Prefix and Suffix Spelling Review
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Prefix and Suffix Spelling Review" is written for 5th Grade (Ages 10-11), and it covers Common Core L.5.2.E. If your little one is a year younger but already steady on spelling, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and prefixes and suffixes never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.


5th grade spelling worksheet: build words with a prefix, base and suffix, then fix misspelled words in sentences. Answer key included. Part of our prefixes and suffixes spelling collection. Aligned to Common Core standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Have your child write each word as its parts first (dis + appear) before writing the whole word. Point out the double letters that come from joining parts. Check with the answer key and keep a list of misspellings to retest.
What students will practice
- Students will add the prefixes un, re and dis while keeping every letter of the base word.
- Students will change a final consonant plus y to i before ful, less and ness.
- Students will spell nouns ending in tion and sion and correct misspelled words.
Curriculum Links
Common Core State Standards
Reading · 5th Grade
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FAQ
How do I use this prefixes and suffixes worksheet?
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Have your child write each word as its parts first (dis + appear) before writing the whole word. Point out the double letters that come from joining parts. Check with the answer key and keep a list of misspellings to retest.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Build words with a prefix, base and suffix, then fix misspelled words in sentences. A prefix goes before a base word and a suffix goes after it. Keep the base word whole, but change a consonant plus y to i. The directions on the page read: Add the word parts and write the new word. Then, find the misspelled word in each sentence and write it correctly. The page opens with a worked example, and the answer key shows every answer.
Can I use this prefixes and suffixes worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 5th Grade spelling, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with prefixes and suffixes. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.
Why do words like unnecessary have double letters?
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When a prefix ends with the same letter the base word starts with, both letters stay: un + necessary keeps two n's and dis + satisfied keeps two s's. Prefixes never change the base word.
When does y change to i before a suffix?
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When the base word ends in a consonant plus y, as in happy, beauty and penny. The y becomes i before ful, less or ness: happiness, beautiful, penniless.
How do you choose between tion and sion?
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Most verbs take tion (protect, protection). Many verbs ending in d, de, se or ss take sion (decide, decision; discuss, discussion).
Is there an answer key for each worksheet?
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Yes. All four sheets have an answer key that shows every spelling, so a parent or teacher can check the work in a minute.
What spelling skills should a 5th grader have?
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5th graders are expected to spell grade-level words correctly and consult references when needed (CCSS L.5.2.E). In practice that means spelling words with prefixes and suffixes, choosing tricky endings like able or ible, handling double consonants and silent letters, and breaking long words into syllables.
How do you know whether a word ends in able or ible?
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A useful rule of thumb: if the root is a complete word, the ending is usually able (comfortable, readable). If the root is not a word on its own, it is usually ible (visible, possible). The word endings pages practice this and the ant and ent, ance and ence pairs.
How can my child spell long words correctly?
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Say the word slowly and split it into syllables, then spell one syllable at a time. Pay extra attention to the unstressed syllable, where vowels often sound like uh (the schwa sound), as in the a of about. The multisyllabic words pages walk through this step by step.
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