3.24.B* 3.24.D*

Spelling Patterns 3rd Grade

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 3.24.B*
spell words with more advanced orthographic patterns and rules: consonant doubling when adding an ending; dropping final "e" when endings are added (e.g., -ing, -ed); changing y to i before adding an ending; double consonants in middle of words; complex consonants (e.g., scr-, -dge, -tch); and abstract vowels (e.g., ou as in could, touch, through, bought)
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 3.24.D*
spell words with common syllable constructions (e.g., closed, open, final stable syllable)

Syllable: A syllable is one unbroken sound in a word. Words can have one, two, or even more syllables. Knowing different types of syllables can help you spell words correctly.

Closed Syllable

When the vowel sound in a syllable is short, it is "closed off" by a consonant. Closed syllables end with one or more consonants.

Example:

cabin — cab · in

black

Open Syllable

When a syllable is "open," it ends with a vowel and makes a long vowel sound.

Example:

apron — a · pron

motor — mo · tor

Final Stable Syllable

A final stable syllable only comes at the end of words. When it is combined with a closed syllable, the consonant that comes before the "-le" is usually doubled.

Example:

puzzle — puz · zle

bugle — bu · gle

The "Rabbit" Guideline

rabbit

For many words, the middle consonant is usually doubled if it meets the following rules:

The word has two syllables.
The first vowel in the word is short.
There is only one consonant sound between the vowels.

Example:

rabbit

1) rab · bit
2) First vowel ("a") is short
3) One consonant sound ("buh") between vowels.

letter
1) let · ter
2) First vowel ("e") is short
3) One consonant sound ("tuh") between vowels.

muffin
1) muf · fin
2) First vowel ("u") is short
3) One consonant ("fuh") sound between vowels

One more rule:

When a word that ends with a consonant + y makes a short vowel sound, the consonant is doubled

Example:

funny, bunny, happy, and sorry

Complex consonants are combinations of letters that make one sound.

-tchThe consonant trigraph, -tch, usually comes at the end of a word. It makes the same sound as "ch," so it's important to remember which words use which combination.

catch
stretch
kitchen
witch
latch
batch

scr-The consonant trigraph, scr-, usually comes at the beginning of a word.

scratch
screen
screw
scream
scrape
scrub

-dgeThe consonant trigraph, -dge, usually comes at the end of a word. Words that end with "-dge" usually make a short vowel sound.

hedgehog
ledge
edge
badge
lodge
fidget

str-The consonant trigraph, str-, can be used at the beginning or the middle of a word.

string
strong
destroy
instruct
stress
construct

Abstract vowels are also known as vowel teams. Vowel teams are two vowels that make one new sound. Different vowel teams can sound alike, so it's important to remember which ones are used in certain words.

short u The short u sound can be heard in words like shut, crush, and umbrella.

Vowel teams that can also make the short u sound are oo and ou. The spellings of words that use "oo" or "ou" to make the short u sound generally need to be memorized.

blood    flood

touch  rough
cousin  enough

long /oo/ The long /oo/ sound can be heard in words like boot, spoon, and moon.

Vowel teams that can also make the long /oo/ sound are ew and ou. The spellings of words that use "ew" or "ou" to make a long /oo/ sound generally need to be memorized.

drew    stew
flew    screw

soup    youth
you    cougar

"aw" sound The "aw" sound can be heard in words like draw, crawl, and yawn.

Vowel teams that can also make the "aw" sound are au and ou. The spellings of words that make an "aw" sound with "au" or "ou" generally need to be memorized.

sausage  haul
sauce  caught

thought bought
cough  fought

Spelling Patterns

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 3.24.B*

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): 3.24.D*

spell words with common syllable constructions (e.g., closed, open, final stable syllable)

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