English spelling can be difficult because many words are not written the way they sound. Over time, pronunciation has changed, but the spelling of many words has stayed the same.
Example:
kneel is pronounced /niːl/, but it is written with five letters.
Because English spelling is not always predictable, it is important to learn the correct spelling of common words.
Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
You must choose the correct word when writing.
They're going to school.
I left my bag over there.
This is their house.
I want to leave.
I want two tickets, too.
It's raining.
The dog wagged its tail.
Punctuation helps make writing clear and easy to read.
Examples:
I wanted to go, but I was busy.
She studied hard, but she failed the test.
When a sentence begins with when, add a comma before the main sentence.
When I was sixteen, I moved to Edmonton.
When the movie ended, we went home.
When and joins words or phrases, no comma is needed.
I like apples and oranges.
She can sing and dance.
However, a comma is often used before and when it joins two complete sentences.
I work at night, and she works during the day.
Do not use a capital letter after a quotation mark unless the next word is a proper noun or begins a new sentence.
She said, "I am tired," and went to bed.
When writing a date with a month, day, and year, put a comma before the year.
November 21, 1963
July 1, 2026
December 25, 2025
English spelling is not always phonetic.
Homophones sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.
Use a comma before but.
Use a comma after introductory clauses beginning with when.
Do not usually use a comma before and.
Put a comma before the year in dates: November 21, 1963.
Choose the correct form:
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