A2 Lesson 1: Spelling Common Everyday Words Correctly
Welcome to A2 Writing! You have learned the basic rules of sentence structure. Now, we will improve your writing by focusing on the correct spelling1 of common, everyday2 words. Good spelling makes your writing look more professional and easier for others to read.
Words Around Town
These are words you might see or use every day in Kampot. Some of them can be tricky!
Correct Spelling
motorcycle, bicycle, restaurant, hospital, pharmacy, traffic
Common Mistakes
motorcyle, bicyle, restarant, hospitle, farmacy, trafic
Spelling Pattern 1: Vowel Teams
In English, sometimes two vowels3 work together to make one sound. A simple rule to remember is: "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking." This means you usually say the name of the first vowel.
'ea' sounds like a long 'e':
- eat, meat, clean, read, easy, leave
'ai' sounds like a long 'a':
- rain, train, wait, explain, afraid
Spelling Pattern 2: Silent Letters
Sometimes, a letter is written in a word but we do not pronounce it. It is a silent letter4. You must remember to write it, even if you can't hear it!
Silent 'k' before 'n':
- know, knife, knee
Silent 'w' before 'r':
- write, wrong, wrap
Smart Spelling Strategies
Use these tricks to become a better speller:
- Break It Down: Break long words into smaller sounds or syllables5. (Example: res-tau-rant, veg-e-ta-ble).
- Look for Patterns: Does the word have a vowel team (like 'ea') or a silent letter?
- Use a Dictionary: If you are unsure, using a dictionary on your phone or computer is a smart choice, not cheating!
🧠 Practice Quiz: Find the Mistake
Read the sentence and find the misspelled word.
1. I want to eat at the new restarant tonight.
Answer: The mistake is "restarant". The correct spelling is restaurant.
2. Please be careful of the trafic on the main road.
Answer: The mistake is "trafic". The correct spelling is traffic.
3. I need to get some medicine from the farmacy.
Answer: The mistake is "farmacy". The correct spelling is pharmacy.
📝 Homework: Practice and Write
Part 1: Word Practice
Choose the 5 words from this lesson that are most difficult for you. Practice spelling them using the "Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check" method.
Part 2: Write a Short Paragraph
Write 3-4 sentences describing your last meal. Try to use at least four words from this lesson. Check your spelling carefully when you are finished.
Example Paragraph:
For lunch, I went to a restaurant near my work. I decided to eat some fried rice with vegetables. It was very delicious. I also drank a clean glass of water.
Vocabulary Glossary
- Spelling: (Noun) - ការប្រកប - The process of writing the letters of a word in the correct order. ↩
- Everyday: (Adjective) - ប្រចាំថ្ងៃ - Done or used each day; common. ↩
- Vowel: (Noun) - ស្រៈ - The letters a, e, i, o, u. ↩
- Silent Letter: (Noun) - អក្សរស្ងាត់ - A letter in a word that is written but not pronounced. ↩
- Syllable: (Noun) - ព្យាង្គ - A part of a word that contains a single vowel sound. (e.g., "wa-ter" has two syllables). ↩