Year 3 English: Endings that sound like shun, zhuh and chuh
Part of the Year 3 English prefixes and suffixes chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Endings that sound like shun, zhuh and chuh
Many long words end in a sound that we write as shun. The spelling depends on the root word.
The ending -ation is common: information, invitation. The ending -tion is used for words such as station and action. The ending -sion is used for vision and decision, and -ssion is used for permission and discussion. The ending -cian is used for people who do a job, such as musician.
The endings -sure and -ture have their own sounds. Treasure ends in -sure. Picture and creature end in -ture.
| Ending | Example | How it is made |
|---|---|---|
| -ation | information | create becomes creation; invite becomes invitation |
| -tion | station, action | act becomes action |
| -sion | vision, decision | decide becomes decision |
| -ssion | permission, discussion | permit becomes permission |
| -cian | musician, magician | music becomes musician |
| -sure | treasure, measure | the word ends in -sure |
| -ture | picture, future | the word ends in -ture |
Key ideas
- Create ends in e, so drop the e and add ation: creation.
- Permit becomes permission, with ss. Discuss keeps its ss: discussion.
- Music ends in c, so add ian to make musician.
- Treasure and measure end in -sure; picture and creature end in -ture.
Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.facts and details about something
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.information
- Check the spelling. The -ation ending says the same sound as the end of station.Tricky part: ation
- Write the answer. information
Check. Read information and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. The -ation ending says the same sound as the end of station.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.Ali asked Mum for ___ to go to the park.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. being allowed to do somethingpermission
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.Ali asked Mum for permission to go to the park.
- Write the answer. permission
Check. Read the whole sentence with permission in it. ✓
Watch out. Permit changes its t to ss, then ion: permission.
Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.musician
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 4 letter(s) in a row.4 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. Music ends in c: add ian to make musician.cian
Check. Put cian back in the box and read musician. ✓
Watch out. Music ends in c: add ian to make musician.
Watch out
Watch out: many of these words sound the same at the end, but are spelled differently. Think about the root word before you choose: decision comes from decide, and permission comes from permit.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to say the root word first, such as invite, and to say what changes. Then ask which ending is used. Sort the words on paper into the endings.
Exercise 2E Practice: -ation, -tion, -sion, -ssion, -cian, -sure and -ture
Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.facts and details about something
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.information
- Check the spelling. The -ation ending says the same sound as the end of station.Tricky part: ation
- Write the answer. information
Check. Read information and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. The -ation ending says the same sound as the end of station.
Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.a card or message asking someone to come to an event
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.invitation
- Check the spelling. Invite ends in e: drop the e, then add ation.Tricky part: ation
- Write the answer. invitation
Check. Read invitation and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Invite ends in e: drop the e, then add ation.
Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.a place where trains stop
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.station
- Check the spelling. The -tion ending says the shun sound, as in the end of nation.Tricky part: tion
- Write the answer. station
Check. Read station and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. The -tion ending says the shun sound, as in the end of nation.
Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check its spelling.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.the ability to see
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.vision
- Check the spelling. The -sion ending says the zh sound, as in the middle of measure.Tricky part: sion
- Write the answer. vision
Check. Read vision and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. The -sion ending says the zh sound, as in the middle of measure.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.We practise ___ in maths when we share sweets equally.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. splitting a number into equal groupsdivision
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.We practise division in maths when we share sweets equally.
- Write the answer. division
Check. Read the whole sentence with division in it. ✓
Watch out. Divide ends in e: drop the e and add -ision, which says the zh sound.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.Ali asked Mum for ___ to go to the park.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. being allowed to do somethingpermission
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.Ali asked Mum for permission to go to the park.
- Write the answer. permission
Check. Read the whole sentence with permission in it. ✓
Watch out. Permit changes its t to ss, then ion: permission.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.Our class had a ___ about pets.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. talking together about an ideadiscussion
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.Our class had a discussion about pets.
- Write the answer. discussion
Check. Read the whole sentence with discussion in it. ✓
Watch out. Discuss keeps its ss, then ion: discussion.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.The ___ played the piano at the concert.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. a person who plays music as a job or hobbymusician
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.The musician played the piano at the concert.
