Practise and apply spelling words with the suffixes "-er" and "-est" | English

Starter quiz

Identify the adjectives in this sentence: The bright, white moon shone in the sky.
- bright ✓
- white ✓
- moon
- shone
- sky
How many syllables are in the following words: colder, fresher, faster.
- 1
- 2 ✓
- 3
- 4
The suffixes -er and -est help us to ...
- change the tense of a word.
- create a plural noun.
- compare things. ✓
- create an adjective.
What happens when the suffix -est is added to a word such as 'old' or ‘new’?
- Just add -est. ✓
- Remove the 'y' and add -iest.
- Remove the 'e' and add -est.
- Double the consonant and add -est.
What happens when the suffix -er is added to a root word ending in 'e', such as 'cute' or 'safe'?
- Just add -er.
- Remove the 'y' and add -ier.
- Remove the 'e' and add -er. ✓
- Double the consonant and add -er.
Correct the spelling of the word in bold in this sentence: He knew the quickist way home.
- 'quickest' ✓

Match the words to the rules that apply when adding the suffix -er or -est.
- small - smaller
  
  ⇔
  
  Just add -er. ✓
- loud - loudest
  
  ⇔
  
  Just add -est. ✓
- pale - paler
  
  ⇔
  
  Remove the 'e', add -er. ✓
- wise - wisest
  
  ⇔
  
  Remove the 'e', add -est. ✓
Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in this sentence: The weather is coldir now.
- coldder
- coldur
- coldr
- colder ✓
Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in this sentence: Which class is the quitest in assembly?
- quietist
- quiatest
- quietest ✓
- quiettest
Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in this sentence: My peach is rieper than yours.
- ripeer
- riper ✓
- righper
- ripper
Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in this sentence: Andeep lives closesst to school.
- closiest
- closist
- closes
- closest ✓
Correct the spelling of the word in bold in this sentence: This speshal ring belonged to my Nan.
- 'special' ✓

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-er and -est are suffixes that can be used to change the meaning of a root word.
The strategy 'big letters' is a useful practice strategy.
How to spell the curriculum word: special.

Pupils may think that you can add -er or -est to any adjective and use it to make comparisons.

Make pupils aware that we cannot always add the suffix -er or -est to compare. For example, good - better - best or bad - worse - worst.

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