Unit 25: Word endings: -er, -ar, -or, -our, -re, -a and -ery,
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In Unit 24, we learned about the schwa sound. These letter patterns can be used to spell clear vowel sounds: |
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| er as in person | ar as in shark | or as in fork |
They can also be used to spell the schwa sound at the end of a word:
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| er as in computer | or as in monitor | ar as in calendar |
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There is no one way to be certain about which spelling to use for the schwa sound, but here are some tips: |
1. A rule:
If the word is a comparative (an adjective meaning 'more'), always
use -er :
| big - bigger | fast - faster | sweet - sweeter | noisy - noisier |
2. A guide:
The -or ending often follows ct, it, at, rr,
or ess :
| actor | visitor | dictator | terror | successor |
3. A guide:
The -ar ending often follows l:
| collar | regular | particular | similar |
4. A guide:
er is most common way of spelling schwa, then -or, then -ar.
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