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Study the word list: Adjectives ending in ous

There are two ways of spelling the schwa in the us sound when it falls at the end of a word: us and ous.

Fortunately there is an easy trick to help you remember when to use which spelling pattern:

The spelling pattern us is used for people, places, or things; like in the words cactus, fungus, or octopus.

The ous ending, on the hand, is used for descriptive words like poisonous, jealous, and enormous.

Adjectives ending in ous are commonly used in English to describe being full of or possessing the quality of a base word. For example, ambitious means being full of ambition and curious means possessing the quality of curiosity.

adventurous I'm trying to be more adventurous with my cooking.
anonymous I wonder who sent this anonymous letter.
disastrous My first attempt at baking was disastrous.
enormous Elephants are enormous.
fabulous Spotted dresses look fabulous in the summer.
famous The new building was to be designed by a famous architect.
generous The charity received a generous donation.
hazardous He warned the hikers that it would be a hazardous climb.
jealous She has a very jealous boyfriend.
joyous The birth of their baby was a joyous occasion.
miraculous He has made a miraculous recovery.
mischievous Puck is a mischievous fairy.
momentous Their wedding will be a momentous occasion.
mountainous A large part of Austria is mountainous.
nervous I am nervous about the test.
numerous He has had numerous offers of employment.
prosperous The film star is marrying a prosperous banker.
ravenous I missed my lunch and now I'm ravenous.
ridiculous She thought his idea was ridiculous.
tremendous The thunder made a tremendous noise.

Learn more about these words in Unit 29. Word ending: -ous

Use the list: Adjectives ending in ous

'Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check' spelling exercise for Adjectives ending in ous Learn this spelling list using the 'Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check' activity.

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adventurous
Say
Cover
Write
Check

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adventurous
anonymous
disastrous
enormous
fabulous
famous
generous
hazardous
jealous
joyous
miraculous
mischievous
momentous
mountainous
nervous
numerous
prosperous
ravenous
ridiculous
tremendous

English spelling games Spelling games using the word list: Adjectives ending in ous

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Mayan Temple spelling gameMayan Temple
Try the temple spelling puzzle.

Monkey Business spelling gameMonkey Business
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This word list was created by Spellzone. View more Spellzone course lists or curriculum word lists.

Other lists from Unit 29. Word ending: -ous

Nouns ending in us
The ending eous
The ending ious
The ending uous

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