Spelling words with the suffix -ous and -cious | English

Starter quiz

Match these words to their root words.
- courageous
  
  ⇔
  
  courage ✓
- fabulous
  
  ⇔
  
  no obvious root word ✓
- envious
  
  ⇔
  
  envy ✓
Match the words to the rules that apply when the suffix -ous is added.
- hazard - hazardous
  
  ⇔
  
  Just add -ous. ✓
- continue - continuous
  
  ⇔
  
  Remove the ‘e’, add -ous. ✓
- fury - furious
  
  ⇔
  
  Remove the ‘y’, add -ious. ✓
- glamour - glamorous
  
  ⇔
  
  Change ‘our’ to ‘or’, add -ous. ✓
When the word 'joy' becomes 'joyous' what rule is applied?
- Just add -ous. ✓
- Remove the ‘e’, add -ous.
- Remove the ‘y’, add -ious.
- Change ‘our’ to ‘or’, add -ous.
When the word 'vigour' becomes 'vigorous' what rule is applied?
- Just add -ous.
- Remove the ‘e’, add -ous.
- Remove the ‘y’, add -ious.
- Change ‘our’ to ‘or’, add -ous. ✓
Choose the correct spelling for the word in bold in the following sentence: I felt furyus that day and I didn't like it.
- furyus
- furyous
- furious ✓
- fureous
Choose the correct spelling for the word in bold in the following sentence: I was advised to stay inside because the illness was infectionous.
- infecteous
- infectious ✓
- infecshus
- infectius

When the word 'outrage' becomes 'outrageous' what rule is applied?
- Just add -ous. ✓
- Remove the ‘e’, add -ous.
- Remove the ‘y’, add -ious.
- Change ‘our’ to ‘or’, add -ous.
When the word 'glamour' becomes 'glamorous' what rule is applied?
- Just add -ous.
- Remove the ‘e’, add -ous.
- Remove the ‘y’, add -ious.
- Change ‘our’ to ‘or’, add -ous. ✓
When the word 'adventure' becomes 'adventurous' what rule is applied?
- Just add -ous.
- Remove the ‘e’, add -ous. ✓
- Remove the ‘y’, add -ious.
- Change ‘our’ to ‘or’, add -ous.
When the word 'superstition' becomes 'superstitious' what rule is applied?
- Just add -ous
- Remove 'tion', add -tious. ✓
- Remove 'ce', add -cious.
When the word 'space' becomes 'spacious' what rule is applied?
- Just add -ous
- Remove 'tion', add -tious.
- Remove 'ce', add -cious. ✓
Correct the spelling of the word in bold in this sentence. The photo of my grandma is very preshoos to me.
- 'precious' ✓

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There are four spelling rules when adding -ous to a root word.
If the root word ends in 'ce', use the suffix -cious
The suffix -cious generally turns a noun into an adjective.
Exceptions or harder root words to identify include these words: anxious, conscious, delicious, suspicious, precious.
How to spell the curriculum words: prejudice, accommodate and accompany.

Pupils may not know or understand the meaning of many words encountered in the lesson.

Put all unfamiliar vocabulary into simple sentences to expose children to the meaning. Make links to root words where possible.

Suffix - a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word
Root word - the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes
Noun - a naming word for people, places and things
Adjective - describes a noun