The complete list of spelling rules for suffixes in English.

Categories: Basic English

Spelling Rules for Adding Suffixes in English

1. Words ending in silent -e

• Drop the final -e before a suffix beginning with a vowel (-ing, -ed, -er, -est, -able, -ous)
  make → making, hope → hoping, drive → driving, late → later, fame → famous

• Keep the -e before a suffix beginning with a consonant (-ly, -ness, -ful)
  hope → hopeful, care → careful, late → lately, like → likeness

• ❗ Exception: Sometimes keep the -e to keep pronunciation clear.
  manage → manageable, change → changeable, notice → noticeable

2. Words ending in -y

• If consonant + y, change y → i before suffix (except -ing)
  happy → happier, happiness; try → tried; beauty → beautiful

• If vowel + y, keep the y
  play → played, playing; joy → joyful

• Before -ing, always keep y
  study → studying, cry → crying

3. Doubling the final consonant (CVC Rule)

• If a word has one syllable or the last syllable is stressed, and ends consonant–vowel–consonant (CVC) → double the last consonant before adding a suffix starting with a vowel (-ing, -ed, -er, -est)
  run → running, runner; sit → sitting; big → bigger, biggest; hot → hotter, hottest

• ❗ Do not double if the final consonant is preceded by two vowels
  keep → keeping, need → needed, read → reader

• ❗ Do not double if the last syllable is not stressed
  open → opening (not openning), visit → visiting

4. Words ending in -ie

• Change -ie → y before adding -ing
  die → dying, lie → lying, tie → tying

5. Words ending in -ic

• Add -k before -ing, -ed
  panic → panicking, mimic → mimicked

• But not for adjectives ending in -ic + al
  basic → basically

6. Words ending in -ll

• In British English → usually keep -ll and add suffix
  travel → travelled, travelling

• In American English → often drop one l
  travel → traveled, traveling

7. Words ending in -ce / -ge

• Keep the e before -able, -ous to keep the soft sound
  courage → courageous, notice → noticeable, advantage → advantageous

• Drop the e for other suffixes
  manage → management, service → servicer

8. Words ending in -ful

• Only one -l is kept when adding suffix
  careful → carefully (not carefullly), hopeful → hopefully

9. Words ending in -ment, -ness, -ly, -tion

• Usually just add suffix with no spelling change
  kind → kindness, develop → development, quick → quickly, educate → education

✅ Summary of Key Rules

1. Drop silent -e before vowels, keep before consonants.

2. Change -y → i (except before -ing).

3. Double consonant if CVC + stressed syllable.

4. Change -ie → y before -ing.

5. Keep extra -e after soft c/g before -ous, -able.

6. Watch out for British vs. American spelling differences (-ll).