Year 6 - English
Spelling words with the suffixes -ant and -ance
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 suffixes -ant and -ance for the sounds 'unt' and 'unce'.
Key Notes
- The suffixes -ant and -ance are used if there is a related word with the 'a' or 'ay' sound in the right position.
- Changing the -ant suffix to -ance can change the word from an adjective to an abstract noun.
- The suffix -ant sometimes becomes -ancy, e.g. pregnant-pregnancy.
- Examples of words that do not follow the above guidance and just need to be learned: assistant-assistance.
- How to spell the curriculum words: nuisance, sincere and guarantee.
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
- abstract noun: a type of noun that names an idea or quality that cannot be seen
- adjective: describes a noun
- noun: a naming word for a person, place or thing
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils may easily confuse the vowels in -ant and -ent spellings.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
The suffixes -ant and -ance are used if there is a related word with the 'a' or 'ay' sound in the right position. Changing the -ant suffix to -ance can change the word from an adjective to an abstract noun.
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 easily confuse the vowels in -ant and -ent spellings. Correction: Say the word clearly how it is spelt in order to emphasise the vowel spellings.
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 -ible 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 -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.