Chapter 9 of 12

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SSC CGL English Comprehension★ Tier 1: 1–2 Q (2–4 marks) · Tier 2: 1–2 Q (3–6 marks)

Spelling Correction

1–2 near-guaranteed marks per tier — pick the correctly (or incorrectly) spelt word from four near-identical options. A few rules (i-before-e, when to double a consonant, -able vs -ible) plus a memorised list of the words SSC recycles (accommodate, occurrence, privilege) cover almost every question.

⏱ 13 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · exam-pattern aligned

Timed practiceMCQs from this chapter with instant scoring

FlashcardsFormulas & traps on spaced repetition

SSC CGL PYQsSolved previous-year questions

By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Apply the i-before-e (except after c) rule and its exceptions
2Decide when to double a final consonant before a suffix
3Choose correctly between -able and -ible endings
4Recall the spelling of SSC's recycled 'commonly misspelt' words
5Isolate the differing letter quickly in near-identical options

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Why this chapter matters in SSC CGL

Spelling is a near-guaranteed mark because the tested words come from a finite, oft-repeated set and a handful of rules cover the rest. Ten minutes memorising the double-letter demons and the i-before-e rule reliably converts these into free points. The precision it builds also helps in error spotting and improves the polish of any written English.

Spelling Correction — SSC CGL English Comprehension

Spelling questions are decided by a small set of rules and a finite list of words SSC keeps recycling — accommodate, occurrence, embarrass, privilege, definitely. The options are deliberately near-identical, so the skill is noticing the exact letter that differs. Learn the double-letter words, the i-before-e rule, and the -able/-ible split, and these become free marks.

1. What SSC actually asks

Tier 1: 1–2 Q · Tier 2: 1–2 Q. Two formats: "Choose the correctly spelt word" and "Choose the incorrectly spelt word", each with four options differing by one or two letters. The tested words are overwhelmingly from a standard "commonly misspelt" set.

2. The rules worth knowing

i before e, except after c — believe, receive, ceiling. Exceptions: seize, weird, foreign.
Doubling before a suffix: double the final consonant when the stress is on the last syllable — refer → referred, occur → occurred; but offer → offered, benefit → benefited (stress earlier, no doubling).
-able vs -ible: -able usually follows a complete word (comfort → comfortable, accept → acceptable); -ible follows a root (visible, terrible, edible).
Silent letters: rhythm, government (the n), knowledge, maintenance.

3. The recycled list (memorise the spelling)

Double-letter demons: accommodate, occurrence, embarrass, harass (one r, two s), possession, committee, millennium, address, necessary (one c, two s).

Frequently missed: privilege, definitely, separate (not "seperate"), receive, believe, maintenance, recommend, mischievous, conscience, rhythm, government, guarantee, hygiene, foreign, forty (not "fourty"), argument (no e after argu), grammar, exaggerate, existence, liaison, entrepreneur.

4. How to attack an option set

Anchor on the tricky zone — the double letters, the ie/ei, the suffix — and check each option there.
Eliminate the obvious wrongs (missing double letter, "seperate", "recieve").
For "incorrectly spelt", the odd one out is usually a familiar word with one letter changed.
When unsure, mentally syllabify the word (ac-com-mo-date) to hear the doubled sounds.

5. Solved PYQ-style examples

Q1. Choose the correctly spelt word: (a) Acommodate (b) Accomodate (c) Accommodate (d) Acomodate. Solution. (c) Accommodate — double c and double m.

Q2. Choose the correctly spelt word: (a) Occurence (b) Occurrence (c) Occurance (d) Ocurrence. Solution. (b) Occurrence — double c, double r, ending -ence.

Q3. Choose the correctly spelt word: (a) Privelege (b) Privilege (c) Priviledge (d) Privilage. Solution. (b) Privilege — no d, i-i-e vowels.

Q4. Choose the incorrectly spelt word: (a) Maintenance (b) Committee (c) Recieve (d) Recommend. Solution. (c) Recieve — should be receive (i before e, except after c).

Q5. Choose the correctly spelt word: (a) Mischievous (b) Mischievious (c) Mischevous (d) Mischeivous. Solution. (a) Mischievous — no extra "i" before -ous.

6. Exam protocol

Locate the danger zone (double letters, ie/ei, suffix) and compare options only there.
Apply the rules: i-before-e (except after c), stress-based doubling, -able/-ible.
For "incorrectly spelt", find the single altered letter in an otherwise familiar word.
Syllabify to catch missing or extra doubled consonants.
Revise the recycled list — the same 150-odd words appear again and again.

Key formulas & results

Everything to memorise for the exam hall, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

i before e

i before e, except after c

believe, receive, ceiling; exceptions: seize, weird, foreign.

