Intermediate spelling rules. 45 questions on -ie/-ei patterns, -ise/-ize British/American variation, silent letters, and commonly misspelled words.
What this test covers
- -ie/-ei Pattern and Exceptions
- -ise/-ize/-yse/-yze and British/American Spelling
- Silent Letters and Commonly Misspelled Words
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
-
Q1In British English, to ___ your goals, you must be consistent.
Answer: A. achieve
The word 'achieve' follows the standard 'i before e, except after c' rule. Since the vowel pair follows the letter 'h' and produces a long /i:/ sound, the 'i' comes before the 'e'. Options like 'acheive' are common misspellings that swap the vowels.
-
Q2She was happy to ___ the award on behalf of the company.
Answer: B. receive
The spelling of 'receive' follows the 'i before e, except after c' rule. Because the vowels follow the letter 'c', the 'e' must come first. You will often see 'recieve' as a mistake, but remember that the 'c' changes the usual order.
-
Q3It felt a bit ___ to see him acting so strangely in the office.
Answer: B. weird
The word 'weird' is a famous exception to the 'i before e' rule. Although it has a long /i:/ sound, the 'e' comes before the 'i'. Spelling it as 'wierd' is one of the most common spelling errors in English.
-
Q4The ___ of the new skyscraper is impressive from the ground.
Answer: D. height
The word 'height' is an exception to the 'i before e' rule. It is related to the word 'high,' and even though it contains an 'ei' sequence, it is pronounced with the /aɪ/ diphthong. Avoid the common mistake 'heigth', which incorrectly adds an 'h' at the end.
-
Q5The employees were proud of ___ achievements this quarter.
Answer: B. their
The possessive pronoun 'their' is spelled with 'ei'. It does not follow the 'i before e' rule because that rule mainly applies to words with a long /i:/ sound (like 'piece' or 'thief'). Forms like 'thier' are incorrect.
-
Q6Please take a ___ of paper and write down your ideas.
Answer: D. piece
The word 'piece' follows the standard 'i before e' rule. Since the vowels follow the letter 'p' (not a 'c'), the 'i' comes before the 'e'. Be careful not to confuse the spelling with 'peace' (meaning calm), or use the incorrect 'peice'.
-
Q7They painted the office ___ a bright, clean white.
Answer: B. ceiling
Following the rule 'i before e, except after c', 'ceiling' is spelled with 'e' before 'i'. Because the root begins with 'c', the vowel order is reversed from the standard 'ie'. The spelling 'cieling' is a common error to avoid.
-
Q8You must ___ that the project will be completed on time.
Answer: A. believe
The verb 'believe' follows the standard 'i before e' rule. There is no 'c' preceding the vowels, so the 'i' comes first. Many learners mistakenly write 'beleive' or forget the silent 'e' at the end.
-
Q9The authorities were able to ___ the illegal goods.
Answer: D. seize
The verb 'seize' is an exception to the 'i before e' rule. Despite the long /i:/ sound and the absence of a 'c', the 'e' comes before the 'i'. Do not confuse it with 'sieze', which is a common misspelling.
-
Q10In British English, my ___ lives next door and is very helpful.
Answer: D. neighbour
In words where the vowel pair is pronounced as a long /eɪ/ (like 'neighbor' or 'vein'), the spelling is usually 'ei'. Additionally, British English uses the '-our' suffix for words like 'neighbour' and 'colour', whereas American English uses '-or'.
-
Q11The medicine helped to ___ the patient's pain.
Answer: D. relieve
The verb 'relieve' follows the 'i before e' rule because the vowels follow an 'l' and produce a long /i:/ sound. The spelling 'releive' is incorrect because there is no 'c' to trigger the exception. Also, 'relive' is a different verb meaning to live through something again.
-
Q12She is fluent in several ___ languages.
Answer: D. foreign
'Foreign' is an exception to the 'i before e' rule. It is spelled with 'ei' despite not following a 'c'. The vowel sound here is a reduced schwa or short /ɪ/, which often signals that the standard 'ie' rule might not apply.
-
Q13The blood flowed through the ___ during the examination.
Answer: C. vein
In words where the 'ei' pair makes a long /eɪ/ sound (rhyming with 'rain'), the 'e' comes before the 'i'. 'Vein' follows this pattern. Be careful not to confuse it with 'vain' (meaning conceited) or 'vane' (a weather instrument).
