Spelling-Meaning Links: Vowel Changes in Word Families

Recognize family members whose vowel sounds shift, like nature and natural.

In many word families, the vowel sound changes when a suffix is added, but the vowel letter stays. Say 'nature' (long a) and 'natural' (short a): different sounds, same letter. Other pairs: 'compete' and 'competition', 'please' and 'pleasant', 'crime' and 'criminal', 'mine' and 'mineral'. The spelling keeps the family visible even as the sound drifts. This also helps with the hardest vowel in English, the schwa, the lazy 'uh' sound in unstressed syllables. Is it 'compitition' or 'competition'?

You cannot hear the answer, because the second vowel is a schwa. But 'compete' has a clear long e, so the spelling is 'competition'. Is it 'gramm-er' or 'gramm-ar'? Think of 'grammatical', where the a is clear. When a vowel is unclear, find a family member where it is stressed, and let that word tell you which letter to write.

• 1Vowel sounds can change across a family while the letter stays.
• 2Unclear schwa vowels can be solved with a stressed relative.
• 3Say the related word and listen for the clear vowel.