- Write the answer. musician
Check. Read the whole sentence with musician in it. ✓
Watch out. Music ends in c: add ian to make musician.
Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.action
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 4 letter(s) in a row.4 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. Act needs a t before ion, so act becomes action.tion
Check. Put tion back in the box and read action. ✓
Watch out. Act needs a t before ion, so act becomes action.
Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.magician
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 4 letter(s) in a row.4 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. Magic ends in c: add ian to make magician.cian
Check. Put cian back in the box and read magician. ✓
Watch out. Magic ends in c: add ian to make magician.
Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.
- Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.treasure
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for 4 letter(s) in a row.4 missing letter(s)
- Write the missing letters. The -sure ending says the zh sound, as in the middle of vision.sure
Check. Put sure back in the box and read treasure. ✓
Watch out. The -sure ending says the zh sound, as in the middle of vision.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word we want.
- Look at creatoin. Compare it with the word creation.creatoin is not right
- Find the tricky part. Create ends in e: drop the e, then add ation.Tricky part: ation
- Write the word correctly. creation
Check. Read creation and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. Create ends in e: drop the e, then add ation.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word we want.
- Look at decishun. Compare it with the word decision.decishun is not right
- Find the tricky part. Decide ends in e: drop the e and add -ision.Tricky part: sion
- Write the word correctly. decision
Check. Read decision and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. Decide ends in e: drop the e and add -ision.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word we want.
- Look at plesure. Compare it with the word pleasure.plesure is not right
- Find the tricky part. The -sure ending says the zh sound, as in the middle of vision.Tricky part: sure
- Write the word correctly. pleasure
Check. Read pleasure and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. The -sure ending says the zh sound, as in the middle of vision.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the word we want.
- Look at pickture. Compare it with the word picture.pickture is not right
- Find the tricky part. The -ture ending says the ch sound in chip, then a quiet uh.Tricky part: ture
- Write the word correctly. picture
Check. Read picture and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. The -ture ending says the ch sound in chip, then a quiet uh.
Method. Look at the end of each word.
- Look at picture. Picture ends in -ture.pic-ture
- Look at treasure. Treasure ends in -sure.trea-sure
- Write the answer. No. Picture ends in ture, and treasure ends in sure.
Check. The two endings are spelled differently. ✓
Watch out. The endings sound alike but are spelled differently.
Method. Look at the last letters of each word.
- Look at picture and creature. Both end in -ture.picture, creature
- Look at measure. Measure ends in -sure.measure
- Write the answer. measure
Check. Measure is the only word ending in -sure. ✓
Watch out. Learn the endings with an example word for each.
Method. Use each word in a sentence that makes sense.
- Use adventure. An adventure is an exciting thing that you do.We went on an adventure to the hills.
- Use future. The future is the time that is yet to come.What will the future be like?
- Write the answer. Any two correct sentences, for example: We went on an adventure to the hills. What will the future be like?
Check. Both words end in -ture. ✓
Watch out. Check the -ture ending.
Method. Look at the end of each word.
- Find the -tion word. station ends in -tion.station
- Find the -sion, -ssion and -cian words. decision ends in -sion, discussion ends in -ssion, and magician ends in -cian.decision, discussion, magician
- Write the answer. -tion: station. -sion: decision. -ssion: discussion. -cian: magician.
Check. Each word is under the right ending. ✓
Watch out. Check the letters before the ending.
Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.
- Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.The leaflet gave us ___ about the museum.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. facts and details about somethinginformation
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.The leaflet gave us information about the museum.
- Write the answer. information
Check. Read the whole sentence with information in it. ✓
Watch out. The -ation ending says the same sound as the end of station.
Method. Look at the root words.
- Look at music. Music ends in c.music
- Look at magic. Magic ends in c. Adding ian makes magician.magic + ian
- Write the answer. Yes. Music ends in c, and magic ends in c. Adding ian makes musician and magician.
Check. Musician and magician both use ian after c. ✓
Watch out. Look at the root word before you add the ending.