Rules for Syllabication.

A syllable is a sound uttered with one impulse of the breath. The group of letters representing such a sound should never be separated in dividing words; e.g., re-bel´ (verb), reb´-el (noun), pres´-ent (noun), pre-sent´-ed. To divide a word into syllables, pronounce it slowly and correctly, and note the natural division into sounds. In writing, it is preferable to put the whole word on one line. When this cannot well be done, that part of the word left at the end of one line should suggest the part beginning the next line; e.g., happiness should be divided—happi-ness, not hap-piness.

Rules for Spelling.

1. At the end of monosyllables with a short vowel sound, the letters f, l, or s are usually double; e.g., muff, ball, pass.

2. Words ending in silent e usually drop it on adding any suffix beginning with a vowel; e.g., come, coming; bride, bridal; love, lovable.

Exceptions:—(i) Words ending in ce or ge retain the e before the suffixes able and ous, in order to keep the soft sound of c or g; e.g., traceable, outrageous.

(ii) Words ending in ee, oe, or ye retain the final e when ing is added; e.g., freeing, shoeing, eyeing.

3. Monosyllables and words accented on the last syllable, if they end in a single consonant with a single vowel before it, usually double the final consonant before a vowel-suffix, e.g., clap, clapper; clan, clannish; nod, nodded; prefer, preferring.

Exception:—When the derivative has the place of the accent changed, the final consonant is not doubled; e.g., prefer´, pref´erence. Note also, gases, gaseous, transferable, woolly.

4. Words ending in a single l double it before a vowel-suffix; e.g., chisel, chiselled; revel, reveller; cancel, cancelling. But, paralleled.

5. Words ending in y preceded by a consonant usually change the y into i when a suffix not beginning with i is added; e.g., cry, cries, crying.

Exceptions:—Dryly, dryness; shyly, shyness; slyly, slyness.

Note also daily, gaily, gaiety, laid, paid, said, saith, slain, staid.

6. ei or ie. When sounded like long e, i comes before e except after c; e.g., piece, deceit. But, either, neither, plebeian, seize, leisure, weird.

When not sounded like long e, the order of the letters is always ei; e.g., skein, height.

[PUBLIC SCHOOL LEAVING.]

actuary
warranty
accruing
aggrieve
indelible
collectible

codicil
clerical
implicit
coercion
obsolete
obduracy

cavilling
repellent
recurrent
deterrent
sullenness
stubbornness

statutory
executrix
appraisal
legitimate
rescinded
rescission

coupon
waiver
vellum
engross
erasure
issuing
voucher

lessor
lessee
felony
nullify
consols
vendor
annuity

pleas
marine
tontine
zephyr
vestige
salvage
assigns

vacillate
oscillate
irrigated
deprecate
desiccate
mitigated
litigation

elegy
poesy
lyrical
couplet
synonym
homonym

ellipsis
metaphor
paradigm
italicize
rhetorical
allegorical

ordnance
ordinance
colloquy
soliloquy
antithesis
hyperbole

dunning
endorsed
collateral
purloined
remittance
acceptance

rabies
subtler
sentient
consular
succinct
incipient
æsthetic

emanate
permeate
relegated
licentiate
depreciate
excruciate
disseminate

narrator
instigate
promissor
guarantor
assignor
consignee
mortgagor

plagiarist
chirography
phonography
facsimile
petit jury
puisne judge
knight-errant

oriel
tenon
newel
mortise
dovetail
boudoir

mullion
stanchion
buttress
abutment
colonnade
escutcheon

flotilla
binnacle
halyards
forecastle
pyramidal
maelstrom

arsenal
reveille
patrolled
gymnastics
silhouette
supercilious

missal
schism
Genesis
heretics
perusing
proselyte
itinerary

auspices
nonpareil
lacquered
ensconced
accountant
personnel
sustenance

judiciary
beneficiary
depositary
depository
rendezvous
proprietary
commissary

symmetrical
connoisseur
malfeasance
discoloration
maintenance
complaisance
presentiment

