Putting the right letter in the Russian word is sometimes a serious task, not only for a negligent student, but also for a competent adult. The various types of vowel spelling in the roots cause particular difficulty, since in order to select a test word, you need to thoroughly understand the meaning of the test. In Russian there are many words that sound phonetically very similar, but mean different things. And sometimes it’s impossible to stress the vowel at all, then to check the spelling you need to resort to the help of memory or a dictionary.
What is a spelling?
The word "spelling" comes from the Greek words orthos (orfos) - correct and gramma (gram) - the letter. This term refers to the only correct spelling of a word dictated by the corresponding spelling rule. Numerous types of vowel spelling in the roots of Russian words occupy a special place in our language because they are a constant source of errors and require the development of skills that help to avoid misspelling words.
Root of the word
Generous Russian language contains approximately four and a half thousand roots, which become the beginning for an unimaginable set of related words. The root of the word is its most significant part. It carries a semantic load and allows you to form dozens, or even hundreds of cognate related words with the help of morphemes: all kinds of prefixes, endings, diverse suffixes, postfixes, connecting vowels. For example, from the root of the house such words are formed as: house, house, house, house, house.
An incorrectly selected letter can lead not only to misspelling, but also to a change in its meaning and related words formed from it. After all, you can rinse your mouth or caress a dog, beg for forgiveness or belittle merit, lick a wound or climb a tree. Therefore, it is so important to correctly determine the root and confidently navigate in all kinds of spelling vowels in the roots.
To determine the root, you first need to correctly understand the meaning of the word, pick out related ones to it and make sure that they are close in meaning. Then, comparing the selected words, highlight their common part - the root. And only after that start spell checking. Vowels at the root of the word are divided into verifiable, unverifiable (exceptions) and alternating.
Checked
The verification algorithm is simple and logical: you need to choose the correct verification word or change the form of the word being tested so that the unstressed vowel is under the stress in the root, then the question of which letter to write will disappear. Examples: a proud banner flutters - a test word to winnow; tired mushroomer - check word mushroom.
Unverifiable
The spelling of an unstressed vowel at the root of such words cannot be established using the rule or finding a test word, the correct spelling can only be remembered or viewed in the dictionary. Examples: intelligentsia, cheesecake, rump steak, cuttlefish, privilege, loaf, scholarship, ventilation, dysentery, layout, plasticine, badminton and others.
Alternating
In some words, the letter changes depending on the situation. In this case, the types of spelling vowels in the root can be determined:
- accent
- the meaning of the word;
- the letter that follows the vowel;
- the suffix behind the root.
Stress:
• In the roots of the dawn / dawn under the stress is written the letter that is heard: dawn - a glow; without stress - the letter a: lightning, dawn. Exception: to bark.
• In mountains / gar without emphasis is placed o, under stress a: burn - tan.
• The letter a is written in pilaf / swim without stress: fin, float, except for the words swimmer, swimmer and quicksand.
• In the creature / creature and clone / clan under stress, depending on the pronunciation, a or o is chosen: creature, bow; without stress it is written about: shutter, bow down.
Meaning of the word:
• In equal / equal terms in words with the meaning of a straight line, even, smooth is written about: to level, level; if the meaning of the word is the same, equal, then the letter a: comparison. Exceptions: level, equally, peer, plain.
• In mok / poppy in words with the meaning to get wet, for example, in the rain, it says: wet, blotter; in words with the meaning of dipping it is written a: dipping, dipping.
The letter behind the vowel:
• The letter o is written in the jump / jump before h: slip in, jump out; before k - letter a: steed, gallop. Exceptions: jump, jump.
• In growth / growth (u) , the letter o is written before: overgrown, grown; before st and ni - the letter a: grew, grow. Exceptions: industry, Rostov, sprout, Rostislav, growth, sprout, usurer.
Suffix behind the root:
• In roots with a (i) / in and a (i) / they write in and in if the suffix a follows after the root: unclench - unclench, borrow - borrow.
• When alternating e / and in the roots ber / bir, glitter / blister, der / deer, burn / jig, measure / world, lane / feast, stele / style, ter / dash, even / cheat before the suffix a, the letter and is written, and in other cases, e: takes - took away, shines - brilliant, lifts up - gets through, spreads out - spreads, set fire to - kindle; worn - wipes.
• In the box / log and braid / cass it is always written about, except in cases where the root is followed by the suffix a: go to bed - settle down, touch - touch.