Year 4 English: Adding vowel suffixes, the doubling rule and word families
Part of the Year 4 English prefixes, suffixes and word families chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Adding vowel suffixes, the doubling rule and word families
A vowel suffix starts with a vowel letter, such as -ed, -ing, -er or -al. When a word has one vowel and one consonant at the end, we must decide whether to double that consonant before the suffix.
Ask where the stress is. If the stress is on the end of the root word, double the last consonant: regret becomes regretted, and occur becomes occurred. If the stress is on the start, keep one consonant: visit becomes visited, and open becomes opening.
A word family is built from one root word. The root word act gives action, active, activity, inactive and interact.
| Root word | Where the stress is | Double the consonant? | New word |
|---|---|---|---|
| regret | on the end | yes | regretted |
| occur | on the end | yes | occurred |
| visit | on the start | no | visited |
| open | on the start | no | opening |
| limit | on the start | no | limiting |
| happen | on the start | no (it already has pp) | happening |
Key ideas
- Double the last consonant before -ed or -ing when the stress is on the end: regretted, controlled.
- Keep one consonant when the stress is on the start: visited, limiting, opening.
- Happen already has pp, so happening keeps both p letters.
- A word family shares one root word: act, action, active, activity, interact.
Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check the prefix or suffix.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.felt sorry about something that you did
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.regretted
- Check the affix. Regret is stressed on the end, so double the t before -ed.Affix letters: tt
- Write the answer. regretted
Check. Read regretted and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Regret is stressed on the end, so double the t before -ed.
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 sign is ___ the speed on this road.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. keeping something from going above a set amountlimiting
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.The sign is limiting the speed on this road.
- Write the answer. limiting
Check. Read the whole sentence with limiting in it. ✓
Watch out. Limit is stressed on the start, so do not double the t: limiting.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the affix letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each part. Read every letter in order.controlled
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for the letters in a row, 2 in all.2 missing letters
- Write the missing letters. Control is stressed on the end, so double the l before -ed.ll
Check. Put ll back in the box and read controlled. ✓
Watch out. Control is stressed on the end, so double the l before -ed.
Watch out
Watch out: do not write visitted or openning. The stress is on the start of visit and open, so keep one consonant before the ending.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Say the word aloud, and ask which part is said most strongly. If it is the last part, double the last letter. Then write the word and check it with the list of examples above.
Exercise 3F Practice: vowel suffixes, the doubling rule and word families
Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check the prefix or suffix.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.felt sorry about something that you did
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.regretted
- Check the affix. Regret is stressed on the end, so double the t before -ed.Affix letters: tt
- Write the answer. regretted
Check. Read regretted and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Regret is stressed on the end, so double the t before -ed.
Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check the prefix or suffix.
- Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.happened
- Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.occurred
- Check the affix. Occur is stressed on the end, so double the r before -ed.Affix letters: rr
- Write the answer. occurred
Check. Read occurred and check each letter against the word. ✓
Watch out. Occur is stressed on the end, so double the r before -ed.
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 gardener ___ the spread of the weeds.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. kept under careful management or limitcontrolled
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.The gardener controlled the spread of the weeds.
- Write the answer. controlled
Check. Read the whole sentence with controlled in it. ✓
Watch out. Control is stressed on the end, so double the l before -ed.
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 climbers were ___ with ropes and helmets.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. supplied with the things needed for a taskequipped
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.The climbers were equipped with ropes and helmets.
- Write the answer. equipped
Check. Read the whole sentence with equipped in it. ✓
Watch out. Equip is stressed on the end, so double the p before -ed.
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.Please ___ your story by Friday.
- Find the word that fits the meaning. handed in for someone to look atsubmitted
- Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.Please submitted your story by Friday.
- Write the answer. submitted
Check. Read the whole sentence with submitted in it. ✓
Watch out. Submit is stressed on the end, so double the t before -ed.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the affix letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each part. Read every letter in order.visited
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for the letters in a row, 2 in all.2 missing letters
- Write the missing letters. Visit is stressed on the start, so do not double the t: visited.ed
Check. Put ed back in the box and read visited. ✓
Watch out. Visit is stressed on the start, so do not double the t: visited.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the affix letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each part. Read every letter in order.limiting
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for the letters in a row, 3 in all.3 missing letters
- Write the missing letters. Limit is stressed on the start, so do not double the t: limiting.ing
Check. Put ing back in the box and read limiting. ✓
Watch out. Limit is stressed on the start, so do not double the t: limiting.
