Detailed Explanation of Words with -able and -ible 📚✍️
When learning English vocabulary in Year 6, it is important to understand words with the suffixes -able and -ible. These two endings are commonly added to verbs to make adjectives, which describe something that can be done or has a quality. Knowing the difference between these suffixes helps you spell words correctly and expand your vocabulary.
What Are -able and -ible Suffixes? 🤔
Both -able and -ible mean “can be done” or “worthy of.” For example:
- Comfortable means “able to be comfortable.”
- Possible means “able to happen.”
These suffixes turn verbs (action words) or nouns into adjectives that describe things.
When to Use -able ✅
Follow these simple rules to use -able correctly:
- -able is used when a whole word can stand alone as a verb before adding the suffix.
- Example: enjoy → enjoyable (because “enjoy” is a full word on its own)
- Example: read → readable
- Most words ending with -able come from English words or sometimes French words.
- Words ending in -ably usually come from verbs meaning something “can be done in a certain way“:
- Comfort → comfortable
- Adopt → adoptable
- If the base word ends with an e, usually you keep the e before adding -able.
- Example: move → movable
When to Use -ible ❗
-ible is used less often and usually attaches to Latin roots where the base word cannot stand alone as a verb.
- Many words with -ible do not have a complete word before them.
- Example: possible (the root “poss” isn’t a word by itself)
- Example: visible (the root “vis” isn’t a word on its own)
- Words ending with -ibly often come from Latin.
Common Exceptions ⚠️
English has exceptions, so here are some tricky words you should remember:
- reasonable (ends with -able) but comes from a root that is not a full word on its own
- edible (ends with -ible) because it comes from Latin
- reliable and reversible are -able, even though they could seem to fit the other rule
Tips for Remembering the Differences 🧠
- When in doubt, check if the root word stands alone; if yes, use -able.
- Many words ending in -ible are short and from Latin.
- Put the word in a sentence to see if it makes sense as an adjective meaning “can be done.”
- Practice spelling tricky ones by breaking the words into their root plus suffix.
Why Are These Suffixes Important? 🌟
Suffixes like -able and -ible help us make many new words from smaller root words. Learning the right spelling increases your vocabulary, helps with reading new words, and improves your writing skills. They also help you understand the meanings of words better because the suffix gives clues about what kind of word it is.
By remembering the rules for -able and -ible and practising regularly, you’ll find it easier to spell and use lots of new adjectives correctly in your work!
20 Examination-Style Questions with Answers on Words with -able and -ible for Year 6 📝✅
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Multiple Choice: Which word is spelled correctly?
a) Possable
b) Possible
c) Posible
Answer: b) Possible
Explanation: The correct spelling is “possible,” which ends with -ible. -
Fill in the Blank:
The box was _______________ enough to carry all the books.
Answer: durable
Explanation: “Durable” means strong and lasting, ending with -able. -
Multiple Choice: Choose the word that ends with -able.
a) sensible
b) movable
c) horrible
Answer: b) movable
Explanation: “Movable” ends with -able, while the others end with -ible. -
Spelling Correction: Correct the spelling mistake in the word below:
“responcable”
Answer: responsible
Explanation: The correct word is “responsible,” ending with -ible. -
Fill in the Blank:
This rule is _______________ to everyone in the school.
Answer: applicable
Explanation: “Applicable” ends with -able, meaning it can be applied. -
Multiple Choice: Which word means “able to be seen”?
a) visible
b) visable
c) visibele
Answer: a) visible
Explanation: The correct spelling is “visible,” ending with -ible. -
Fill in the Blank:
The story was so _______________ that I couldn’t stop reading.
Answer: enjoyable
Explanation: “Enjoyable” ends in -able and means something you enjoy. -
Spelling Correction: Correct the word:
“credable”
Answer: credible
Explanation: The correct spelling is “credible,” ending with -ible, meaning believable. -
Multiple Choice: Which word is the meaning of “able to be trusted”?
a) dependable
b) dependible
c) dependable
Answer: a) dependable
Explanation: “Dependable” (option a) is the correct spelling and means trustworthy. -
Fill in the Blank:
The cake is _______________ for the party tonight.
Answer: edible
Explanation: “Edible” ends with -ible and means that it is safe to eat. -
Multiple Choice: Which word ends with -ible?
a) confortable
b) visible
c) payble
Answer: b) visible
Explanation: “Visible” ends with -ible, the others are misspelled. -
Fill in the Blank:
This machine is _______________, so you can carry it anywhere.
Answer: portable
Explanation: “Portable” ends in -able and means easy to carry. -
Spelling Correction: Fix the spelling mistake:
“audiblee”
Answer: audible
Explanation: “Audible” ends with -ible and means able to be heard. -
Multiple Choice: Which word is spelled correctly?
a) resistable
b) resistible
c) resisstable
Answer: b) resistible
Explanation: The correct spelling “resistible” ends with -ible and means able to be resisted. -
Fill in the Blank:
Your explanation was _______________ to help me understand the problem.
Answer: understandable
Explanation: “Understandable” ends with -able and means easy to understand. -
Multiple Choice: Choose the correct spelling:
a) accessable
b) accessible
c) accesible
Answer: b) accessible
Explanation: “Accessible” ends with -ible and means able to be reached. -
Fill in the Blank:
The museum is _______________ to visitors on weekends.
Answer: openable
Explanation: “Openable” ends with -able, meaning able to be opened. -
Spelling Correction: Find the mistake and correct it:
“flexable”
Answer: flexible
Explanation: The correct spelling is “flexible,” ending with -ible, meaning able to bend easily. -
Multiple Choice: Which of these means “able to be changed”?
a) inchangeable
b) changeible
c) changeable
Answer: c) changeable
Explanation: “Changeable” ends with -able and means able to be changed. -
Fill in the Blank:
The instructions were _______________ so everyone knew what to do.
Answer: comprehensible
Explanation: “Comprehensible” ends with -ible and means able to be understood.
Study Tip: When you see a word ending with -able or -ible, try to remember that most words ending in -able come from complete words, and those ending in -ible often come from Latin roots. Practising spellings and breaking words into parts can help you learn them better!
