These are general guidelines which
will help you most of the time. Pay
close attention to the exceptions.
1.
The
prefixes un-, dis-, and mis- DO NOT affect the spelling of the root.
- un + able = unable
- un + known = unknown
- dis + able = disable
- dis + order = disorder
- mis + behave = misbehave
- mis + guided = misguided
·When a suffix beginning with a consonant is added to a
word ending in silent e, the e is retained.
Examples:
-ful
|
care
+ ful = careful
|
use
+ ful = useful
|
-hood
|
false
+ hood = falsehood
|
state
+ hood = statehood
|
-less
|
care
+ less = careless
|
hope
+ less = hopeless
|
-ly
|
extreme
+ ly = extremely
|
sincere
+ ly = sincerely
|
-ment
|
achieve
+ ment = achievement
|
state
+ ment + statement
|
-ness
|
aware
+ ness = awareness
|
coarse
+ ness = coarseness
|
-some
|
lone
+ some = lonesome
|
tire
+ some = tiresome
|
-ward
|
home
+ ward = homeward
|
side
+ ward = sideward
|
-ful
|
awe
+ ful = awful
|
|
-ly
|
due
+ ly = duly
|
true
+ ly = truly
|
probable
+ ly = probably
|
whole
+ ly = wholly
|
|
-ment
|
argue
+ ment = argument
|
judge
+ ment = judgment
|
acknowledge
+ ment = acknowledgment
|
abridge
+ ment = abridgment
|
|
-th
|
five
+ th = fifth
|
nine
+ th = ninth
|
-ty
|
five
+ ty = fifty
|
nine
+ ty = ninty
|
·When
a suffix beginning with a vowel (a, e, i,
o or u) is added to a word ending
in silent e, the e is dropped unless it is required to indicate pronunciation or to
avoid confusion with a similar word.
Examples:
-al
|
arrive
+ al = arrival
|
propose
+ al = proposal
|
-en
|
awake
+ en = awaken
|
haste
+ en = hasten
|
-er
|
write
+ er = writer
|
late
+ er = later
|
-ion
|
fuse
+ ion = fusion
|
relate
+ ion = relation
|
-ing
|
close
+ ing = closing
|
achieve
+ ing = achieving
|
-or
|
dictate
+ or = dictator
|
elevate
+ or = elevator
|
-ous
|
fame
+ ous = famous
|
ridicule
+ ous = ridiculous
|
Exceptions: To
keep a c /s/ or g /g/ soft
noticeable
|
traceable
|
courageous
|
peaceable
|
advantageous
|
manageable
|
replaceable
|
changeable
|
outrageous
|
canoeing
|
eyeing
|
mileage
|
dyeing
|
lineage
|
shoeing
|
3.
Duplication
of the final consonant
· Words
of one syllable double the final consonant before adding a suffix beginning
with a vowel when the word terminates in consonant – vowel – consonant (C – V – C ).
· Words
of two syllables double the final consonant before adding a suffix beginning
with a vowel when they terminate in C – V
– C AND the last syllable
is the accented syllable.
Examples:
Word
|
Syllables
|
Accent
|
Last 3 letters
|
Suffix
|
Result
|
get
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
C – V – C
|
-ing
|
getting
|
act
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
V – C – C
|
-ing
|
acting
|
book
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
V – V – C
|
-ing
|
booking
|
write
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
V – C – V
|
-ing
|
writing*
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
V – C – V
|
-ing
|
rising
|
|
fat
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
C – V – C
|
-en
|
fatten
|
big
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
C – V – C
|
-er
|
bigger
|
thin
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
C – V – C
|
-est
|
thinnest
|
miss
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
V – C – C
|
-ed
|
missed
|
stop
|
1
|
Only syllable
|
C – V – C
|
-able
|
stoppable
|
open
|
2
|
First syllable
|
C – V – C
|
-ed
|
opened
|
begin
|
2
|
Last syllable
|
C – V – C
|
-ing
|
beginning
|
prefer
|
2
|
Last syllable
|
C – V – C
|
-ed
|
preferred
|
Exceptions:
write
+ en = written bite + en = bitten
4.
Words
ending with the sound /si:d/are usually spelt cede.
accede
|
intercede
|
recede
|
concede
|
precede
|
secede
|
Three
which end in ceed: exceed proceed succeed
One
which ends in sede: supersede
References
·
Suffix
– Prefix Online Dictionary
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