These worksheets, covering adding suffixes to words of more than one syllable, are an excellent way for children in Years 3 and 4 to revise and practise these spelling patterns.
The worksheets include five different activities in which children look at spelling patterns, identify misspelt words and apply their spellings in context. They can be used within lessons, as an assessment or as a homework task.
This primary resource is divided into five sections:
- Tips
This explains the rules on whether you double the last consonant when adding a suffix that begins with a vowel, depending on whether the the syllable is stressed or unstressed, eg ‘gardening’ vs ‘forgetting’, and asks students to find examples of each
- Check
Circle the suffix words which are spelt correctly, add suffixes to the words listed, then add words with a suffix to each sentence
- Use
Add suffixes to the words ‘upset’ and ‘suffer’ then use them in a sentence to describe the images
- Change
Read each sentence and change the underlined word or phrase for a word which includes a suffix added to a word with two or more syllables
- Apply
Using the image as a prompt, write a short story about what happens. Add a suffix beginning with a vowel to each of the words given, and use them in your story.
What is a suffix?
Suffixes are letters, or groups of letters, that are added to the end of words to make a new word or change the meaning of word.
Suffix examples
- -ing: eating, running, saying
- -ed: planned, walked, burned
- -er: teacher, trainer, farmer
- -est: highest, fastest, biggest
- -ier: mightier, zanier, funnier
- -ity: activity, equality, civility
- -less: useless, sleeveless, witless
- -ness: happiness, fitness, silliness
National Curriculum English programme of study links
- add prefixes and suffixes: using the spelling rule for adding –s or –es as the plural marker for nouns and the third person singular marker for verbs, using the prefix un–, and using –ing, –ed, –er and –est where no change is needed in the spelling of root words [for example, helping, helped, helper, eating, quicker, quickest]
- read words containing common suffixes
- add suffixes to spell longer words, including –ment, –ness, –ful, –less, –ly
- apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (etymology and morphology) as listed in English Appendix 1, both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words they meet
- use further prefixes and suffixes and understand how to add them
- apply their growing knowledge of root words, prefixes and suffixes (morphology and etymology), as listed in English Appendix 1, both to read aloud and to understand the meaning of new words that they meet.
- use further prefixes and suffixes and understand the guidance for adding them