Method. Read the whole word, then fill the box with the affix letters.
- Say the whole word, and look at each part. Read every letter in order.offering
- Look at the empty box. The box stands for the letters in a row, 3 in all.3 missing letters
- Write the missing letters. Offer is stressed on the start, so do not double the f: offering.ing
Check. Put ing back in the box and read offering. ✓
Watch out. Offer is stressed on the start, so do not double the f: offering.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the correct word.
- Look at openning. Compare it with the word opening.openning is not right
- Find the affix. Open is stressed on the start, so do not double the n: opening.Affix letters: ing
- Write the word correctly. opening
Check. Read opening and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. Open is stressed on the start, so do not double the n: opening.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the correct word.
- Look at benefitted. Compare it with the word benefited.benefitted is not right
- Find the affix. Benefit is stressed on the start, so keep one t before -ed.Affix letters: ed
- Write the word correctly. benefited
Check. Read benefited and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. Benefit is stressed on the start, so keep one t before -ed.
Method. Compare the wrong spelling with the correct word.
- Look at happenning. Compare it with the word happening.happenning is not right
- Find the affix. Happen is stressed on the start, and it already has pp, so both p letters stay before -ing.Affix letters: ing
- Write the word correctly. happening
Check. Read happening and check each letter. ✓
Watch out. Happen is stressed on the start, and it already has pp, so both p letters stay before -ing.
Method. Check where the stress is on each root word.
- Look at visit. The stress is on the start, so the t is not doubled.visit: no double
- Look at control. The stress is on the end, so the l is doubled.control: double the l
- Write the answer. controlled
Check. Controlled has ll before -ed. ✓
Watch out. Visited has one t.
Method. Check the stress and the letters of the root word.
- Look at open. The stress is on the start, so the n is not doubled.open: no double
- Look at openning. It has nn, which breaks the rule.openning: wrong
- Write the answer. No. Open is stressed on the start, so the n is not doubled: opening.
Check. Opening has one n. ✓
Watch out. Keep one consonant when the stress is on the start.
Method. Count the p letters in happen.
- Look at happen. Happen has two p letters, one after the a and one before the e.h-a-p-p-e-n
- Add -ing. The two p letters are kept, and -ing is added.happen + ing
- Write the answer. No. Happen already has pp, so happening keeps both p letters.
Check. Happening has two p letters. ✓
Watch out. Count the letters in the root word first.
Method. Find the root word in each word.
- Look at action. Act with -ion added gives action.act + ion
- Look at active and activity. Active is act with -ive, and activity is built from active.act + ive; active + ity
- Write the answer. Yes. Each word is built from the root word act, with a suffix added.
Check. The root word act is in all three words. ✓
Watch out. A word family shares one root word.
Method. Find words that are built from the root word press.
- Choose three words. Pressure, express and impress all contain press.pressure; express; impress
- Check each one. Each word shares the root word press.press
- Write the answer. Accept any three correct words from the press family, for example: pressure, express, impress.
Check. Each word contains press. ✓
Watch out. Check the root word, not just the first letters.
Method. Check each word for the root word.
- Look at visit, visitor and visible. All three are built from vis, which is about seeing or going to see.vis
- Look at victor. Victor is built from a different root word, and it means winner.a different root
- Write the answer. victor. It comes from a different root word, which means winner.
Check. Victor does not share the root word vis. ✓
Watch out. Two words can look alike but come from different roots.
Method. Check where the stress is on each root word.
- Look at visit. The stress is on the start, so keep one t.visited: one t
- Look at regret. The stress is on the end, so double the t.regretted: two t
- Write the answer. Visit is stressed on the start, so the t is not doubled. Regret is stressed on the end, so the t is doubled.
Check. The stress decides whether to double. ✓
Watch out. Check the stress before you add the ending.