This is the Rule that changed it all for me.
Although I loved reading as a child, I struggled with spelling. I even had a teacher tell me I would never survive adulthood without spellcheck. I was crushed. It’s not like I wasn’t trying—I studied daily, but the words just wouldn’t stick.
I didn’t learn to spell until I discovered real phonics and real spelling rules. Not until I was teaching my own children how to read.
My favorite? English words do not end in v.
What?! Mind Blown.
I was so excited I immediately called my mom: “Mom, did you know…? Why didn’t anyone just tell me?” She had seen my years of struggling, so she would appreciate it.
Turns out the e isn’t there to make the vowel say its name at all; it’s there to protect the v. That’s why words like have, give, live, and love need a silent e. Now you know. Just one of 10 reasons for a silent e.