How to improve your spelling: 5 home exercises

Having difficulty with spelling is a common issue for both adults and children. While some may find it embarrassing, this problem is not related to intelligence. Many people try to solve it by focusing on learning grammar rules, especially when it comes to foreign languages. However, this approach may not be the most effective solution.

Why isn’t it effective to learn grammar rules to improve your spelling?

It turns out that, in most cases, everyone has their own set of words they commonly misspell. While there are certain words that cause trouble for many of us, these are usually related to grammatical exceptions. Aside from that, each person has their own unique set of misspelled words that aren't linked to any particular grammar rule. These words often don't have anything in common in a grammatical sense. People simply tend to forget the correct spelling, even after checking it multiple times. For this reason, learning grammar rules alone won’t help. Fortunately, there are a few methods you can use at home that are more effective than focusing on grammar rules. These include:

• turn off autocorrect on your phone
• use misspelled words as often as possible
• regularly prepare and review a list of your most commonly misspelled words.
• choose between different spelling variations from various countries
• avoid learning languages through songs

Why doesn’t autocorrect on your phone help?

If there were only one factor that definitely has no positive impact on your spelling skills, it would be autocorrect on your phone. This is because, nowadays, people tend to write less by hand and instead rely on their computers or cell phones tin case of a need to prepare any form of text. And this is where the problem begins. In the past, people had to remember the correct spelling because there was nothing to do it for them. Today, all we have to do on our phones is type a few letters of a word (without paying attention to spelling or letter order), and autocorrect will take care of the rest. While this feature speeds up typing, it also prevents us from thinking and remembering the correct spelling.

To overcome this situation, you should definitely turn off the autocorrect feature. Instead, enable the misspelling tracker. It will highlight incorrectly written words to catch your attention when you make a mistake. This will automatically stimulate your brain, and each time a word is highlighted, your brain will receive the correct signal until you stop making the same mistake.

Try to use problematic words more frequently

One problem with the approach described in the previous paragraph is that some misspelled words aren’t used frequently enough in daily conversations. As a result, the signals sent to your brain may be too rare for it to remember the correct spelling.

To overcome the frequency issue, it’s recommended to try increasing the usage of misspelled words while writing. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should take a pen and write the word over and over again on a piece of paper. Instead, look for opportunities to use it more in your daily written conversations, allowing your phone to highlight any mistakes and reinforce the signals sent to your brain. After some time, when you notice that a particular word no longer causes trouble, you can forget about it and focus on another one that is still problematic.

It’s important to have a list of commonly misspelled words

The idea of having a simple list of words might sound a bit silly and old-fashioned to you. However, the goal of this list is slightly different from what you might think, because you’re NEVER supposed to memorize the words. That would require unnecessary effort. The list, where you should add all the words you have trouble with, should only be read once a day for an extended period. In the beginning, you may feel like reading isn’t enough and that you’re not remembering anything. This feeling will fade over time because, as you continue reading, your brain will create the same connections as if you were memorizing them. What’s even better is that these connections will be much deeper than if you tried to memorize the words, because the exposure time will be longer. There is one condition, though: you must really read the words, not just glance at them. Pay attention to each word and try to notice where you tend to make a mistake.

The list of words should be updated regularly. You don’t need to write them all down at once; you can add new words each time you notice a word is problematic for you. You can also remove words that have been on the list for a long time and that you’re 100% sure will never be a problem again.

Choose between different spelling variations

Some spelling problems may arise from the fact that some languages are used in more than one country. Even though their general structure is similar, certain details may have changed over time. This is the case with, for example, American and British English or Colombian and Spanish. Such differences can be confusing, especially if you’re not aware of them. If the language you're struggling with isn’t your native one, you should make sure to check in which countries it’s actually used.

When you find out which version of the language you’ll be using, you should choose only one and stick to it. For example, if you're learning English, decide whether you want to follow the American or British style. Otherwise, you’ll constantly be confused when deciding whether to use "color" or"colour" or "center" or "centre". It’s also highly recommended to choose a dictionary (if you use one) that matches the version of the language you’ve chosen. In general, you should try to eliminate any potential sources of confusion.

Song lyrics are never a good way to learn!

This advice is especially for those learning foreign languages. While many learners start listening to music in the target language, although it’s not a bad idea for general language exposure, it certainly doesn’t help with spelling. This is because songwriters often use incorrect language structures to fit the lyrics to the melody. They frequently use shortcuts and simplified forms that can be misleading for learners still in the process of mastering the language. For this reason, you should always choose language sources that are confirmed to be grammatically correct, like books or newspapers.

Summary

The 5 methods described above are typically the most impactful for improving your spelling skills. Of course, there are many other methods, but these are the most effective and easiest to implement. No matter which method you choose, it's important to remember that consistency and patience are key. If you meet these conditions, the results will surely come. Good luck!