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Word ofWEEK
the
Lesson 3: Spelling Patterns with
Affixes
coyly (coi’ lē) adv., in a
way that shows
reluctance to make a
commitment or to get
to know someone;
shyly or flirtatiously.
UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT
“Gosh, I don’t know; I’m
not a very good dancer,”
said Melody coyly when
Justin asked her to
dance.
Adding Prefixes
Coy is a synonym for shy
or hesitant, but it
suggests flirtatiousness
or “playing hard to get.”
When the suffix -ly is
added, the y does not
change to an i because it
follows a vowel.
Many spelling errors arise when an affix—a prefix or suffix—is added
to a word. To avoid making these types of errors, review the following
guidelines.
When adding a prefix to a word, do not change the spelling of the
word itself.
EXAMPLES
mis- + spell = misspell
re- + arrange = rearrange
ir- + responsible = irresponsible
co- + author = coauthor
With some words, a hyphen may be used after the prefix. If in doubt,
consult a dictionary.
Adding Suffixes
The spelling of most words is not changed by the addition of the
suffixes -ness and -ly.
EXAMPLES
cheerful + -ness = cheerfulness
personal + -ly = personally
Changing y to i
Tip
Note the following
exception for words
ending in ce and ge: the
silent e must be kept
when adding a suffix
begining with a or o in
order to preserve the soft
c and g sounds. (How
would you pronounce
noticable and couragous?)
notice + -able =
noticeable
However, if you are adding a suffix to a word that ends in y, and that y
follows a consonant, you should usually change the y to i. No change
is typically needed if the y follows a vowel.
EXAMPLES
Dropping the silent e
If you are adding a suffix that begins with a vowel to a word that ends
with a silent e, you should usually drop the e, unless dropping the e
would cause confusion or change the pronunciation of the word.
EXAMPLES
advantage + -ous =
advantageous
courage + -ous =
courageous
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pretty + -est = prettiest
airy + -ly = airily
employ + -er = employer
say + -ing = saying
WORD STUDY RESOURCE: WILLOW LEVEL
believe + -able = believable
make + -ing = making
but singe + -ing = singeing
dye + -ing = dyeing
ski + -ing = skiing
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However, if you are adding a suffix that begins with a consonant, you
should usually leave the silent e in place. There are a few exceptions to
this rule, which you will just have to memorize.
Tip
Try It Yourself
If a word ends in a
silent e, that is
usually not dropped
before any suffix
beginning with a
consonant. However,
there are a few
exceptions, such as the
following:
Exercise A
acknowledge + -ment =
acknowledgment
Add a prefix or suffix to each of the following words, being sure to
spell each new word correctly. Then write a sentence using the new
word you have formed.
judge + -ment =
judgment
EXAMPLES
use + -ful = useful
fortunate + -ly = fortunately
encourage + -ment = encouragement
but acknowledgment, judgment, argument, truly, awful
1. perceive + -able =__________________________________________
argue + -ment =
argument
sentence: ________________________________________________
true + -ly = truly
_________________________________________________________
awe + -ful = awful
2. dis- + similar =_____________________________________________
sentence: ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
3. category + -s = ____________________________________________
sentence: ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
4. jolly + -er = _______________________________________________
sentence: ________________________________________________
Tip
Practice difficult
spelling words with
a friend. Take turns
spelling words aloud to
each other until both of
you have memorized
them.
_________________________________________________________
5. un + necessary =___________________________________________
sentence: ________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
Next, decide whether the following words are spelled correctly. If so,
write “correct” on the line provided. If the word is spelled incorrectly,
write the correct spelling on the line provided.
6. creativly __________________________________________________
7. paible ___________________________________________________
8. preamble ________________________________________________
9. remotness ________________________________________________
10. judgement _______________________________________________
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Doubling the consonant
Spelling patterns with suffixes can sometimes seem to have no rhyme
or reason. For example, you may notice that sometimes, when a suffix
beginning with a vowel is added to a word that ends in a consonant,
the consonant is doubled.
EXAMPLES
hot + -er = hotter
run + -ing = running
admit + -ance = admittance
Often, however, the consonant is not doubled.
EXAMPLES
heat + -er = heater
perform + -ance = performance
benefit + -ing = benefiting
Can you figure out the pattern? (Hint: Look at the letters that come
before the final consonant. Also notice which syllable of the original
word is stressed.)
Try It Yourself
Exercise B
With a partner, write a spelling “rule” that tells when the final
consonant of a word should be doubled before a suffix beginning with
a vowel. Test your rule by trying it out with several more words. Then
discuss your answer with the rest of the class.
