- -Able. When the stem word ends with 'e', drop the 'e' and add '-able'.
- -Ible. Because English has plenty of irregular words, sometimes this 'drop the e rule' does not apply. All you can do is try to remember the irregular words.
- Stem Words. Use -ible or -able with a root word to complete each sentence. I am for these children so I must take good care of them.
What is the difference between ible and able in grammar?
Another rule that is simpler to remember is that when the root in itself is a complete word making sense, it is the suffix able that is used while when the root is complex and does not make a word in itself, ible is the suffix that is used.
Do silent e words take -ible or -able?
However, as you can see by the size of the list, it is much less common for a silent E word to take “-ible” rather than “-able.” If a word ends in a silent E, it will most likely take the “-able” suffix (and base words ending in “-ate” can only take “-able”).
When does the word'-able'end in-ible?
For example, access/ible ends in -ible even though it is formed from a recognisable root word ( access). Here are some common ‘-able’ words which have no recognisable root form but still take ‘-able’. 4. Some spelling rules 1. What happens when you add -able to these verbs?
How do you know if a base word is -ible or -able?
As with the Latin roots, there are generally no indications in the base word’s spelling to indicate when “-ible” is correct, except for one: base words ending in “-uct” will (almost) always take “-ible” rather than “-able.”
What is the rule for adding able?
When the base word is a complete and recognizable word, you will usually use -able. When the base word ends in -e, you should remove then -e, then add -able. Leave the -e when the word ends in -ce or -ge. If you must double the final consonant of the base word or change the final -y to i, add -able.
What is the rule for IBLY and ably?
o If the root word ends in –able, we use –ably. o If the root word ends in –ible, we use –ibly. Which looks right? Some words are spelled with a y but sound like an i. If there is a short I vowel sound in the middle of the word, it may be spelled with a y.
What Are able and ible words?
Words ending in “-able” or “-ible” The suffixes “-able” and “-ible” are both used to form adjectives meaning “possible, capable of, suitable for, or causing.” Of the two, “-able” is much more common: it is what's known as a “living” or “productive” suffix, meaning that it is still being used to create new words.
How do you know if a word ends in able or ible?
The suffixes -able and -ible both mean capable of or suitable for, but we treat them differently. The most important difference is that -able is a living suffix, meaning we can affix it to virtually any verb without using a hyphen, while -ible is not used to make new words.
What is the rule of CIAL and tial?
–cial is common after a vowel letter and –tial after a consonant letter, but there are some exceptions. Exceptions: initial, financial, commercial, provincial (the spelling of the last three is clearly related to finance, commerce and province).
What words end in IBLY?
8-letter words that end in iblyterribly.horribly.feasibly.sensibly.tensibly.inedibly.credibly.vincibly.More items...
What does ible do to a word?
An adjective suffix, now usually in a passive sense; forms adjectives meaning "able to be", "relevant or suitable to, in accordance with", or expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense.
What does suffix ible mean?
able to be(also -able) used to form adjectives meaning "able to be": convertible. accessible. permissible.
What rule applies when adding able or ible to a root word ending in e?
If the root word ends in 'e' then usually we drop the 'e': value + able = valuable, desire + able = desirable, move + able = movable, believable, excitable. BUT words that keep the 'e' are: saleable, hireable, sizeable, likeable, nameable.
Do you drop the e when adding able?
The key rule is that, most of the time, you should drop the “e” from the end of a word when adding a suffix that begins with a vowel (e.g., “-ing,” “-ed” or “-able”).
Can able be added to any word?
-Able is a cool suffix that allows you to describe things in new and interesting ways. Adding -able to a word makes it into an adjective that indicates something or someone is capable of or worthy of something. For instance, if a doughnut is dunkable, that means it can be dipped into a cup of milk or coffee.
Can you add able to any verb?
The best way to cut it short and still convey your message is adding -able to any verb. Yeah, it's doable - I considered all risks, resources to be used, my endurance, budget and the like. Also, I know you cannot sleep with any disturbance around.
Why do we use "able" and "ible"?
Because “-able” is so commonly used with existing base words, the most common tip to remembering the “-ible” variation is that it is usually used with Latin roots that cannot stand alone as words.
What does "ible" mean in spelling?
Sometimes an “-ible” word is related to an existing base word, but the spelling must change slightly to accommodate it. This also occurs with certain words when they attach to “-able” (e.g., when the suffix replaces “-ate” or “-y” becomes “-i-”), but “-ible” can result in much more drastic changes to the spelling of the base word.