-
Q14Do not try to ___ the client about the delivery date.
Answer: B. deceive
The verb 'deceive' follows the rule 'i before e, except after c'. Because the vowels follow the letter 'c', the 'e' must come first. Common mistakes include 'decieve' or using 'ea' as in 'deceave'.
-
Q15What do you like to do in your ___ time?
Answer: C. leisure
'Leisure' is an exception to the 'i before e' rule. Even though it is often pronounced with a short /e/ sound in British English (/ˈleʒə/) or a long /iː/ in American English (/ˈliːʒər/), it is always spelled 'ei'.
-
Q16In British English, you must ___ the event schedule properly.
Answer: B. organise
While American English almost exclusively uses the '-ize' suffix, British English often prefers the '-ise' spelling for verbs like 'organise', 'realise', and 'recognise'. Note that 'orginise' is incorrect because the second syllable uses an 'a'.
-
Q17In British English, I did not ___ that the meeting had been cancelled.
Answer: A. realise
In British English, 'realise' is commonly spelled with the '-ise' suffix. American English uses 'realize'. Note that the root is 'real', so spellings like 'realyze' or 'reallise' are incorrect.
-
Q18In British English, did you ___ the new manager when you walked in?
Answer: C. recognise
The verb 'recognise' uses the '-ise' suffix in British English. Be careful with the middle of the word; it contains a 'gn' where the 'g' is slightly pronounced or affects the vowel, so 'reconise' is incorrect.
-
Q19In British English, you should ___ for the mistake you made yesterday.
Answer: B. apologise
The verb form in British English is 'apologise' (ending in '-ise'). Do not confuse this with the plural noun 'apologies' (meaning many statements of regret), which ends in '-ies'.
-
Q20In a formal British report, how would you spell the verb for examining data?
Answer: B. analyse
In British English, the verb 'analyse' always ends in '-yse'. This is different from verbs that can end in '-ise' or '-ize'. American English uses 'analyze', but 'analise' is always incorrect in any dialect.
-
Q21Which is the correct British English spelling for a large company?
Answer: A. organisation
Because British English prefers the verb 'organise' with an 's', the related noun is 'organisation'. American English uses 'organization'. The spelling 'organazation' is incorrect because the middle vowel must be 'i'.
-
Q22In British English, they plan to ___ the new product on social media.
Answer: D. advertise
The verb 'advertise' is always spelled with '-ise' in both British and American English. It is not part of the group of words (like 'organize') that can vary between 's' and 'z'. 'Advertize' is generally considered incorrect.
-
Q23I would ___ you to prepare for the interview carefully.
Answer: A. advise
In English, 'advise' is the verb form (to give a suggestion), while 'advice' is the uncountable noun (the suggestion itself). The verb is always spelled with an 's', never a 'z'.
-
Q24Who will ___ the junior staff during the internship?
Answer: A. supervise
The verb 'supervise' always ends in '-ise' in both British and American English. It comes from the Latin 'supervisus', so the 's' is part of the root and cannot be replaced by a 'z'.
-
Q25It was a complete ___ to see everyone at the party.
Answer: C. surprise
'Surprise' is always spelled with an 's', not a 'z'. A common mistake is to forget the first 'r' (spelling it 'suprise'), but the correct form is 'surprise'.
-
Q26Regular physical ___ is essential for good health.
Answer: A. exercise
The word 'exercise' is always spelled with '-ise' at the end. Despite the 'z' sound, using a 'z' as in 'exercize' is a common spelling error.
-
Q27In British English, please ___ the main points of the report for the board.
Answer: B. summarise
In British English, 'summarise' is the preferred spelling. It follows the pattern of using '-ise' for verbs. Note that 'summarise' also requires a double 'm' (from 'summary'); 'sumarise' is incorrect.
-
Q28In British English, what is the verb for causing someone to be unable to move?
Answer: A. paralyse
In British English, 'paralyse' ends in '-yse', similar to 'analyse'. American English uses 'paralyze'. Be careful with the 'r'; 'paralyse' only has one 'r', making 'parralyse' incorrect.
-
Q29In British English, he wanted to ___ the need for better communication.
Answer: B. emphasise
British English prefers the '-ise' suffix for 'emphasise'. The root of the word is 'emphasis', which ends in 's', making the '-ise' spelling more intuitive for many British speakers.
