Unit 27: Word endings: -able, -ible
Page 8 of 11
The suffixes -able and -ible, change verbs to adjectives:
Love | Loveable | I love that cat. He is loveable. |
Digest | Digestible | I digest my food. It is digestible. |
1. Usually, if the root word ends in e, you can drop the e because -able and -ible provide the vowel: |
excuse + able = excusable |
sense + ible = sensible |
2. If -able is added to a word ending -ce or -ge, keep the e otherwise the c and the g take on their hard sounds:
notice + able = noticeable |
change + able = changeable |
3. Often, when applying -able, and we can hear a full root word, the root word stays the same:
depend + able – dependable |
understand + able = understandable |
enjoy + able = enjoyable |
4. If the syllable before the suffix is stressed, and you can hear a clear short vowel sound in that syllable, you may need to double the final consonant of the root word:
forget + able = forgettable |
admit + ible = admissible |
5. If the root word ends in y, you may have to change it to an i before adding the suffix:
rely + able = reliable |
Go to next page:
Test yourself on the suffix rules for -able and -ible.
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