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Parts of Speech - "us" sound at end of word, and "ly" or "ally"

Parts of Speech
Did you ever see a speller ask for the part of speech in the Scripps National Spelling Bee? They ask that question for a reason. In a moment, you will see the benefit of asking for the part of speech. Here are some tips and tricks with parts of speech.

  • When theres an "us" sound at the end of the word, ask for it's part of speech. If it's an adjective, then it is always spelled with an -ous. Examples: serendipitous, ambiguous, ambitious, auspicious, barbarous, callous, capricious, chivalrous, courageous, decorous, efficacious, ect.

  • When it's a noun and it has the "us" sound at the end of it, then it's probably a -us or a -os, such as rhinoceros, or celcius.