Study Resource: English spelling rules for adding endings
In English, the spelling of a word sometimes changes slightly when you add endings that start with a vowel: -ing, -ed, -er, and -est. The rules given below will describe how and when these changes happen.
Key: C = consonant, V = vowel, so CVC = consonant + vowel + consonant (e.g. -cat, -bam, -ter...)
| Description of base | Rule(s) | Example (base) | Ending | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ends in: -C+e -C+ue | e → ∅ | fake (v. / adj.) | faking | faked | faker (n. / adj.) | fakest |
argue (v.) | arguing | argued | arguer | -- | ||
ends in: -ee -oe | before e: e → ∅ before -ing: e → e | agree (v.) | agreeing | agreed | agreer | -- |
tiptoe (v.) | tiptoeing | tiptoed | tiptoer | -- | ||
ends in: -ie | before -ing: e → y before -e: e → ∅ | tie (v.) | tying | tied | tier | -- |
ends in: -C+y | before e: y → i before -ing: y → y | study(v.) | studying | studied | studier(n.) | -- |
happy(adj.) | -- | -- | happier | happiest | ||
one syllable and ends -CVC | C → CC *does not apply to y | rip(v.) | ripping | ripped | ripper(n.) | -- |
big(adj.) | -- | -- | bigger(adj.) | biggest | ||
stress on last syllable2 and ends in -CVC | C → CC | begín(v.) | begínning | (irregular) | begínner | -- |
refér(v.) | reférring | reférred | reférrer | -- | ||
Notes:
1 An “agent noun” is a noun that typically does or causes an action. For example: cleaner = someone or something that cleans things
2 There are very few words that fit this pattern. Most verbs and adjectives that end in CVC will not have stress on the first syllable, and so they will follow regular spelling conventions: