover the word and check your spelling. If it's wrong, do it again!

Practice Quiz: Spelling Check

Part 1: Unscramble the Word
Put the letters in the correct order to make a common word.

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1. o / h / p / s → (A place to buy things)

Answer: shop

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2. t / e / m / p / l / e → (A place for worship, like Angkor Wat)

Answer: temple

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Part 2: Find the Mistake
Find the spelling mistake in the sentence.

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3. I would like to order some fodo please.

Answer: fodo → food

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4. Helo, my name is Dara.

Answer: Helo → hello

Homework: Practice in Your Notebook

Get your pen and notebook to practice your new spelling skills.

Part 1: Your Name

Write your full name five times. Check each time to make sure the first letter of your first name and last name is a capital letter.

Example: Vong Sokha, Vong Sokha, Vong Sokha...

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Part 2: Common Words

Use the "Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check" method to practice spelling these words:

• restaurant
• welcome
• bicycle
• money

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Part 3: Fill in the Missing Letters

Copy these words and fill in the missing letters.

1. sch _ _ l
2. g _ _ dbye
3. b _ _ ch

(Answers: school, goodbye, beach)

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Part 4: Real World Spelling

Walk around your town or city. Find three English words on signs (like a shop name, a restaurant menu, or a traffic sign). Carefully copy the words into your notebook.

Vocabulary Glossary

1. Word (Noun / នាម): (ពាក្យ): A single unit of language that has meaning and is made of letters. ↩
2. Spelling (Noun / នាម): (ការប្រកប): The process of writing the letters of a word in the correct order. ↩
3. Name (Noun / នាម): (ឈ្មោះ): What a person, place, or thing is called. ↩
4. Common (Adjective / គុណនាម): (ធម្មតា): Usual; found often or in many places. ↩
5. Capital Letter (Noun / នាម): (អក្សរធំ): The big form of a letter (A, B, C), used for the start of names and sentences. ↩