Your current location:

Unit 27: Spelling the endings -able and -ible

Page 1 of 11

Unit 27: Word endings: -able, -ible

Unit StartCourse Testpage 2Course Testpage 4page 5Course Testpage 7page 8Course Testpage 10page 11Unit End

Page 1 of 11

Unit 27 - Spelling the word endings -able and-ible

A suffix is a letter or group of letters that are added to the end of a ROOT word to change its meaning.

Click here to hear the suffix -able or -ible.
Help spelling English words able Help spelling English words ible
comfortable horrible

Because the vowel sound in these suffixes contains the schwa sound (Unit 24), both end up sounding the same. This can make it difficult when it comes to spelling. Not only do they sound the same, but the suffix often means the same (‘can be’), so we cannot even look to the meaning for clues.

As -able is a more common ending than -ible, it could be useful to:

  1. Learn the -ible words you think you are going to use most often
  2. Use -able for the others
  3. See whether the words fit the broad rules above
  4. When learning the spellings, say the words aloud and exaggerate the initial vowel sound of the suffix (horrIble; comfortAble)
  5. Use Spellzone to learn as many of each as you can!
Learn the Words:

You have not completed Learn the Words activities for the word list on this page.

next part of the spelling course
Take a test in these words.

X
X ⬊ ⬉
Please turn your screen to landscape to play this game.
X

The Spellzone interactive course is intended to be used online and may not be printed.

"Thank goodness for Spellzone during this remote learning phase. The site is easy for students to navigate independently and they're really enjoying the activities and spelling games. You get an awful lot for your money with Spellzone. Really reassuring is the very prompt response with helpdesk queries. I've very rarely needed the helpdesk, but when I have, the issue has been addressed and sorted within a very short time."

Sarah Taggart, Oasis Academy Lord's Hill