ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Nessy Nessy Spelling Strategy: Flossy Words | FF LL SS | Learn to Spell
Have you ever wondered why some words end with double letters like “ff,” “ll,” or “ss”? These are called flossy words, and they have a special trick to help us spell them correctly!
Imagine vowels like “a,” “e,” “i,” “o,” and “u” are all alone at the end of a word. They feel a bit lonely and need some tickle power! That’s when we add two of the same letters to the end of the word. For example, in the word “cliff,” the “i” is a short vowel, so we add “ff” to give it some tickle power. The same goes for “bell” and “fuss.” The short vowels in these words get help from double letters!
Sometimes, vowels already have a friend next to them, so they don’t need extra help. In these cases, we only use one letter at the end. For example, in the word “shelf,” the “e” has a friend, so we just use one “f.” The same rule applies to “meal” and “fans.” The vowels are happy with just one letter at the end!
Now that you know about flossy words, you can use this trick to spell words correctly. If a short vowel is all alone, give it some tickle power with double letters. But if it has a friend, just use one letter at the end. Happy spelling!
Flossy Word Hunt: Go on a word hunt around your home or classroom! Look for objects or items that have names ending with “ff,” “ll,” or “ss.” Write down the words you find and draw a picture of each item. Can you find at least three flossy words? Share your list and drawings with a friend or family member and explain why each word is a flossy word.
Flossy Word Creation: Use your imagination to create a new, silly creature or object. Give it a name that ends with “ff,” “ll,” or “ss.” Draw a picture of your creation and write a short story about it. Make sure to use the flossy word rule when spelling its name. Share your story with the class and see if others can spot the flossy word!
Flossy Word Sorting: Gather a list of words and sort them into two groups: flossy words and non-flossy words. You can use index cards or small pieces of paper to write each word. Once sorted, explain why each word belongs in its group. For an extra challenge, try to come up with a new word for each group and explain your reasoning.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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When you hear one of these sounds at the end of a word, how do you know if it is spelled with one letter or two? Flossy words will help you. These short vowels are all on their own; they have no letter friends. They need two letters at the end, like in “cliff,” “bell,” and “fuss.”
Flossy words have tickle power. The double letters give the vowel tickle power. But these vowels already have a letter friend to look after them; they don’t need extra protection. They only need one letter at the end, like in “shelf,” “meal,” and “fans.”
Where the vowel has a letter friend, just use one letter at the end. Now that you know about flossy words, make sure you give short vowels some tickle power with a double letter.
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This version maintains the original meaning while ensuring clarity and readability.
