Knowing how words are spelled will help you become a better writer, but did you also know that learning to spell correctly will help you become a better reader, too? Spelling involves learning sets of rules and how to apply them; by knowing these rules, you’ll be able to more quickly read and understand new words you come across while you’re reading. One of the reasons for this is that words that have the same etymological roots – that is, their meanings are related – often have similar spelling patterns. Being able to identify these patterns can give you clues about the definition of an unfamiliar word.

Knowing how related words are spelled can also help you with their proper pronunciation. For example, the final n in the word solemn (meaning “dignified, serious”) is not articulated, and the word is pronounced SAHL-em. If you’ve only heard the word spoken out loud, you might think it’s spelled solem. However, if you learn the word solemnize (meaning “to make official”) and its correct pronunciation of SAHL-em-naiz, you’ll see that there is indeed an n in the word, and that will help you remember to put it at the end of solemn as well when you’re using that word in writing.

Because you may never have heard of the word solemnize, and because it might not appear in the same text in which you read the word solemn, you won’t know about this helpful link between the two words unless you take the initiative to look them up in the dictionary. To get the most benefit from your reading, both in comprehension and in vocabulary, be an active reader. Keep notes on the words that you aren’t sure of, and look them up. A curiosity about one word’s meaning will lead you to discover many other interesting and useful vocabulary words, and the more words you know, the more you’ll enjoy reading.

Reference: Templeton, S. Handbook of research on teaching the English language arts, pp. 738-751. Mahwah, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates (2003)