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For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change.
Ingrid Bengis
1944 – , American author

Vocabulary and spelling series

American spelling: suffixes

Words have been categorized in grammar on how they are used, or as parts of speech:
verb, noun, pronoun, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

Words also have "roots" which convey their basic meaning. Suffixes are groups of letters (afixes!) placed after a root word to form a new word, change its part of speech, and modify its meaning. For example:

change (noun) + able (suffix) = Changeable (adjective) or the ability to be changed.
work (noun) + able (suffix) = workable (adjective) or the ability to be worked.
week (noun) + ly (suffix) = weekly (adverb), or an action or activity done by the week.
happy (adjective) + ly (suffix) = happily (adverb) an action is done in a happy state
moprh (verb) + ology (suffix) = morphology (noun), or the study of how words change

Here are some spelling rules for applying suffixes to root words:

More:

If a word ends with a silent "e,"
drop the "e" before adding a suffix which begins with a vowel (-ing, -able, -:
Examples: make--making, makable; time--timing, oblige--obliging.
Try spelling these:

1.

state + ing =

2.

like + able =

3.

indulge + ing =


Do not drop the "e"
when the suffix begins with a consonant:
Examples: state--statement; like--likeness; use--useful; definite--definitely
Try spelling these:

4.

base + ment =

5.

home + ward =

6.

peace + ful =

Silent "e" practice!

7.

notice + able =

8.

advertise + ment =

9.

change + less =

10.

shine + ing =

11.

conceive + able =

12.

fascinate + ing =

13.

encourage + ment =

14.

encourage + ing =


Adding suffixes to words ending -ce and -ge
Keep the silent e before -able and -ous
Examples; enforceable, serviceable, courageous, outrageous

15.

notice + able =

16.

courage + ous =

17.

change + able =



Vocabulary and spelling guides

Transitional words & phrases | More transitions | Transitional word game | 
Essay terms and directives | Modifiers & commas | Plurals |
Spelling rules & exercises | Common misspelled words |
There - They're - Their | Too - Two - To | "Y" with suffixes |
Prefixes and root words | Suffixes and silent "e" |
Mapping vocabulary | Picturing vocabulary | American alphabet recited