Year 6 English: The ending -able after a root word that is a whole word
Part of the Year 6 English spelling -ant, -ent, -able and -ible chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
The ending -able after a root word that is a whole word
Many adjectives end in -able. Use -able when the root word is a whole word, such as wash, love, comfort or enjoy.
If the root word ends in a silent e, drop the e first. Love becomes lovable, and believe becomes believable.
Root words that are whole words
| Adjective | Root word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lovable | love | easy to love |
| washable | wash | able to be washed |
| enjoyable | enjoy | giving pleasure |
| comfortable | comfort | giving a feeling of ease |
| reasonable | reason | fair, sensible and not too much |
| breakable | break | likely to break |
| believable | believe | able to be believed |
| laughable | laugh | so silly that people laugh |
Key ideas
- Use -able after a root word that is a whole word.
- If the root ends in a silent e, drop the e, then add -able.
- Enjoy keeps its y: enjoyable.
Method. The root ends in e, so drop the e first.
- Find the root word. Love is a whole word, and it ends in silent e.love
- Drop the e and add -able. Drop the e: lov, then add able.lov + able
- Write the word. Lovable means easy to love.lovable
- Write the answer. lovable
Check. love - e + able = lovable. ✓
Method. Wash is a whole word, so add -able.
- Find the root word. Wash is a whole word, with no e at the end.wash
- Add the ending. Add -able to the root word.wash + able
- Write the word. Washable means able to be washed.washable
- Write the answer. washable
Check. wash + able = washable. ✓
Method. Enjoy is a whole word, so add -able.
- Find the root word. Enjoy is a whole word, and it ends in y.enjoy
- Add the ending. Keep the y, and add -able: enjoy + able.enjoy + able
- Write the word. Enjoyable means giving pleasure.enjoyable
- Write the answer. enjoyable
Check. enjoy + able = enjoyable. ✓
Watch out. Keep the y in enjoyable. Do not write enjoyble.
Watch out
Watch out: a silent e must go before -able. Believe becomes believable, not believeable.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to find a silent e in a root word, cross it out, and then add -able to see the new word.
Exercise 2D Practice: -able after a whole-word root
Method. Look at the root word, and add -able.
- Find the root word. love is a whole word, so the ending is -able.love
- Add the ending. If the root ends in e, drop the e first.love ends in e: drop the e (lov), then add -able: lov + able = lovable
- Write the answer. lovable
Check. The adjective is lovable. ✓
Watch out. Drop a silent e before -able: love becomes lovable.
Method. Look at the root word, and add -able.
- Find the root word. wash is a whole word, so the ending is -able.wash
- Add the ending. If the root ends in e, drop the e first.wash is a word, so add -able: wash + able = washable
- Write the answer. washable
Check. The adjective is washable. ✓
Watch out. Drop a silent e before -able: love becomes lovable.
Method. Look at the root word, and add -able.
- Find the root word. enjoy is a whole word, so the ending is -able.enjoy
- Add the ending. If the root ends in e, drop the e first.enjoy is a word, so add -able: enjoy + able = enjoyable
- Write the answer. enjoyable
Check. The adjective is enjoyable. ✓
Watch out. Drop a silent e before -able: love becomes lovable.
Method. Look at the root word, and add -able.
- Find the root word. comfort is a whole word, so the ending is -able.comfort
- Add the ending. If the root ends in e, drop the e first.comfort is a word, so add -able: comfort + able = comfortable
- Write the answer. comfortable
Check. The adjective is comfortable. ✓
Watch out. Drop a silent e before -able: love becomes lovable.
Method. Look at the root word, and add -able.
- Find the root word. reason is a whole word, so the ending is -able.reason
- Add the ending. If the root ends in e, drop the e first.reason is a word, so add -able: reason + able = reasonable
- Write the answer. reasonable
Check. The adjective is reasonable. ✓
Watch out. Drop a silent e before -able: love becomes lovable.
