Chapter 12
The Big Payoff
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Several years ago, I had a devil worshipper in class who decided to deface a huge boulder outside the school. It took him several hours overnight to do the deed, but it was sure worth the time for us teachers. Why? The next morning we discovered that our naughty boy had painted “Satin Lives” in letters five feet high. Yes, the poor deluded child was declaring his allegiance to a fabric rather than a fiend. Moments like this make the sacrifices of being a teacher so worthwhile.
Why Are Some Words So Hard to Spell?
Okay, some words are more difficult to spell than others. Why? We’ve been down this road before, ladies and gentlemen. You learned that some of these so-called spelling demons don’t follow the rules. Others don’t look right, even when they are. Many are easily confused with other words. A few have poor personal hygiene and shaky interpersonal skills, but we’ll ignore them.
Whatever the reason, these spelling demons are among the most often used words in English, so let me help you master some of them.
Twenty Common Spelling Demons: All Nouns That Identify People
You know that grouping words by common qualities can make them easier to learn, so here are twenty nouns that all name people. Read the list and spell the words using the techniques that you learned in chapter 4.

alumna
ballerina
celebrity
colonel
friend
amateur
benefactor
chauffeur
concierge
genius
assassin
buccaneer
chief
connoisseur
mathematician
bachelor
burglar
colleague
deacon
principal

Twenty More Common Spelling Demons: All Nouns That Identify People
Twenty more words about people, my friends. Why not add these to your word cards?

psychologist
guardian
rookie
picador
minor
niece
rogue
quack
playwright
miner
orphan
linguist
raconteur
premier
marquis
notary
patriot
peer
president
mercenary

Twenty Common Spelling Demons: All Nouns That Name Places
We’ll go from people to places. You’ll see that some of these words are proper nouns, so be sure to capitalize them when you spell them.

building
Mediterranean
Britain
cemetery
labyrinth
business
Albuquerque
cafeteria
condominium
lavatory
parliament
bazaar
California
Connecticut
restaurant
capitol
Caribbean
carnival
laboratory
suite

Twenty Common Spelling Demons: All Nouns That Name Things
The following twenty handy words all identify objects. Why not divide these words into syllables as you learn them?

argument
chaos
aperitif
athlete
badminton
bureau
criticism
antique
avalanche
balloon
yacht
committee
asterisk
babushka
bicycle
cellophane
sponge
statue
umbrella
ukulele

Twenty Common Spelling Demons: Words That Name Foods
Now we have twenty words about things we eat. To make these words easier to learn, create your own mnemonic (memory) devices, such as songs, chants, and rhymes.

banana
saccharin
barbecue
bologna
bouillon
macaroon
broccoli
bouillabaisse
cantaloupe
raspberry
champagne
chocolate
cocoa
torte
lettuce
zucchini
 
Here are six bonus words for fun. What a dreadful dish they’d make all served together.


salmon
spaghetti
sandwich
pimento
sauerkraut
ravioli

Twenty Common Spelling Demons: Words That Describe People
Now we move from nouns to adjectives. These words can all be used to tell what people are like and how they act.

competent
foreign
indispensable
irrelevant
banal
courteous
forty
transient
necessary
berserk
efficient
fulfilled
separate
taciturn
conscientious
dissatisfied
irresistible
unconscious
arrogant
lackadaisical

Twenty Common Spelling Demons: All Verbs
And now we come to words that describe actions. Create a scene in your mind with these spelling demons.

achieve
aggravate
fascinate
conceive
rescue
acquire
commemorate
alter
contradict
gauge
acknowledge
embarrass
collaborate
courteous
harass
concede
conceited
referee
reign
negotiate

Cut to the Chase
Have fun learning to spell. e9780806535630_img_9632.gif