Words ending in the 'shul' sound

In a nutshell

Words ending in the sound 'shul' are either spelt with '-cial' or '-tial'. Which spelling you use depends on which letter comes before the 'shul' sound. In this summary, you'll learn how to spell words ending with the 'shul' sound.

The suffix '-cial'

The '-cial' spelling is usually used after a vowel.

Examples

Special	The 'cial' has been added after the vowel 'e'.
Glacial	The 'cial' has been added after the vowel 'a'.
Beneficial	The 'cial' has been added after the vowel 'i'.

The suffix '-tial'

The '-tial' spelling is usually used after a consonant.

Examples

Potential	The 'tial' has been added after the consonant 'n'.
Presidential	The 'tial' has been added after the consonant 'n'.
Partial	The 'tial' has been added after the consonant 'r'.

Exceptions to the rule

There are some exceptions to the rule that you need to know.

Examples

Initial	Even though the 'shul' sound comes after a *vowel*, the '-tial' spelling is still used.
Financial	The root word is 'finance', which ends in a *vowel*, so the '-cial' spelling is still used.
Commercial	The root word 'commerce' ends in a *vowel*, so the '-cial' spelling is still used.