Adding Suffixes to Root Words (-ly, -y)

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Content Adding Suffixes to Root Words (-ly, -y)

Adding Suffixes to Words
Adding Suffixes -y & -ly to Root Words (-y, -ly)
Adding Suffixes – Rules

Rules for the Suffix -y
Rules for the Suffix -ly

Adding Suffixes to Root Words – Summary

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Basics on the topic Adding Suffixes to Root Words (-ly, -y)

Adding Suffixes to Words

Sometimes we want to change something about a word. We may need a plural or to change the part of speech or to talk about opposites. We can use affixes to do this.

Affixes are letters or groups of letters that we add to root words to make these changes. There are two types of affixes:

Prefixes: You put them at the front of words. Here are some examples.

Prefix	Root word	New word
un-	friendly	unfriendly
pre-	heat	preheat
re-	do	redo

Suffixes: You add them to the end of words. Here are some examples.

Suffix	Root word	New word
-s	dog	dogs
-ed	walk	walked
-er	jump	jumper

There are other kinds of suffixes you can add to root words. Today, we will be learning about the suffixes -y and -ly. The suffix -y usually changes nouns into adjectives. The suffix -ly usually changes adjectives into adverbs. Below you can find rules for adding suffixes to root words.

Adding Suffixes -y & -ly to Root Words (-y, -ly)

Just like people, words have families too: these are groups of related words. The most important family member is the root word. You can also call this the base word. We can make related words by adding prefixes and suffixes to words. In this article, you’ll learn about adding -y and -ly to root words to make new words. You often do this when you want to change the type of word, for example from a noun to an adjective, or an adjective to an adverb.

This article will teach you the adding suffixes rules, so you’ll know all about adding suffixes to root words. You’ll learn the rules for doubling consonants, dropping letters, adding letters and swapping letters.

Adding Suffixes – Rules

Here are the rules for the suffix -y:

If the noun is a CVC word, double the last letter and add -y.
If the noun ends in a consonant then -e, drop the -e, and add -y.
If the noun does not end in an -e, or is not a CVC word, just add the -y.

Here are the rules for the suffix -ly:

If the adjective ends with -y, swap the -y for an -i, and add -ly.
If the adjective ends with -le, drop the -le and add -ly.
If the adjective does not end with -y or -le, just add -ly.

Rules for the Suffix -y

You usually add -y to a noun (for example wind) to make an adjective (for example windy). Here we can see some spelling rules for adding suffixes.

Root word	Rule	New word
fun	For consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, double the last letter and add -y	funny
nut	For consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, double the last letter and add -y	nutty
bag	For consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words, double the last letter and add -y	baggy
ice	For nouns that end in a consonant then -e, drop the -e and add -y	icy
ease	For nouns that end in a consonant then -e, drop the -e and add -y	easy
stone	For nouns that end in a consonant then -e, drop the -e and add -y	stony
dust	For nouns that don’t end in an -e, or are not CVC words, just add -y	dusty
leaf	For nouns that don’t end in an -e, or are not CVC words, just add -y	leafy
sugar	For nouns that don’t end in an -e, or are not CVC words, just add -y	sugary

Rules for the Suffix -ly

You usually add -ly to an adjective (for example slow) to make an adverb (for example slowly). Let’s have a look below at some root words to add suffixes to.

Root word	Rule	New word
happy	For adjectives that end with -y, swap the -y for an -i, and add -ly.	happily
pretty	For adjectives that end with -y, swap the -y for an -i, and add -ly.	prettily
angry	For adjectives that end with -y, swap the -y for an -i, and add -ly.	angrily
probable	For adjectives that end with -le, drop the -le and add -ly.	probably
capable	For adjectives that end with -le, drop the -le and add -ly.	capably
sensible	For adjectives that end with -le, drop the -le and add -ly.	sensibly
eager	For adjectives that don’t end with -y or -le, just add -ly.	eagerly
sad	For adjectives that don’t end with -y or -le, just add -ly.	sadly
loud	For adjectives that don’t end with -y or -le, just add -ly.	loudly

Adding Suffixes to Root Words – Summary

Now you know that a suffix is a letter or group of letters that is added onto the end of a root word.

You can add a -y to the end of nouns to make adjectives.
You can add an -ly to the end of adjectives to make adverbs.

Need adding suffixes to root words worksheets? You’ll find an adding suffixes worksheet along with interactive exercises and activities after watching the video.