-
Q30In British English, does the firm ___ in international trade law?
Answer: A. specialise
The verb 'specialise' uses the '-ise' suffix in British English. American English uses 'specialize'. Ensure you include the final 'e' in the suffix.
-
Q31Please use a sharp ___ to cut the cardboard.
Answer: C. knife
The word 'knife' features a 'silent k' at the beginning. This is a common pattern in English (like 'knee' or 'know'). The final 'e' is also necessary to keep the 'i' sound long.
-
Q32You must ___ your name on the document before submitting it.
Answer: A. write
'Write' begins with a 'silent w'. This distinguishes it from 'rite' (a ceremony) or 'right' (correct). 'Writte' is incorrect; the single 't' is used when the 'i' is long.
-
Q33She is interested in studying human ___ at university.
Answer: B. psychology
The word 'psychology' begins with a 'silent p'. Many words of Greek origin starting with 'ps-' (like 'psalm' or 'psychiatry') follow this spelling pattern. 'Psycology' is incorrect because it misses the 'h' in the 'ch' /k/ sound.
-
Q34He is currently in ___ after taking out a large loan.
Answer: C. debt
'Debt' contains a 'silent b'. This letter was added historically to link the word to its Latin root 'debitum'. Spelling it as 'dett' or 'det' based on sound alone is incorrect.
-
Q35The meeting is scheduled for next ___ at 10 AM.
Answer: B. Wednesday
'Wednesday' is famous for its 'silent d' in the first syllable. Historically, it comes from 'Woden's Day'. Most people pronounce it as two syllables (Wenz-day), making the 'd' easy to forget when writing.
-
Q36Don't forget to ___ the contract to make it official.
Answer: A. sign
The word 'sign' has a 'silent g'. While the 'g' is not heard in the verb 'sign', it becomes audible in related words like 'signature'. 'Sing' is a different verb entirely.
-
Q37To be an ___ person, you must tell the truth.
Answer: C. honest
'Honest' begins with a 'silent h'. This is why we use the article 'an' before it (an honest person). The spelling 'onest' is incorrect because it misses the historical 'h'.
-
Q38The hotel ___ was excellent and very spacious.
Answer: D. accommodation
'Accommodation' is one of the most commonly misspelled words. It requires two 'c's and two 'm's. A helpful tip is to remember that the word 'accommodates' a lot of letters!
-
Q39It is ___ to submit the forms by Friday.
Answer: C. necessary
A common way to remember 'necessary' is that a shirt has one Collar (one 'c') and two Sleeves (two 's's). Writing 'neccesary' or 'nessecary' are very common mistakes.
-
Q40This is a rare ___ that we should investigate.
Answer: C. occurrence
'Occurrence' is spelled with two 'c's and two 'r's. It ends in '-ence'. Many students mistakenly use a single 'r' or use the suffix '-ance'.
-
Q41Try not to ___ yourself in front of the clients.
Answer: B. embarrass
The verb 'embarrass' requires two 'r's and two 's's. If you find it hard to remember, think of it as a word that is 'embarrassingly' long because of its double letters. Options like 'embarass' are incorrect.
-
Q42We need to ___ the recycling from the general waste.
Answer: B. separate
The most common error is spelling 'separate' as 'seperate'. A helpful trick is to remember there is 'a rat' in the middle of sep-a-rat-e. Always use 'a' for the middle vowel.
-
Q43I will ___ be there for the start of the meeting.
Answer: C. definitely
'Definitely' comes from the word 'definite'. Since 'definite' ends in an 'e', you simply add '-ly'. Many people incorrectly write 'definately' or 'definatly', but there is no 'a' in this word.
-
Q44It is a great ___ to work with such a talented team.
Answer: C. privilege
The correct spelling is 'privilege'. It uses two 'i's followed by two 'e's (i-i-e-e). Many people mistakenly add a 'd' (as in 'priviledge') because it sounds like 'edge', but that is incorrect.
-
Q45The song has a very catchy ___.
Answer: C. rhythm
'Rhythm' is tricky because it has no standard vowels (a, e, i, o, u); instead, 'y' acts as the vowel. Remember that the 'h' comes after both the 'r' and the 't' (r-h-y-t-h-m).
Done? Submit to get your score.
Answer at least one question to submit. Questions you leave out count as skipped.