Are There Endings Beginning With Vowels?
The endings -able, -ion, -er, -or, -ance, -ence, -ous, -ish, and -al are generally used to form adjectives and nouns. Here are some guidelines about how they affect the spelling of the word to which they're added:
- When you're adding one of these endings to a word that ends with a consonant, the spelling is often straightforward:
adapt, adaptable
addict, addiction
mountain, mountainous
black, blackish
- If you add one of the endings to a word that ends in an e that isn't pronounced, drop this final e:
inflate, inflation
advise, advisable
dance, dancer
- The exceptions to this rule are words that end with a ‘soft’ ce or ge sound:
notice, noticeable
courage, courageous
advantage, advantageous
- When you add one of these endings to verbs ending in a vowel plus l, you need to double the l:
counsel, counsellor
excel, excellent
- Double the final consonant when adding these endings to verbs that end with a single vowel plus a consonant, when the stress is at the end of the verb:
refer, referral
begin, beginning
forget, forgettable
- Don't double the final consonant, if the word ends with a single vowel plus a consonant, and the stress is not at the end of the word:
visit, visitor
common, commoner
develop, developer
- If the word only has one syllable and ends with a single vowel plus a consonant, double the final consonant:
stop, stoppable
dim, dimmer
rob, robber
- Don't double the final consonant if the verb ends with two vowels plus a consonant:
sleep, sleeper
treat, treatable
clean, cleanish
- In British English, when you add the endings -ous, -ious, -ary, -ation, -ific, -ize, and -ise to a word which ends in -our, you need to change the -our to -orbefore adding the ending:
humour, humorous
glamour, glamorize
labour, laborious
- But when you are adding other endings, the -our spelling stays the same:
colour, colourful
favour, favourite
odour, odourless
Nouns ending in -er, -or, and -ar
Learn the difference between nouns ending in –er, –or, and –ar, from caller and cooker to collar and cellar, via captor and calculator.
Verbs ending In -ize, -ise, -yze, and -yse
Don’t know what’s right when you lay eyes on a word that ends in -ize, -ise, -yse, or -yze? Our video and guide will help you see what the difference truly is.
Words ending in -able or –ible
It can be tricky to remember which words end in –able and which end in –ible: here are some tips, along with some commonly encountered examples.
Words ending in –ance and –ence
It can prove difficult to remember which words end in –ance and which in –ence: here are some tips, along with some commonly encountered examples.
Words Ending In -ancy And -ency
It can be tricky to remember which words end in –ancy and which in –ency: these tips should help, along with some frequently seen examples.
Words Ending In -ant And -ent
Permanent or permanant? Assistant or assistent? Here is a selection of everyday words ending in –ant or –ent: make sure you know the correct spellings.
Words Ending In -ary, -ory, And -ery
It’s not always easy to recall whether a word ends in –ary, -ory, -ery: here are some tips that will help you remember the correct spellings.
Words Ending In -efy And -ify
Liquify or liquefy? Exemplify or exemplefy? If you find words ending in –efy or –ify sometimes stupefy you, this page will help demystify the issue.
Words Ending In -ence/-ense
Words ending in either –ence or –ense can get confusing, particularly if you are moving back and forth between British and American English.
Words Ending In -ious And -eous
Plenty of English words end in either –ious or –eous, but are you always sure that you’re choosing the correct spelling? Here are some examples and tips.
Words ending in -ogue/-og
British English and American English can have different spellings when it comes to words ending in –ogue or –og. Here are some everyday examples.
Words spelled with -ae/-oe
If you’re unsure whether to write ‘pediatric’ or ‘paediatric’ or ‘manoeuvre’ or ‘maneuver’, then take a look at our guide to -ae- and -oe- spellings.
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