Applying spelling rules with the letter string ‘fer’ | English

Starter quiz

Select the suffixes.
- -ence ✓
- -ed ✓
- pre-
- -al ✓
- un-
Select all the words containing the suffix -ed.
- referred ✓
- seedy
- offered ✓
- head
- red
Match the words ending with the suffix -ed to their root words.
- referred
  
  ⇔
  
  refer ✓
- slipped
  
  ⇔
  
  slip ✓
- like
  
  ⇔
  
  liked ✓
- cry
  
  ⇔
  
  cried ✓
- walk
  
  ⇔
  
  walked ✓
Match the root words to the corresponding verbs with the suffix -ing.
- slice
  
  ⇔
  
  slicing ✓
- walk
  
  ⇔
  
  walking ✓
- offer
  
  ⇔
  
  offering ✓
- refer
  
  ⇔
  
  referring ✓
- cry
  
  ⇔
  
  crying ✓
Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'I am hiting the ball as hard as I can!'
- hiting
- hitting ✓
- hitin
Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'Are you controwling Player 1 or Player 2 on the screen?'
- 'controlling' ✓

Exit quiz

Which words have 'fer' in a stressed syllable?
- referral ✓
- differing
- inferred ✓
- differ
Select the correct spelling of the word below.
- offered ✓
- offerred
- offerd
Select the correct spelling of the word below.
- transferring ✓
- transfering
- transfiring
Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'Are you refferin to to this book?'
- 'referring' ✓
Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'I don't believe there is any difrance between them.'
- 'difference' ✓
Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'What is the perpous of this text?'
- 'purpose' ✓

Worksheet

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Presentation

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

When adding suffixes to words ending in ‘fer’, the ‘r’ is doubled if the –fer is still stressed.
The ‘r’ is not doubled if the ‘fer’ is no longer stressed.
We can use a range of strategies to practise spellings and help embed them in our memory.
How to spell the curriculum words: purpose and suppose.

Common misconception

Children may not know how to pronounce focus words within the lesson, meaning they can't identify the stressed syllable.

Use 'my turn your turn' to ensure children can pronounce focus words correctly, and also put into sentences so they can understand the meaning and word class in context.

Keywords

Root word - the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes
Suffix - a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning
Letter string - a sequence of letters that appears in several words
Stressed sound - an emphasised sound