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Unit 9: Adding suffixes: the spelling rules

Page 14 of 19

Unit 9: Suffixes: why we need to double letters, change them or drop 'e'

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Page 14 of 19

The Spelling Rules for Adding Suffixes:

When do you change the letter y ?
When does the y stay the same ?

Teaching point - learning to spell

If you are adding the suffixes -ing or -ish to a word ending in y, you do not need to change the y to i. This is so there isn’t double i in the word.

For example:

If the suffix is ing or ish do not change the y to i – otherwise you end up with words with double i in them!

English spelling
 
criing
copiing
babiish
crying
copying
babyish
 
English spelling
English spelling English spelling


If there is another vowel just before the y, you also do not need to change the y to i. This is so there aren’t too many vowels clumped together in the word.

For example:

English spelling
 
plaied
donkeies
emploier
played
donkeys
employer
 
English spelling
English spelling English spelling

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