Year 3/4 -ly Suffix Spelling Worksheets Pack

These PDF worksheets, covering the ‘-ly’ suffix, are an excellent way for children in Y3 and Y4 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 that the suffix ‘-ly’ starts with a consonant so it is usually added straight onto the end of a word, eg complete + ly = completely. But it goes on to show some exceptions, eg happy/happily. gentle/gently, basic/basically and true/truly, due/duly, whole/wholly
• Check
  Circle the words that are spelt correctly, then add the suffix ‘-ly’ to each of the words and use them to complete the sentences given
• Use
  Add the suffix ‘-ly’ to the words ‘gentle’ and ‘angry’, then use these words in sentences to describe each of the images
• Change
  Read each sentence and change the underlined word or phrase for a new word that ends in the suffix ‘-ly’
• Apply
  Write a sentence to describe the image using as many of the ‘-ly’ words listed as you can

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

This resource is part of the Spelling Workouts collection.
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