The study shows that, the spelling causes difficulty to the
first year students of Dongola University, who represent
the first year students at the Faculty of Arts when
compared to the first year students at the Faculty of
Education. Their inability to recognize the correct sound
affects their performance in the spelling test. The spelling
test which were prepared for them reflected this
fact. The spelling performance of the students indicated
that, the students commit spelling errors of letter omission,
addition, transposition and substitution. These errors
were attributed to the irregularity of English spelling,
ignorance and incomplete application of rules. Besides,
they tend to overgeneralization the rule, in addition to lack
of training and carelessness of the students. Moreover,
the differences in the sound and spelling system of
English a main source of students spelling errors.
Examples mentioned from students spelling test papers
proved this, besides the interference of mother tongue.