KS2 Spelling: Year 5 and 6 Word Endings (-cious, -tial, -ance, -ible, -fer)

The spelling paper of the Key Stage 2 grammar, punctuation and spelling test is short: twenty words, each read aloud within a sentence. Many of the words that catch Year 6 pupils out are not rare words. They are everyday words with tricky endings. Is it 'spacious' or 'spatious'? 'Essential' or 'essencial'? 'Noticable' or 'noticeable'? 'Prefered' or 'preferred'? This material works through those endings using the patterns set out for Years 5 and 6 in the national curriculum spelling appendix, so that pupils can reason their way to the right spelling instead of guessing.

Five families of endings are covered. For -cious and -tious, a root word ending in -ce points to c (space – spacious, vice – vicious), while a related -tion word points to t (caution – cautious); 'anxious' is the exception to remember. For -cial and -tial, -cial usually follows a vowel letter and -tial a consonant letter, with the exceptions initial, financial, commercial and provincial. For -ant/-ance/-ancy and -ent/-ence/-ency, a related word ending in -ation is a clue for -ance (toleration – tolerance), and a soft c, soft g or qu is a clue for -ence (innocence, frequency). For -able and -ible, and the adverbs -ably and -ibly, -able is used when a complete root word can be heard and the e is kept after c and g (noticeable, changeable), while -ible is used when no complete word is heard (possible, terrible). Finally, words ending in -fer double the r only when -fer is still stressed: referring and preferred, but reference and preference.

The quiz has twelve questions. You choose the correctly spelt word, pick the ending that completes a word in a sentence, add a suffix to a root word and decide which word follows a rule. Every answer explains the pattern, not only the result. The flashcards turn each rule and its exceptions into quick-recall cards. In the practice exam, the examiner gives words with a gap and a meaning or root word, never the full spelling. You type the whole word and say which rule you used, and you get short feedback on each misspelt word at the end. The printable written sheet works like a dictation task. You complete words in sentences, form nouns and adverbs, add suffixes, explain why 'noticeable' keeps its e and find four misspelt words in a sentence.

The material is written for Year 6 pupils preparing for the Key Stage 2 test. It is also useful in Year 5, when these patterns are first taught.

• Choose between -cious and -tious using the root word or a related word
• Apply the -cial/-tial rule and remember its exceptions
• Use related words to choose between -ant/-ance/-ancy and -ent/-ence/-ency
• Decide between -able and -ible and form adverbs in -ably and -ibly, keeping the e after soft c and g
• Double the r in words ending in -fer only when -fer is still stressed

Practice material written by Zestly, based on the national curriculum in England: English Appendix 1 – Spelling (DfE, 2013), Years 5 and 6 (endings -cious/-tious, -cial/-tial, -ant/-ance/-ancy/-ent/-ence/-ency, -able/-ible/-ably/-ibly, adding suffixes to words ending in -fer), and the Key Stage 2 English grammar, punctuation and spelling test framework (STA, 2016 onwards), paper 2 content domain S53–S57. Example words are taken from or modelled on the appendix's non-statutory example words.