article

Vowel-Related Spelling Errors among Sudanese Secondary School EFL Learners: A Quantitative Error Analysis

  1. 1. Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics, Department of English, College of Arts, University of Ha'il, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Issue: Vol. 8 No. 4 (2026)
Published: 2026-10-29
DOI: 10.53286/90j4kk50

Abstract

Accurate spelling represents a fundamental component of successful written communication in English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Despite extensive research on spelling difficulties among EFL learners, limited attention has been devoted to vowel-related spelling errors in the Sudanese educational context, particularly those involving complex vowel structures such as diphthongs and triphthongs. This study investigates the nature and frequency of vowel-related spelling errors among Sudanese secondary school students and examines the linguistic and cognitive factors contributing to these difficulties. A descriptive quantitative research design was employed. Data were collected through a structured spelling test administered to fifty third-year secondary school students enrolled in a private school in Khartoum North, Sudan. The instrument included lexical items representing short vowels, long vowels, central vowels, diphthongs, and triphthongs. The collected data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and chi-square analysis. The findings revealed high error rates across all vowel categories, with central vowels and triphthongs presenting the greatest difficulty. Substitution and omission emerged as the most frequent error patterns. The results further suggest that cross-linguistic interference from Arabic, limited phonological awareness, and insufficient instructional emphasis on spelling patterns may be the cause behind learners’ spelling difficulties. The study concludes with pedagogical implications emphasizing explicit phonological instruction and the integration of pronunciation-based spelling activities in EFL classrooms.

Keywords

Arabic-speaking learners error analysis EFL learners phonological awareness spelling accuracy vowel representation

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