Spelling words with the suffixes -er and -est | English

Starter quiz

Select the adjective from the following sentence: 'The tall trees swayed.'
- The
- tall ✓
- trees
- swayed
Where would you find a suffix?
- at the beginning of a word
- in the middle of a word
- at the end of a word ✓
Match the word to the suffix it contains.
- quickly
  
  ⇔
  
  -ly ✓
- windy
  
  ⇔
  
  -y ✓
- hopeful
  
  ⇔
  
  -ful ✓
- careless
  
  ⇔
  
  -less ✓
What rule is used when 'fear' becomes 'fearless'?
- Just add -ful.
- Just add -less. ✓
- Remove the 'y', replace it with 'i' and add -less.
- Remove the 'e' and add -less.
What rule is used when 'play' becomes 'playful'?
- Just add -ful. ✓
- Just add -less.
- Remove the 'y', replace it with 'i' and add -less.
- Remove the 'e' and add -less.
Match the words to the rules that apply when adding the suffix -y.
- storm - stormy
  
  ⇔
  
  Just add -y. ✓
- noise - noisy
  
  ⇔
  
  Remove the ‘e’, add -y. ✓
- mud - muddy
  
  ⇔
  
  Double the consonant, add -y. ✓

Select all the words containing the suffix '-er'.
- quieter ✓
- hopeful
- happily
- brighter ✓
- loudest
Match the words to the suffix they contain.
- happily
  
  ⇔
  
  -ly ✓
- largest
  
  ⇔
  
  -est ✓
- hotter
  
  ⇔
  
  -er ✓
- sunny
  
  ⇔
  
  -y ✓
What word class is the word in bold in the following sentence: 'Ben felt braver when my friend arrived.'
- noun
- adjective ✓
- verb
- adverb
What happens when the suffix -est is added to a word such as 'long' or 'quick'?
- 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 'nice' or 'wise'?
- 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 the following sentence: 'We arrived one minnit late.'
- 'minute' ✓

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-er and -est are suffixes that can be used to change the meaning of a root word.
For some root words you can add the suffix -er.
For some root words you can add the suffix -est.
For root words ending in 'e' you remove the 'e' and add the suffix -er or -est.
How to spell the curriculum word: minute.

Pupils can think the -est suffix is spelt 'ist' or 'st' because that is what you can hear.

Review pupils' misconceptions after practice tasks. Even though the word can sound different, -est is always spelt in the same way.

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