-cial & -tial endings sound the same “shul”
special, confidential, initial, official
If you’re wondering why we have these two when one would do!
It’s all about the French and Latin origins of these words and the t or c in the original word:
potential – from late Latin potentialis, from potentia ‘power’, from potent- ‘being able’
facial – from medieval Latin facialis, from facies
initial – from Latin initialis, from initium ‘beginning’
(You don’t need to know French and Latin but it’s always good to know why spellings and words are the way they are.)
There’s a rule about which one to use but like all rules there are exceptions.
What’s the letter before these -cial words: social, special, beneficial?
What’s the letter before these -tial words: essential, substantial, partial?
Rule: Use -cial after a vowel, like after the vowel ‘o’ in social, ‘e’ in special, ‘i’ in beneficial
Use -tial after a consonant, especially, after ‘n’ in substantial, essential, ‘r’ in partial
social, special, official, crucial, judicial, artificial, racial, beneficial, superficial, unofficial, facial, glacial, especially, specially, sacrificial, prejudicial, antisocial, multiracial.
especially and specially are very common usage words. They mean the same thing but especially is used more in writing and formally. To remember the spellings try breaking them down e + special + ly = especially, special + ly = specially
exceptions – consonants + cial:
financial commercial provincial
potential, essential, substantial, residential, presidential, influential, differential, confidential, sequential, preferential, consequential, celestial, existential, circumstantial, prudential, torrential, referential, exponential, inconsequential, insubstantial, experiential, quintessential, evidential, deferential, credential…
r + tial = martial, impartial, partial
p + tial = nuptial, prenuptial
exceptions – vowels + tial
initial, spatial, palatial
*The word “controversial” contradicts all the rules because it is spelled with an “s.”
Memorise/memorize these seven exceptions:
financial, commercial, provincial, initial, spatial, palatial, controversial
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The correct word is residential
The correct word is official
The correct word is influential
The correct word is unsocial
The correct word is inconsequential
The correct word is especially
The correct word is financial
The correct word is controversial
The correct word is facial
The correct word is initial
The correct word is commercial
The correct word is crucial
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