What is the difference between edible and eatable?
The words eatable and edible are nearly identical in meaning, but there is a subtle distinction in the way each is applied. Edible is most commonly used to describe something that is fit to be eaten. For example, a piece of fruit is edible, but imitation plastic fruit is inedible.
What is the most common spelling change made to a word when “-able” is attached?
The most common spelling change made to a word when “-able” is attached is for silent E to be omitted from the end of the word and replaced with the suffix (though this is not always the case). For example:
What does "defensible" mean?
Defensible is generally used to describe something that is capable of being defended through logical (i.e., non-physical) means, such as an idea or a decision. While it can also relate to physical defense (such as in combat), the former meaning is much more common.
What is the silent E in the word ageing?
discoura ged, discoura ging. mana ged, mana ger, mana ging. (*In British English, the silent E is usually kept in the word ageing, whereas it is usually omitted in American English.) While most common when coming after C/G + E, this convention of keeping E before “-able” does occur after other consonants as well.
What does "able" mean in a sentence?
Words ending in “-able” or “-ible”. The suffixes “-able” and “-ible” are both used to form adjectives meaning “possible, capable of, suitable for, or causing.”. Of the two, “-able” is much more common: it is what’s known as a “living” or “productive” suffix, meaning that it is still being used to create new words.
What does "ible" mean when a word ends?
When a word ends in -ible, it's less likely that the part before the ending will be a recognizable English word. Take permissible or audible, for example: ‘permiss’ and ‘aud’ are not English words. This is only a guideline and there are exceptions to the general principle. For example, accessible and collapsible both end in -ible ...
What does "able" mean in a word?
When a word ends in -able, the main part of the word (i.e. the bit that comes before the -able ending) is usually a complete word in itself. For example: bearable (from bear ), readable, (from read ), and acceptable (from accept ).
What words end in "ible"?
Here are some common words ending in -ible: illegible; responsible; eligible; incredible; reversible; invincible; suggestible; contemptible; feasible; negligible; susceptible; convertible; flexible; ostensible;
What does "ible" mean when a word ends?
When a word ends in -ible, the part before the ending is not usually a recognizable English word e.g. ‘terr ible ‘ or ‘horr ible ‘ come from ‘terror’ and ‘horror’ but ‘terr-‘ and ‘horr-‘ are not recognisable English words. ‘-ible’ is only used in older (Latin) words that have survived into modern English. 2. How to remember the difference.
What does "able" mean in French?
Answer. Words which end in ‘-able’ have a recognisable ‘root’ word at the start. ‘- able’ words usually come from French and ‘-able’ is a ‘living’ suffix, meaning that it is still being used to create new words e.g. ‘That name is unpronounceable!’ (unable to be pronounced)
When to use suffix "able"?
Rule 1 – If the root word seems to be a complete word in itself then it is safe to add the suffix ‘able.’. Rule 2 – In the case wherein the root word isn’t a completely spelled word then use the suffix ‘ible.’. These rules can best be shown in the following examples.
How many words have the suffix "ible"?
It is estimated that there are about 180 words that have the suffix ‘ible.’. Some of the most common examples of words that make use of ‘ible’ are: accessible, audible, combustible, comprehensible, irreversible and many more. The suffix ‘able’ can also be attached to words with a Latin root but only in rare occasions.
Why do we use the suffix "acceptable"?
In the word ‘acceptable,’ one uses the suffix ‘able’ because the word ‘accept’ as the root word is a completely spelled word. Hence, it is inappropriate if one uses ‘ible’ like ‘acceptible.’. For the second rule, the word ‘compatible’ uses the suffix ‘ible’ because the root word ‘compat’ is not a complete word.
What are the words that are connected to the suffix "ible"?
The words access, contempt, digest, flex, and suggest are best connected to the suffix ‘ible’ even if these terms are complete root words. Hence these will become accessible, digestible, suggestible, flexible and contemptible. There are still other exceptions not listed here. 1.
Can you use "able" and "ible" with root words?
To those who are accustomed to English writing, distinguishing when to use one from the other is not a hard task to do. Once one gets used to it, one need not take note of the rules behind the usage. But for beginners, there are some rules to be followed in using the suffix ‘able’ and ‘ible’ with certain root words.