I'm going to admit something to you.
Even for those of us that write for a living, some words just completely baffle us. Often it’s useful (and some might say, fun) to make up rhymes or systems to remember how to spell tricky words.
Several of these might sound daft, but they work. I am often found at my computer happily working - and mumbling to myself!
There is a reason why we teach kids a song to remember the alphabet - don’t try to pretend that you don’t belt out that tune from time to time to remember a certain letter order!
So, when you find yourself trying to remember if the word has one ‘s’ or two you can try to remember these tips. Some are quite silly and are a throwback to my childhood… but hey, that silly childhood got me to where I am now!
1. Necessary
Never Eat Cakes Eat Salmon Sandwiches And Remain Young
2. Stationery/Stationary
StationEry (E for Envelope)
Therefore, the other one is for the other meaning Stationary – to remain still
3. They’re Their and There
They’re - two words joined together so think They Are
Their - has an I for Individual
There - has er as in over there
4. Embarrass
Easy - just think: 2 Red cheeks
5. Bought and Brought
Brought – BR for Bring
Bought – ou = dough (dough is slang for money)
6. Affect / Effect
Effect’ describes the end consequence.‘
Affect’ describes an action, whereas ‘
7. Forty
Say it with me..... ‘forty is naughty as it loses/drops the u’.
Ahh, fun times.