Transcript Adding Suffixes to Root Words (-ly, -y)

"Hey, it's wind! Look at that person going by quick!" "I think you meant it's windy, look at that person going by quickly." "You forgot your suffixes." "My what, now?!" Let's help Pip learn all about suffixes by adding suffixes to root words. Suffixes are letters that are added to the end of root words that can change the word meaning. Today, we will be learning about the suffixes -y and -ly. First, let's look at the different rules for the suffix, -y. The suffix -y usually changes nouns into adjectives. Here is the first rule: If the noun is a CVC word, double the last letter and add Y. For example, fog is a CVC word, so double the G, and add Y... to make the adjective, foggy. What about the noun, run? Run is also a CVC word, so double the N and add Y to make the adjective runny. Here is the next rule: If the noun ends in a consonant then E, drop the E and add Y. For example, breeze has a consonant then E so drop the E and add Y to make the adjective breezy. What about the noun, cheese? Cheese has a consonant then E so drop the E and add Y to make the adjective cheesy. Here is the final rule for the suffix -y: If the noun does not end in an E, or is not a CVC word, just add the -y. Wind does not end in an E, and is not a CVC word, so add Y to the end to make the adjective windy. What about the noun, cloud? Cloud does not end in an E, and is not a CVC word, so add Y to the end to make the word cloudy. Now, let's look at the suffix -ly. The suffix -ly usually changes adjectives into adverbs. Here is the first rule: If the adjective ends with Y, swap the Y for an I, and add -ly. Merry ends with Y, so swap the Y for an I, and add -ly to make the adverb merrily. What about the adjective, funny? Funny ends with a Y so swap the Y for an I, and add -ly to make the adverb funnily. Here is the next rule: If the adjective ends with le, drop the le and add -ly. Terrible ends with le, so drop the le, and add -ly to make the adverb terribly. What about the adjective, gentle? Gentle ends with le so drop the le, and add -ly to make the adverb gently. Here is the final rule for the suffix -ly: If the adjective does not end with Y or le, just add -ly. Quick ends in neither Y or le, so just add -ly to make the adverb quickly. What about the adjective, quiet? Quiet ends in neither Y nor le so just add -ly. to make the adverb quietly. Whilst Koko and Pip finish up in the coffee shop let's review! The suffix Y usually changes nouns into adjectives. The suffix -ly usually changes adjectives into adverbs. Here are the rules for the suffix Y. Here are the rules for the suffix -ly. It seems Dundee has been standing in this windy weather all this time. Maybe they're quietly people watching from outside the coffee shop!

Adding Suffixes to Root Words (-ly, -y) exercise

Would you like to apply the knowledge you’ve learnt? You can review and practice it with the tasks for the video Adding Suffixes to Root Words (-ly, -y).

Add a suffix to the CVC word.

Hints

When adding suffixes to CVC words, double the last consonant and add -y.

As an example, yum becomes yummy.

Solution

Fog becomes foggy.
When adding suffixes to CVC words, double the last consonant and add -y.
Adding suffixes.
Hints
When an adjective ends in a y, change the y into an i, then add -ly.

For example:
- Sleepy becomes sleepily
- Easy becomes easily
Solution
When an adjective ends in a y, change the y into an i, then add -ly.
- Greasy becomes greasily.
- Tidy becomes tidily.
- Guilty becomes guiltily.
- Mighty becomes mightily.
Add the suffix -ly.
Hints
When an adjective ends in le, drop the le and add ly.

Example:
- Terrible becomes terribly.
- Wobble becomes wobbly.
Solution
When an adjective ends in le, drop the le and add ly.
- Cuddle becomes cuddly.
- Bubble becomes bubbly.
- Prickle becomes prickly.
- Crumble becomes crumbly.
Which suffix would we add to the word?
Hints

When a word has a consonant, followed by the letter e on the end, we drop the e and replace it with the suffix -y.
Example: Noise becomes noisy

When an adjective ends in le, drop the le and add -ly.
Example: Terrible becomes terribly
Wobble becomes wobbly

If an adjective does not end with y OR le, just add ly.
Example: Slow becomes slowly.

Solution
- Gentle and puddle both end with the letters le, so this is swapped for the -ly suffix.
Gentle becomes gently.
Puddle becomes puddly.
- Wave and smoke both end with a consonant and then the letter e, so the e is dropped and the -y suffix is added.
Wave becomes wavy.
Smoke becomes smoky.
- Quick is an adjective that does not end with y or le, so we just add ly.
Quick becomes quickly.
Which words use the suffix -y?

Hints

When a word has a consonant, followed by the letter e on the end, we drop the e and replace it with the suffix -y.

Example: noise becomes noisy.

Solution

Cheese becomes cheesy and breeze becomes breezy.
When a word has a consonant, followed by the letter e on the end, we drop the e and replace it with the suffix -y.
Can you use the suffixes correctly?
Hints

When adding suffixes to CVC words, double the last consonant and add -y.
Example: yum becomes yummy.

When an adjective ends in a y, change the y into an i, then add -ly.
Example: Sleepy becomes sleepily

When an adjective ends in le, drop the le and add ly.
Example: Terrible becomes terribly

When a word has a consonant followed by the letter e on the end, we drop the e and replace it with the suffix -y.
Example: Noise becomes noisy

Solution
- Bag is a CVC word, so double the g and add -y. Bag becomes baggy.
- Bone ends in a consonant and then e, so drop the e and add -y. Bone becomes bony.
- Happy ends in a y, so change the y to an i and add -ly. Happy becomes happily.
- Flexible ends in le, so drop the le and change for -ly. Flexible becomes flexibly.