New
New
Year 6
Spelling words with the comparative suffix -er
I can apply spelling rules to spell words with the comparative suffix -er.
New
New
Year 6
Spelling words with the comparative suffix -er
I can apply spelling rules to spell words with the comparative suffix -er.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- If the root word ends in 'y', remove the 'y' and add -ier.
- If the root word ends in 'e', remove the 'e' and add -er.
- If the root word contains a short vowel sound, double the consonant and add -er.
- 'Good' is irregular as it does not follow the same pattern. Instead we have good, better and best.
- How to spell the curriculum words: necessary and average.
Keywords
Suffix - a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word
Root word - the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes
Comparative - the form of an adjective or adverb that compares two or more things
Common misconception
Pupils often forget to double the consonant when adding the suffix -er.
Show non-examples when the consonant has not been doubled after a short vowel sound (hot-hoter). Explain how this alters our pronunciation.
Ensure pupils are aware that whilst we can add the suffix -er to many adjectives to create a comparative adjective, some adjectives are irregular. Discuss words such as 'good' and 'bad' and any others that pupils come up with.
Teacher tip
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
Loading...
Starter quiz
Download starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.
Identify the adjectives in this sentence: The bright, white moon shone in the sky.
moon
shone
sky
Q2.
How many syllables are in the following words: colder, fresher, faster.
1
3
4
Q3.
Select the suffixes.
un-
de-
Q4.
Select all the words containing the suffix -er.
referring
hopeless
Q5.
Match the words ending with the suffix -er to their root words.
heavier
bigger
calmer
braver
Q6.
What rule is being used when the word 'quick' becomes 'quicker' when adding the suffix -er?
Remove the ‘y’ and add -ier.
Remove the ‘e’ and add -er.
Double the consonant and add -er.
Exit quiz
Download exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.
The suffixes -er and -est help us to...
change the tense of a word.
create a plural noun.
create an adjective.
Q2.
What rule is being used when the word 'flat' becomes 'flatter' when adding the suffix -er?
Just add -er.
Remove the ‘y’ and add -ier.
Remove the ‘e’ and add -er.
Q3.
What rule is being used when the word 'early' becomes 'earlier' when adding the suffix -er?
Just add -er.
Remove the ‘e’ and add -er.
Double the consonant and add -er.
Q4.
What rule is being used when the word 'safe' becomes 'safer' when adding the suffix -er?
Just add -er.
Remove the ‘y’ and add -ier.
Double the consonant and add -er.
Q5.
What rule is being used when the word 'quiet' becomes 'quieter' when adding the suffix -er?
Remove the ‘y’ and add -ier.
Remove the ‘e’ and add -er.
Double the consonant and add -er.
Q6.
Write the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: I took the largr piece of cake!
Additional material
Download additional material