Word endings and spelling rules for the classroom
Free word lists by ending, spelling guides with quick quizzes, and a worksheet maker that turns the words you pick into a printable sheet with its own answer key. No account needed.
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Word lists
The -tion family
Four endings that can sound like “shun”. Learn them together, then use the guide to choose between them.
- inventionWords ending in -tion
- extensionWords ending in -sion
- discussionWords ending in -ssion
- musicianWords ending in -cian
Everyday suffixes
- -lyQuick → quickly. Adverbs and their spelling rules.
- -mentEnjoy → enjoyment. Nouns made from verbs.
- -nessKind → kindness. Nouns for states and qualities.
- -fulHelp → helpful. One l, and it means “full of”.
- -lessCare → careless. Words that mean “without”.
- -ableEnjoy → enjoyable. Adjectives that mean “can be”.
- -ibleVisible, possible, terrible. And how to tell -ible from -able.
- -ingRun → running. Verb endings and their spelling rules.
- -erTeach → teacher, tall → taller. Two jobs, one ending.
Show all 37 everyday suffixes
- -ityEqual → equality. Nouns for qualities.
- -ousDanger → dangerous. Adjectives that mean “full of”.
- -estTall → tallest. Words that mean “the most”.
- -alMusic → musical. Adjectives meaning “to do with”.
- -iveAct → active. Adjectives for what something tends to do.
- -izeReal → realize. Verbs that mean “to make”, and the British -ise.
- -antTolerant, pleasant, assistant: adjectives and people.
- -entDifferent, innocent, frequent: and the clues for -ent.
- -anceImportant → importance. Nouns that partner -ant.
- -enceDifferent → difference. Nouns that partner -ent.
- -shipFriend → friendship. Nouns for states, bonds and skills.
- -hoodChild → childhood. Nouns for times of life and groups.
- -domFree → freedom. Nouns for states and kingdoms.
- -ishGreen → greenish, child → childish. Words that mean “a bit” or “like”.
- -cialSpecial, official, social: -cial after a vowel.
- -tialPartial, essential: -tial after a consonant.
- -orAct → actor. People and things that do a job, and the -er or -or puzzle.
- -aryImagine → imaginary. Adjectives and nouns, and stationary vs stationery.
- -eryBake → bakery. Nouns for places, qualities and groups of things.
- -oryObserve → observatory. Places, plus adjectives like sensory.
- -someTrouble → troublesome. Adjectives for what something causes.
- -wardHome → homeward. Words that mean “in the direction of”.
- -likeChild → childlike. Adjectives that mean “like a …”.
- -wiseClock → clockwise. Directions, and streetwise smarts.
- -turePicture, adventure, creature: the “chuh” ending, and when it is -cher.
- -sureMeasure, treasure, pleasure: the “zhuh” ending.
- -gueLeague, tongue, vague: a French ending with a hard g.
- -queAntique, unique, technique: a French ending that sounds like k.
Words ending in a letter
Useful for phonics, word games and spelling patterns such as the silent e. Each list is grouped by number of letters.
- AWords ending in A
- BWords ending in B
- CWords ending in C
- DWords ending in D
- EWords ending in E
- FWords ending in F
- GWords ending in G
- HWords ending in H
- IWords ending in I
- JWords ending in J
- KWords ending in K
- LWords ending in L
- MWords ending in M
- NWords ending in N
- OWords ending in O
- PWords ending in P
- QWords ending in Q
- RWords ending in R
- SWords ending in S
- TWords ending in T
- UWords ending in U
- VWords ending in V
- WWords ending in W
- XWords ending in X
- YWords ending in Y
- ZWords ending in Z
Spelling guides
Each guide explains the rule with examples, lists the exceptions, and ends with a short quiz you can print.
- -tion or -sion?They can sound alike. The root word often tells you which letters to use.
- -able or -ible?They sound the same and often mean “can be”. The word in front usually tells you which to use.
- -ant or -ent?They sound almost the same. There is no single rule, but a few clues settle most words.
- -cial or -tial?Both endings sound like “shul”. The letter just before the ending is the clue.
Show all 11 spelling guides
- When do you double the last letter?Running has two n’s, but raining has one. Three checks tell you when to double.
- -er or -or?Both endings name a person who does something. There is no perfect rule, but there are good clues.
- -ful or full?The suffix means “full of”, but it is spelled with just one l.
- -gue and -que: French endings for the g and k soundsThese endings came into English from French. The letters ue at the end are silent.
- -ise or -ize?Both can be right. It depends on where you are, and on a short list of words that never change.
- -sure or -ture?Say the word aloud. The last sound is the first clue, and the root word is the second.
- When does y change to i?Happy becomes happiness, but play becomes played. One question tells you which.
Made for busy teachers
- No sign-up. Every list, guide and worksheet is free to use and print.
- Answer keys included. Quizzes and worksheets come with a separate key.
- Checked meanings. Definitions are written for children and checked against Merriam-Webster.