It is probably true that many persons remember a word as they remember a face. For them the ideal way to learn to spell is to look carefully at the words as they read. But some of us do not master spelling in that way. There are scores of words that we see day after day and yet misspell. In many instances we must make a special effort in order to spell accurately.

If one who has unusual difficulty with spelling will keep a list of the words that puzzle him, and review this list from day to day, he will find himself making steady improvement. One who masters five words a day for a year will be able to spell a snug little vocabulary at the end of that time. Fifteen hundred everyday words make a tolerably comfortable outfit for a poor speller.

Sometimes the mere writing of a word will determine the spelling. The moment we write receive we know that it is correct. But if we are likely to have further trouble with that word, suppose we write it thus, to call special attention to the letters that puzzle: recEIve.

This method may help us remember such words as beliEve, decEive, siEge, sEize, villAin, villAge, grammAr, superintend-Ent, and many another. Or, if we prefer, we may underscore such letters, thus: receive, believe, siege, grammar, villain; or receive, believe, siege, etc. With or without increasing the size of the doubtful letters, it will be an aid in mastering the spelling of any word to write it out plainly several times.

The spelling aloud of words which are troublesome will often be helpful in fixing them in mind. One person can remember best what he sees, another what he hears. If* the plan of writing repeatedly the words which we misspell is not sufficient to correct our common faults, we should practice spelling them aloud. Always welcome a spelling match, even if you are not often at the head of the line. The more difficulty you have in staying there, the more eager you should be to take advantage of all kinds of help.

Exercise

130. Explain, using illustrations, how you would teach yourself permanently the correct spelling of some word that you have habitually misspelled. The following may suggest ideas for your talk:

1. Looking carefully at a word.

2. Writing a word several times.

3. Spelling certain words aloud.

4. Using a troublesome word frequently.