subject: British Academics - Syllable-Building Strategy [print this page] British Academics - Syllable-Building Strategy
Long words are words that are considered to be words more than one syllable. Long words are usually misspelled, considering that the English Language is very complex, in a sense that some words are not spelled as you say the word or hear it. Pronouncing the words by syllabicating it can be one way of deleting this problem. Syllables are words that are verbally pronounced with a single sound of the voice. The Syllable-Building Strategy will allow you to spell long words correctly.
To illustrate how the Syllable-Building Strategy works, we will be using the word democratic as the word to be spelled. If you already know this word, go along with the steps with more challenging longer words to expound on your vocabulary and practice your spelling skills.
Here is how a student should use the steps in the Syllable-Building Strategy to learn how to spelldemocratic.
1. Carefully copy the word in your notebook. Check what you wrote to be sure that have spelled the word correctly.
2. Look for the word in the dictionary.
3. Use the PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION or phonetic respelling of the worddemocratic in the dictionary to help you pronounce the word. If you are not still sure how to pronounce the word democratic, ask your teacher for help.
4. Based on the dictionary, you will notice thatdemocratic is a four-syllable word. Read and syllabicate the word aloud. Write the worddemocratic leaving a space between each syllable. Here is how it should appear: [dmm krttik] or dem o crat ic
5. Now, write the first syllable of the worddemocratic three times.
Now, cover what you had written and write the first syllable of democratic from memory.
Check if you have spelled the first syllable correctly.
Follow through with writing the first two syllables of the worddemocratic together three times. Repeat pronouncing the two syllables together as you write them.
Again, as previously instructed, cover what you have written and write the first two syllables from memory.
Remember to check your spelling.
Continue doing this procedure for the first three syllables of the worddemocratic and then until you finish the entire word.
6. Until you are able to correctly spell the entire word from memory, writethe word democratic on your personal spelling list. You should write both the entire word and the word broken into syllables.
7. Make sure to periodically review the spelling of the word democratic using the following Spell and say. Review to recap the procedure:
You pronounce the word democratic aloud
You know then pronounce and spell aloud every syllable
Now spell the word aloud
Remember the word by writing the word democratic three times.
Using theSyllable-Building Strategy will increase your spelling skills and make you an even better speller than you are today.
