Year 3 spelling rules: prefixes, -ation, -ly and doubling

The national curriculum sets the Years 3 and 4 spelling rules together. We have split them into two pages so that each is a manageable size: this page covers prefixes, two important suffixes and doubling. Year 4 covers endings that sound like shun and zhun and the trickier word families.

Negative prefixes: un-, dis- and mis-

A prefix goes at the front of a root word and changes its meaning. un-, dis- and mis- all give a negative or opposite meaning. Add the prefix straight on with no change to the root. That is why disappear has one s and double p (dis + appear) and misspell has double s (mis + spell).

un-

unhappy unlock unfair undo unwell unkind

dis-

disagree disappear dislike disobey dishonest disconnect

mis-

misbehave mislead misspell mistake mislay misplace

Watch out: Do not drop a letter. If the root starts with the letter the prefix ends in, you get a double letter: mis + spell.

The prefix in- (and il-, im-, ir-)

in- can mean not. It changes its last letter to match the root: before l it becomes il-, before m or p it becomes im-, and before r it becomes ir-.

in-

inactive incorrect invisible incomplete inexpensive

il- before l

illegal illegible illogical

im- before m, p

immature immortal impossible impatient imperfect impolite

ir- before r

irregular irrelevant irresponsible

Watch out: Say the word and you will hear the doubled sound in illegal, immature and irregular. That is the double letter you must write.

More prefixes: re-, sub-, inter-, super-, anti-, auto-

Each prefix brings one idea. re- means again or back. sub- means under. inter- means between or among. super- means above or beyond. anti- means against. auto- means self or own.

re- (again)

redo rewrite replay rebuild reappear return

sub- (under)

submarine subway subtitle subheading subdivide

inter- (between)

interact intercity international interlock interchange

super- (above)

supermarket superhero superstar supernatural

anti- (against)

antiseptic antisocial anticlockwise antifreeze

auto- (self)

autograph autobiography autopilot automatic

Watch out: Use the meaning to work out an unknown word: an autograph is a name written by the person themself.

The suffix -ation: turning verbs into nouns

Add -ation to a verb to make a noun. If the verb ends in a silent e, drop the e first, because -ation starts with a vowel letter.

verb plus -ation

inform → information explore → exploration imagine → imagination

drop the e

admire → admiration prepare → preparation adore → adoration invite → invitation

Watch out: Say the verb then the noun: you can hear the ay in -ation (information).

The suffix -ly: turning adjectives into adverbs

-ly starts with a consonant letter, so it is added straight on to most words. Four groups behave differently: (1) consonant + y with more than one syllable: y becomes i; (2) words ending -le: the le becomes -ly; (3) words ending -ic add -ally (except publicly); (4) truly, duly and wholly.

straight on

sadly slowly completely finally usually

y becomes i

happily angrily easily luckily

-le becomes -ly

gently simply humbly terribly

-ic needs -ally

basically frantically dramatically

learn these

truly duly wholly publicly

Watch out: Complete keeps its e (completely). Final and usual keep their last letter, so finally has double l.

Doubling the last letter in longer words

Before an ending that starts with a vowel letter, double the last consonant of a longer word only if the last syllable is stressed and ends in one consonant after one vowel. If the stress is on an earlier syllable, do not double.

stress on the last syllable: double

forget → forgetting begin → beginning prefer → preferred regret → regretted

stress earlier: no doubling

garden → gardening limit → limited visit → visiting offer → offered open → opening

Watch out: Say the word and tap the beats. If the loud beat is last (be-GIN), double. If not (VIS-it), do not.

Year 3 spelling quiz

12 quick questions on the rules above. Choose an answer for each, then check.

Keep going

Spelling lists and grammar terminology: Department for Education, National curriculum in England: English programmes of study, Appendices 1 and 2 (Crown copyright 2013), reproduced under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example sentences, tips, explanations and questions are by Litlings.