Speaking correctly in English is tougher than it is in most other languages--mainly because so many spelling rules have exceptions. Even so, mastering correct spelling is a fundamental part of education--and here's a book that makes correct spelling painless. Although designed mainly for middle-school students, Painless Spelling can benefit just about anybody who needs to improve spelling skills. Twenty-six easy-to-read chapters begin with a history of English, then go on to analyze sound patterns, diphthongs, homophones, plural endings, compound words, prefixes and suffixes added to base words, and much more. Grasp these ideas about words, and chances are that you'll understand how to spell the words as well. Students are shown how to recognize differences among word endings, for instance, between ion/ian , able/ible or ance/ence. When they reach the final chapter, their spelling skills will be improved many times over--and they'll discover that they had fun getting there!