English Spelling

This practical workbook introduces beginners to the rules and conventions on which contemporary English spelling is based. Clearly written and organized, it is a perfect guide for self study.

Topics covered include: how speech-sounds map onto each other; the extent to which words sound identical or look identical; various kinds of spelling mistakes; the main differences between American and British spelling; how and why proper names may vary from expected spelling conventions; punctuation of words by apostrophes, hyphens and capitalization; as well as possible approaches to spelling reform. With hands on language analysis and balanced insight into basic linguistic theory, English Spelling offers a solid introduction to this topic.

Edward Carney is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Linguistics, University of Manchester.