chiffon
ruching
chenille
organdie
chambray
tarpaulin

silesia
mohair
taffeta
bandanna
buckram
valenciennes

beryl
carat
emery
pyrites
sardonyx
turquoise

inertia
fusible
residue
volatile
calcium
magnesia

oxygen
hydrogen
sulphate
chloride
molecule
radially
ambrosial

febrile
lesion
cohesion
sensory
specific
bronchial
lachrymal

polygon
rhomboid
trapezium
reciprocal
precipitate
centripetal
centrifugal

scalene
isosceles
equitable
acoustics
dynamics
corollary
equilateral

anise
hyssop
jasmine
spiræa
syringa
caraway
hydrangea

eczema
biceps
molars
calibers
bicuspid
debauchee
victuallers

chyme
cognac
trachea
cranium
papilla
chrysalis
hellebore

anæmia
phthisic
phthisis
varicose
paroxysm
allopathic
homœopathy

cocaine
calomel
lobelia
copperas
paregoric
collodion

anodyne
osseous
diagnose
mortuary
lymphatic
panegyric

morphine
quassia
sassafras
condiments
eucalyptus
apocalypse

eustachian
belladonna
ipecacuanha
laryngitis
peritonitis
appendicitis

abettor
coadjutor
precursor
laboratory
prohibitory
admonitory

alluvial
connubial
centennial
cylindrical
rhetorical
rhythmical

collusion
demurred
agrarian
patrician
herculean
sepulchral

conscientious
predilection
reminiscence
commissariat
homogeneous
embarrassment

moiety
nucleus
mussels
mollusc
cuisine
pristine
libertine

sedative
sediment
abeyance
prevalence
dependence
ascendency
excrescence

throes
pallor
orgies
exorcise
colossal
analogous
anomalous

metaphysics
psychology
aide-de-camp
physiognomy
paraphernalia
plenipotentiary
pharmaceutical

psaltery
psalmody
hierarchy
espionage
plenteous
mnemonics

irascible
porphyry
equipoise
fortuitous
reversible
transferable

auricular
auriferous
succulent
ameliorate
deshabille
dishevelled

cinerary
prescience
saccharine
boulevard
troubadour
tournament

astute
abstruse
falchion
alchemy
tubercles
algebraical
anatomical

aspirate
archives
authentic
halcyon
harlequin
clairvoyant
connivance

bourn
breviary
brougham
bellicose
captious
capillary
seriatim

centipede
composite
charlatan
iniquitous
ubiquitous
incorrigible
irrepressible

corsair
contour
deify
expiate
embryo
emissary

deducible
fallibility
credibility
debilitate
defamatory
equanimity

hydraulic
guttural
critique
technique
hypotenuse
hypothesis

expatiate
ingratiate
illusory
internecine
iridescent
putrescence

kraal
khedive
jeopardize
laconically
lithograph
litigious
pharisaical

memoirs
maniacal
medallion
parricide
fratricide
ostracized
percussion

vertebræ
minutiæ
oligarchy
miscellany
adolescent
omniscient
necropolis

indigenous
ingenuous
methylated
immaculate
Mussulmans
querulous
quintessence

hybrid
pillory
placable
precincts
papyrus
repertory

spherical
sedulous
spermaceti
prodigious
promiscuous
perspicacity

Teutonic
quixotic
symphony
sycophant
superficies
surveillance

phrenologist
phraseology
polytechnic
punctilious
pseudonym
surreptitious

viscid
zodiac
satiety
zoology
vacuum
vagaries
camellia

facade
pedagogy
vibratory
vicarious
usurious
vouchsafe
vociferate

nefarious
voluptuous
vicissitude
vernacular
consummate
ventriloquist
deliquescent

extricate
defalcate
exchequer
perforated
cognizant
apparition
incarcerate

aviary
callous
guerdon
piquant
brusque
flippancy

aeronaut
plausible
aeroplane
regrettable
similarity
contrariwise

cuirass
caitiff
caisson
cogitating
tessellated
pomegranate

propagate
immaterial
acclamation
subsidiary
unparalleled
cartilaginous

onerous
libellous
rancorous
derelict
tamarack
deciduous
calamitous

minx
sphinx
chloral
murrain
vignette
casually
casualty

orifice
bacillus
tattooed
tasselled
proboscis
patrician
dissimilar

gherkin
stoicism
bagatelle
whirligig
beleaguer
stomachic
decoction

Small Difficult Words—Use these words in sentences.

abyss
acacia
acme
aerial
alias
alpaca
annals
axiom
azure
benign
broncho
cache
cairn
calyx
caulk
chaise
chaos
chary
chronic
cinque
clique
corse
cote
crucial
cymbal
cynic
dais
débris
disc

doily
ecstasy
elite
elixir
ellipse
epoch
facade
facile
falcon
fiasco
flaccid
foci
futile
ghoul
gist
gluey
gneiss
groat
guano
gyves
heresy
holm
idyl
igneous
irate
ivied
jargon
lichen
liege

lien
lithe
llama
lode
lymph
lyre
Maori
melee
mirage
morgue
myrrh
naive
newel
nymph
ogre
onyx
orchid
oust
pageant
placid
plaguy
plaice
poise
pygmy
python
qualm
radii
realm
regime

rhythm
schism
scion
scroll
sedge
seethe
sere
sheik
shoal
Sioux
sloyd
sluice
soiree
sphinx
steppe
suave
swarthy
sylph
sylvan
synod
theme
theory
thews
thrall
tierce
trawl
treatise
trite
tryst

tutor
umbel
venial
vial
vicar
viceroy
virile
viscera
viscid
visual
vital
vitiate
vizier
vogue
vying
waive
weevil
weird
whiz
whorl
wiliness
wince
winch
winze
withal
wraith
wreak
wroth
wry