Consonant doubling

double final consonant if stress is on the last syllable

referred, occurred; but offered, benefited (stress earlier).

-able vs -ible

-able after a full word; -ible after a root

comfortable, acceptable; visible, terrible, edible.

Danger zones

check double letters, ie/ei, and the suffix first

That's where the options differ.

SSC CGL test series

Ready to be tested on this?

Spelling Correction shows up in every SSC CGL paper — sit a timed one and find out where you actually stand.

1–2Qs in Tier 1

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Full SSC CGL mocks, real clock
English Comprehension-only sectionals & chapter tests
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Traps SSC CGL sets — and how to dodge them

These are the exact option-traps and misreads that cost marks under negative marking.

WATCH OUT

✗ Writing a single letter where the word doubles.

✓ Accommodate has double c and double m; occurrence has double c and double r; embarrass has double r and double s. Syllabify to hear the doubles.

WATCH OUT

✗ 'Recieve' and 'beleive' — reversing ie/ei.

✓ i before e except after c: receive and ceiling take ei (after c); believe and achieve take ie.

WATCH OUT

✗ 'Seperate' for separate.

✓ Separate has an 'a' in the middle — think 'there's a rat in sepARate'.

WATCH OUT

✗ Doubling the consonant regardless of stress.

✓ Double only when the stress falls on the final syllable: refer→referred, but benefit→benefited (no doubling).

WATCH OUT

✗ Adding an extra 'i' to mischievous.

✓ It's mis-chie-vous, not 'mischievious'. No extra i before -ous.

Exam-pattern practice

PYQ-style questions with full solutions. Work through them as a readiness check — mark yourself honestly and get your gap report at the end.

Readiness check

Are you exam-ready for Spelling Correction?

9 problems from this chapter. Try each one, reveal the worked solution, mark yourself honestly — get your gap report at the end.

9 questions~6 min

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•i before e, except after c (believe, receive); exceptions seize, weird, foreign
•Double the final consonant only when stress is on the last syllable
•-able after full words, -ible after roots
•Double-letter demons: accommodate, occurrence, embarrass, possession, committee
•harass, occasion, necessary — mind the single vs double letters
•separate (not seperate), definitely (finite), privilege (no d)
•mischievous has no extra i; rhythm has a hidden y
•Revise the recycled list — the same words repeat across years

SSC CGL question blueprint

How this topic is asked, tier by tier — so you can prep to the pattern.

Typical weightage: 6

Question style	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Tier 1 — correctly/incorrectly spelt word	2–4 (1–2 Q × 2 marks)
Tier 2 — harder recycled words	3–6 (1–2 Q × 3 marks)

Prep strategy

Memorise the double-letter and commonly-misspelt lists
Drill the i-before-e and consonant-doubling rules
Practise scanning options at the danger zones only
Timed set: 12 spelling questions in 5 minutes

Exam-hall strategy

Battle-tested tips from mentors and toppers for this topic under the sectional clock.

Compare options only at the danger zones (doubles, ie/ei, suffix).
Apply the rules: i-before-e, stress-based doubling, -able/-ible.
For 'incorrectly spelt', find the single changed letter.
Syllabify to detect missing or extra doubled consonants.
Revise the recycled list until the spellings are automatic.

Beyond the exam

Where this skill shows up in the job you're competing for — and in life.

Professional writing

Correct spelling is basic credibility in emails, reports and applications; errors undercut otherwise strong writing.

Proofreading

Spotting the one altered letter in a near-correct word is the essence of careful editing.

Digital communication

Autocorrect misses context; knowing the right spelling prevents embarrassing slips it introduces.

Where else this topic is tested

Prepare once, score in every exam that asks it.

SSC CHSL1–2 Q — same word set

SSC MTS1–2 Q — common words

SSC CPO1–2 Q — correct/incorrect spelt

RRB NTPC1 Q — spelling

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Questions aspirants ask

Pulled from the Q&A community and mentor sessions.

Usually 1–2 per tier. Because the words are recycled, a memorised list makes these among the most reliable marks in the paper.

Focus only on the danger zones — double letters, ie/ei, and the suffix. Those are where the options differ, so you don't need to read every letter.

The double-letter set (accommodate, occurrence, embarrass, committee, possession) and perennial trip-ups like privilege, separate, definitely, receive, maintenance and mischievous.

Reliable for most words, but memorise the exceptions — seize, weird, foreign, height — which follow ei without a preceding c.

If removing the ending leaves a full word, it's usually -able (accept→acceptable). If it leaves a root, it's usually -ible (vis→visible). A few must simply be memorised.