Tip
Being a good or a
bad speller has
nothing to do with how
smart you are or even
how good you are at
writing. Some of the
most well-known
writers, F. Scott
Fitzgerald for example,
had a terrible time with
spelling. Improve your
spelling by reading
more—the more you
read, the more words
you see, and the more
likely you will be able to
remember how they look
on the page, and
therefore, how to spell
them.
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Just for Fun
Organize an old-fashioned spelling bee. Find a list of words in a
book used for SAT preparation. Make sure everyone has a copy of
the list several days before the bee. Your teacher will act as the
judge.
On the day of the spelling bee, the teacher should divide
the class into two teams and have the teams line up on opposite
sides of the classroom. A coin toss can determine which team goes
first. The teacher should then read off the first word to the team
member at the front of the line. If the student spells the word
correctly, he or she must go to the end of the line. If the student
spells the word incorrectly, he or she must sit down. The last
student to remain standing wins the spelling bee.
WORD STUDY RESOURCE: WILLOW LEVEL
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WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
Imagine that you work at a department store and your boss, knowing
of your superior spelling skills, has asked you to proofread the
following memo before she sends it out. Circle the eleven words she
misspelled, then spell each word correctly on the lines below. Which
misspelled word would not have been caught by a computer spellchecker?
Dear Employees,
We are prepareing to enter the busyest season of
the year! Things will really be hoping. I think we
all need a little encouragment. Remember to help
each other and no quiting before your scheduled
time. I cannot remphasize this enough. Here’s
hoping we have a truely unbelieveable shoping
season!
Sincerly,
The Managment
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Time Out for Test Practice
DEFINING WORD PARTS
Use your knowledge of word parts when answering the following questions. For each question, select
the answer that best completes each sentence.
______ 1. The prefix semi-, as in the word
semicircle, means __________.
a. between
b. half
c. partial
d. complete
______ 7. The word root cred, as in the word
incredulous, means __________.
a. hard
b. believe
c. equal
d. break
______ 2. The prefix dis-, as in the word
disadvantaged, means __________.
a. miss
b. not
c. again
d. wrongly
______ 8. The word root aud, as in the word
inaudible, means __________.
a. see
b. smell
c. touch
d. hear
______ 3. The prefix re-, as in the word
reconvene, means __________.
a. over
b. not
c. under
d. again
______ 9. The word root urb, as in the words
urban and suburban, means
__________.
a. city
b. country
c. people
d. outside
______ 4. The suffix -less, as in the word
hapless, means __________.
a. made of
b. full of
c. action or process
d. without
______ 5. The suffix -able or -ible, as in the
words arguable and irritable, means
__________.
a. capable of
b. finished
c. characterized by
d. possessing the qualities of
______ 6. The suffix -ic, as in the word acidic,
means __________.
a. without
b. in favor of
c. having characteristics of
d. act, process
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WORD STUDY RESOURCE: WILLOW LEVEL
______ 10. The word root pop, as in the word
populace, means __________.
a. beverage
b. voice
c. people
d. move
______ 11. The word root (combining form)
auto, as in the word autonomous,
means __________.
a. car
b. hear
c. self
d. join
______ 12. The word root (combining form)
mono, as in the word monotone,
means __________.
a. self
b. dull
c. low
d. one
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______ 13. The word root (combining form)
ology, as in the word cryptology,
means __________.
a. one who
b. study of
c. water
d. earth
______ 15. The word root (combining form)
graph, as in the word photograph,
means __________.
a. study of
b. technological
c. machine
d. written or drawn
______ 14. The word root (combining form)
psych, as in the word psychosomatic,
means __________.
a. word, reason
b. illness
c. mind
d. together
SPELLING WITH AFFIXES
Use your knowledge of spelling patterns to choose the word in each group that is spelled incorrectly. If
there are no mistakes, choose answer e.
misshapen
unecessary
disregard
coworker
No mistakes
_______ 6. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
outrageous
noticable
mileage
courageous
No mistakes
_______ 2. a.joyfully
b. sincerely
c. employment
d. kindness
e. No mistakes
_______ 7. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
truely
bluish
clueless
awful
No mistakes
_______ 3. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
fataly
shyness
resolutely
remoteness
No mistakes
_______ 8. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
payable
shyness
playing
tyrannycal
No mistakes
_______ 4. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
messier
merriment
shabbyness
loveliest
No mistakes
_______ 9. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
defiance
skillfully
dissarray
reestablish
No mistakes
_______ 5. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
unbelievable
baking
retrievable
compareable
No mistakes
_______ 10. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
defiance
grieveous
comparable
conceivably
No mistakes
_______ 1. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
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