Method. Look at the root word, and add -able.
- Find the root word. break is a whole word, so the ending is -able.break
- Add the ending. If the root ends in e, drop the e first.break is a word, so add -able: break + able = breakable
- Write the answer. breakable
Check. The adjective is breakable. ✓
Watch out. Drop a silent e before -able: love becomes lovable.
Method. Look at the root word, and add -able.
- Find the root word. believe is a whole word, so the ending is -able.believe
- Add the ending. If the root ends in e, drop the e first.believe ends in e: drop the e (believ), then add -able: believ + able = believable
- Write the answer. believable
Check. The adjective is believable. ✓
Watch out. Drop a silent e before -able: love becomes lovable.
Method. Look at the root word, and add -able.
- Find the root word. laugh is a whole word, so the ending is -able.laugh
- Add the ending. If the root ends in e, drop the e first.laugh is a word, so add -able: laugh + able = laughable
- Write the answer. laughable
Check. The adjective is laughable. ✓
Watch out. Drop a silent e before -able: love becomes lovable.
Method. Test each choice against the sentence or the text.
- Read what the question asks for. Decide what the sentence or the text needs.
- Test the choice. Believe ends in e, so drop the e and add -able: believable.believable fits
- Reject the other choices. Believeable keeps the e, which is wrong before -able.believeable do not fit
- Write the answer. believable
Check. The choice fits the sentence or the text. ✓
Method. Think about the silent e at the end of the root word.
- Find the root word. Love ends in a silent e.love
- Drop the e and add -able. Drop the e, then add -able: lovable.lovable
- Write the answer. Love ends in a silent e, so the e is dropped before -able, giving lovable.
Check. love - e + able = lovable. ✓
Method. Find the wrong word, and use its root word comfort.
- Find the word that is wrong. Comfortible ends in -ible, but the root comfort is a whole word.comfortible
- Use the root word. Comfort is a whole word, so the ending is -able: comfortable.comfort + able
- Write the answer. The sofa was very comfortable for the guests.
Check. comfort + able = comfortable. ✓
Method. Break is a whole word, so add -able.
- Find the root word. Break is a whole word.break
- Add the ending. Add -able: break + able.breakable
- Write the answer. breakable
Check. break + able = breakable. ✓
Method. Reason is a whole word, so add -able.
- Find the root word. Reason is a whole word.reason
- Add the ending. Add -able: reason + able.reasonable
- Write the answer. reasonable
Check. reason + able = reasonable. ✓
Method. Use the adjective to describe something that can break.
- Choose the subject. The mug is the thing that could break.The mug
- Add the adjective. Breakable tells the reader that it could break easily.is breakable
- Write the answer. The mug is breakable, so please carry it with care.
Check. The sentence uses breakable with the right spelling. ✓
Method. Use the adjective about the bag.
- Choose the subject. The bag is the subject.The school bag
- Add the adjective. Washable tells the reader it can be cleaned.is washable
- Write the answer. The school bag is washable, so it can be cleaned in the machine.
Check. The sentence uses washable with the right spelling. ✓
Method. Laugh is a whole word, so add -able.
- Find the root word. Laugh is a whole word.laugh
- Add the ending. Add -able: laugh + able.laughable
- Write the answer. laughable
Check. laugh + able = laughable. ✓
Method. Believe ends in e, so drop the e first.
- Find the root word. Believe ends in a silent e.believe
- Drop the e and add -able. Drop the e: believ, then add able.believ + able
- Write the answer. believable
Check. believe - e + able = believable. ✓
Method. Compare enjoy with a word that ends in a silent e.
- Look at the root word. Enjoy ends in y, not in a silent e.enjoy
- Add the ending. Keep the y and add -able: enjoyable.enjoyable
- Write the answer. Enjoy is a whole word that ends in y, so the y stays and -able is added, giving enjoyable.
Check. enjoy + able = enjoyable. ✓