I am going through some old English grammar and spelling books to brush up my English skills. So here are notes from one of the books I am reading called, "The Spelling Skills Handbook", By John Barwick and Jenny Barwick*.

I find the history of words ("Etymology") most interesting learnings which is useful for helping to spell words. I hope it is helpful and interesting to you, as it is for me. 

Given our greater reliance on spell check these days, the intention of this and some following posts will be to act as a quick reference to help remind myself of some of the spelling patterns in our everyday words. I hope you find them useful as well. 

Common Classical Greek and Latin spelling patterns in modern English

Pattern	Meaning	Examples
ann or enn	year	ann ual, anniversary, bicentennial, millennium
arch	main, chief, ruling	archbishop, monarch, archetype
bio	life	biology, biography, bio-diversity
chron	time	chronometer, chronicle, synchronise
cycl	round	bicycle, cyclic, cyclone, encyclopedia
duc	lead	introduce, education, produce, conduct
dyna	power	dynamic, dynamo, dynasty
fact	make	factory, satisfaction, artefact
form	shape	formation, uniform, inform, formula
gram	written/ drawn	diagram, grammar, program
hydr	water	hydraulic, dehydrated, hydro-electric
itis	disease	tonsillitis, arthritis
log	study	logic, astrology, technology
log	speak	apologise, dialogue
man	hand	manual, manage, manufacture
onym	name	anonymous, synonym, homonym
phone	sound	telephone, symphony
phys	nature	physical, physiology
poly	many	polyunsaturated, polygon
popul	people	population, popular, populous
psych	mind	psychology, psychic, psychiatrist
rupt	break	disrupt, rupture, interrupt, corrupt
scope	observe	microscope, horoscope, telescope
sign	mark	design, signature, sign, significant
stella	star	constellation, stellar

Knowledge of word history and meaning

Word	Hint
centum	Latin for 'hundred', helps spell cent, century, centenary and percent
circus	Latin for 'ring', helps spell circle and circuit
tele	Ancient Greek for 'from far away' helps spell telephone (phone = to hear), telegraph, teleport, television.
graph	Ancient Greek for 'draw or write' helps spell photograph, telegraph, calligraphy, graphics.
leadership	means 'the skill of leading', and so beings with lead
anxiety	means 'being anxious', and so beings with anxi
doesn't	contraction of does not, and so beings with does
environment	comes from environ (surrounding) plus ment (hence nm)
government	comes from govern (rule over) plus ment (hence nm)
prehistoric	means 'before recorded history', and so contains hist
signature	means 'personal sign or mark', and so begins with sign