Why is "commercial" spelled this way?

Discover the logic behind this word and learn how understanding spelling patterns can transform your writing confidence.

commercial

com•mer•cial

Step 1: Syllable Breakdown

comRule: O makes schwa before W, TH, M, N, VSpelling rules applied: O makes schwa before W, TH, M, N, V

merAll first soundsEach letter makes their first sound.

cialRule: TI, CI, SI only at syllable start, not word start, A says 'ah' after W, before L, or at word end, Schwa sound in unstressed syllablesSpelling rules applied: TI, CI, SI only at syllable start, not word start, A says 'ah' after W, before L, or at word end, Schwa sound in unstressed syllables

Step 2: Words Spelt From commercial

merc= Trade or merchandise.

Step 3: Putting It All Together

commercial- Related to buying and selling things.

Spelling Notes

This word has four syllables: 'com-mer-ci-al'. Notice the 'ci' in the third syllable. Rule 16 states that 'TI, CI, and SI' are only found at the start of a syllable within a word, never at the beginning of the whole word. This helps us understand why it's spelt 'com-mer-ci-al' and not 'com-mer-si-al'.

Breaking words down into their syllables and analyzing why a word is spelled the way it is will drive you to be a better all-around speller, not just learning this single word. This is what strong spellers do subconsciously.

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