Year 6 - English
Spelling words with the -ible suffix
Letter strings, etymology and curriculum words
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils review and learn a wide range of Year 6 spellings, including letter strings, words with the suffixes -ant, -ance, -ent, -ence, -able and -ible, silent letters, French and Greek origin words, curriculum words and words that use the hyphen in two ways.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to spell words with the suffix -ible and -ibly.
Key Notes
- The suffix -ible is common if a complete root word cannot be heard before it, e.g. legible, invincible.
- If there is an obvious root, the suffix -ible usually follows stems ending in an 's' sound e.g. response - responsible.
- Removing the -ible suffix does not usually leave a recognisable root word in English, e.g. visible - vis.
- Adjectives ending in the suffix -ible and adverbs ending in the suffix -ibly are connected in spelling and meaning.
- How to spell the curriculum words: definite and immediate.
Vocabulary To Learn
- suffix: a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning
- root word: the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes
- adjective: describes a noun
- adverb: describes a verb
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may assume all words ending in -ible do not have a root word.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
The suffix -ible is common if a complete root word cannot be heard before it, e.g. legible, invincible. If there is an obvious root, the suffix -ible usually follows stems ending in an 's' sound e.g. response - responsible.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'suffix'
a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils may assume all words ending in -ible do not have a root word. Correction: Demonstrate that some words ending in '-ible', like 'sensible', are derived from recognisable English root words. However, there are also '-ible' words whose roots are not complete English words but may originate from Latin, like 'vis' to 'visible'.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Recognising the different sounds made by the letter strings 'ough' and 'au' Study Guide
- Recognising the different sounds made by the letter strings "ou", "ear" and "ice" Study Guide
- Spelling key curriculum words Study Guide
- Spelling words from the Y5/6 curriculum list Study Guide
- Spelling words with French etymology Study Guide
- Spelling words with Greek and Latin etymology Study Guide
- Spelling words with the -able suffix Study Guide
- Spelling words with the 'ee' sound spelt 'ei' Study Guide
- Spelling words with the 'ee' sound spelt 'ie' Study Guide
- Spelling words with the silent letters 'b', 'k', 'g', 'w' and 't' Study Guide
- Spelling words with the silent letters 'h', 'p', 'n', 'l' and 's' Study Guide
- Spelling words with the suffixes -ant and -ance Study Guide
- Spelling words with the suffixes -ent and -ence Study Guide
- Using hyphens to create adjectives Study Guide
- Using hyphens to join prefixes to root words Study Guide
Browse all guides in the Year 6 English guide library.