Key learning points

1. The 'll' representation of the 'l' sound is often found after short vowels in single syllable words.
2. The 'el' and 'le' representations are usually found in polysyllabic words.
3. The 'el' spelling is much less common than 'le'.
4. The 'el' spelling is often used after 'm', 'n', 'r', 's', 'v' and 'w'.
5. How to spell the common exception words: child and children.

Keywords

• Short vowel - a vowel sound that sounds short when spoken like "a" in "cat" or the "o" sound in "hot"

• Syllable - a single sound or beat in a word that contains a vowel sound

• Polysyllabic - describes a word that has more than one syllable

Common misconception