Suffixes -er & -or

​🧑‍🔧 “Who Does It? Learning the Suffixes –er and –or!”

Words that tell us a person who does a job or action.

What Is a Suffix?

A suffix is a word part added to the end of a base word.

Example:

• teach + er = teacher

• act + or = actor

Suffixes change the meaning of the word.

What Do –er and –or Mean?

Both –er and –or usually mean:

👉 “A person who…”

Examples:

• runner → a person who runs

• writer → a person who writes

• actor → a person who acts

• sailor → a person who sails

Words That End in –er

Common –er job words:

• teacher

• baker

• painter

• runner

• swimmer

Sentence examples:
🎨 The painter made a colorful picture.
🏊 The swimmer won the race.

Words That End in –or

Common –or job words:

• actor

• doctor

• editor

• sailor

• inventor

Sentence examples:
🩺 The doctor helped the sick puppy.
⛵ The sailor sailed across the ocean.

When Do We Use –er or –or?

There is no perfect rule, but here are kid-friendly tips:

• actor

• doctor

• inventor

• sailor

⭐ Some special words use –or

• runner

• reader

• swimmer

• teacher

⭐ MOST words use –er

Sorting Activity – Does It End in –er or –or?

Words: baker, actor, doctor, swimmer, sailor, painter, inventor, runner

–er Words	–or Words
baker	actor
swimmer	doctor
painter	sailor
runner	inventor

Match

Match the job to its meaning:

• runner

• writer

• farmer

• actor

• painter

a person who runs

a person who writes

a person who grows food

a person who performs in a show

a person who paints

• a person who runs

• a person who writes

• a person who grows food

• a person who performs in a show

• a person who paints

Multiple Choice

Which word means “a person who reads”?

• reador

• reeder

• reader

• readder

Multiple Choice

Which is spelled correctly?

• docter

• doctor

• dockter

• docktore

Multiple Choice

A person who bakes bread is called a…

• baker

• backer

• bakeor

• bakor

Multiple Choice

Which word means “a person who sails a boat”?

• sailer

• saileror

• sailor

• sellor

Multiple Choice

Which word means “a person who acts in a movie”?

• acter

• actor

• actorer

• acteer

Multiple Choice

Which word means “a person who swims”?

• swimor

• swimmer

• swimar

• swimmor

Multiple Choice

Which job ends with –or?

• teacher

• painter

• actor

• baker

Multiple Choice

Choose the correctly spelled word:

• inventer

• inventeror

• inventor

• invintor

Multiple Choice

A person who farms is called a…

• farmer

• farmor

• farmar

• farmeer

Multiple Choice

Which word best completes the sentence?

The ___ fixed the sentences in the book.

• editor

• editur

• edditor

• editeer