Spelling Skills: Syllables and Suffixes

Spelling Skills: Syllables and Suffixes

Syllable

A syllable is made up of one or more letters with a vowel sound at its core.

The number of times that you hear the sound of a vowel is the number of syllables in a word.

The letter 'y' is considered as a vowel when it makes the sound of a vowel in a word.

Multiple Select

Select all the words that have three syllables.

• muppet

• biology

• sneakily

• alphabet

Multiple Choice

How many syllables are there in the word, 'involuntary'?

• 2

• 3

• 4

• 5

Multiple Select

Select all the words that have 5 syllables.

• phenomenon

• emancipation

• independence

• constitutional

Multiple Choice

Which one of the following words is INCORRECTLY syllabicated?

• lu-min-nous

• ve-ra-ci-ty

• en-ve-lo-pe

• in-ter-na-tion-al

Suffixes

Word endings: sion/tion, ance/ence, able/ible, ency/ancy, ant/ent

Three questions follow each information slide.

sion/ tion

• The /shun/ sound is often spelt with 'tion'

• When words end in -ss just add -ion

• Note that many nouns have 'sion' endings

• They are often formed from verbs which end with d, de, se, t, te

• When the ending follows an -n or -r, it's often spelled -sion, especially if the word is related to the one that ends in -d or -se.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words is INCORRECTLY spelt?

• comprehension

• permition

• accommodation

• extension

Multiple Select

Select all the words that are CORRECTLY spelt.

• evaporation

• immigration

• decision

• impression

ance/ ence

• These two endings are both used to make nouns from verbs or nouns from adjectives.

• Examples: perform - performance, intelligent- intelligence

• If the word is formed from a verb that ends in (y, ure, ear), then the ending will be spelt (ance)

• Examples: ally- alliance, endure- endurance, appear- appearance

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words is CORRECTLY spelt?

• consequance

• ignorance

• balence

• distence

Multiple Select

Select all the words that are INCORRECTLY spelt

• consistence

• appearence

• audiance

• nuisance

able/ ible

• If you remove able from a word, you are left with a complete word.

• If the root word ends in 'e' we usually drop the 'e'.

• Some words the 'y' changes to 'i' when adding 'able'

• Examples: renew- renewable, move- movable, rely- reliable

• An exception to the above rule is, when words end with 'ge' or 'ce', the 'e' is retained, when adding the suffixes 'able' and 'ous'

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words is CORRECTLY spelt?

• imaginable

• illegable

• accessable

• fallable

Multiple Select

Select the words in which the 'e' was dropped before 'ible' was added.

• horrible

• sensible

• incredible

• collapsible

ency/ ancy

• Nouns made form verbs ending in -ate have the spelling -ancy

• Examples: hesitate- hesitancy, vacate- vacancy

• Nouns with a soft 'c' or 'g' before the ending are spelled -ency

• Examples: emergency, complacency

Multiple Select

Select all the words that are CORRECTLY spelt.

• occupancy

• pregnancy

• accountency

• expectency

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words is INCORRECTLY spelt?

• decency

• agency

• consistency

• ascendency

Adjectives ending in 'ant'/ 'ent'

Multiple Select

Select all the words that are INCORRECTLY spelt.

• eloquent

• affluent

• observent

• pleasent

Multiple Choice

Which of the following words best completes this sentence?

An ______ machine works really well.

• efficient

• confident

• affluent

• competent