Drop E or Keep E Before Suffixes | Spelling Rule

✂️Spelling Rules

Suffixes — When to Drop E & When to Keep E

When you add a suffix to a word ending in silent E, do you keep the E or drop it? Is it ‘making’ or ‘makeing’? ‘Hopeful’ or ‘hopful’? ‘Truly’ or ‘truely’? The rule is simple but has important exceptions!

Golden Rule: Drop E before vowel suffixes (-ing, -ed, -able, -ous). Keep E before consonant suffixes (-ful, -ment, -ness, -ly). Exceptions: truly, argument, noticeable. This page covers all 50 key examples!

✂️ Drop E Before -ING ✅

makingmakeing ✗⭐

MAYK-ing

Creating

💡 make→making (drop E before -ing!)

“She is making chai.”

comingcomeing ✗⭐

KUM-ing

Arriving

💡 come→coming

“He is coming tomorrow.”

writingwriteing ✗⭐

RY-ting

Putting words down

💡 write→writing

“I’m writing a letter.”

havinghaveing ✗⭐

HAV-ing

Possessing

💡 have→having

“We’re having fun!”

givinggiveing ✗⭐

GIV-ing

Offering

💡 give→giving

“She is giving gifts.”

takingtakeing ✗⭐

TAY-king

Grabbing

💡 take→taking

“He’s taking the bus.”

livingliveing ✗⭐

LIV-ing

Residing/being alive

💡 live→living

“Living in Mumbai.”

losingloseing ✗⭐⭐

LOO-zing

Not winning

💡 lose→losing

“We’re losing the game!”

movingmoveing ✗⭐

MOO-ving

Changing position

💡 move→moving

“The car is moving.”

dancingdanceing ✗⭐

DAN-sing

Moving to music

💡 dance→dancing

“She loves dancing!”

✂️ Drop E Before -ED, -ER, -ABLE

lovedloveed ✗⭐

LUVD

Past of love

💡 love→loved (drop E!)

“She loved the gift.”

hopedhopeed ✗⭐

HOHPT

Past of hope

💡 hope→hoped

“We hoped for rain.”

useduseed ✗⭐

YOOZD

Past of use

💡 use→used

“I used a pencil.”

largerlargeer ✗⭐

LAR-jer

More large

💡 large→larger

“A larger portion please.”

nicerniceer ✗⭐

NY-ser

More nice

💡 nice→nicer

“She is nicer today.”

lovableloveable ✗⭐⭐

LUV-uh-bul

Easy to love

💡 love→lovable (drop E! both spellings OK)

“A lovable puppy.”

valuablevalueable ✗⭐⭐

VAL-yoo-uh-bul

Worth a lot

💡 value→valuable

“Valuable advice.”

adorableadoreable ✗⭐⭐

uh-DOR-uh-bul

Very cute

💡 adore→adorable

“An adorable baby.”

excitableexciteable ✗⭐⭐

ik-SY-tuh-bul

Easily excited

💡 excite→excitable

“An excitable puppy.”

desirabledesireable ✗⭐⭐

dih-ZY-ruh-bul

Worth wanting

💡 desire→desirable

“A desirable outcome.”

✅ Keep E Before -FUL, -MENT, -NESS

hopefulhopful ✗⭐

HOHP-ful

Full of hope

💡 hope→hopeFUL (keep E!)

“Stay hopeful!”

carefulcarful ✗⭐

KAIR-ful

Taking care

💡 care→careFUL

“Be careful crossing the road.”

usefulusful ✗⭐

YOOS-ful

Helpful, practical

💡 use→useFUL

“A useful tool.”

wastefulwastful ✗⭐

WAYST-ful

Using too much

💡 waste→wasteFUL

“Don’t be wasteful.”

peacefulpeacful ✗⭐

PEESS-ful

Calm, quiet

💡 peace→peaceFUL

“A peaceful morning.”

arrangementarrangment ✗⭐⭐

uh-RAYNJ-munt

A plan/setup

💡 arrange→arrangeMENT

“A flower arrangement.”

excitementexcitment ✗⭐⭐

ik-SYT-munt

Thrilling feeling

💡 excite→exciteMENT

“The excitement was building!”

achievementachievment ✗⭐⭐

uh-CHEEV-munt

Something accomplished

💡 achieve→achieveMENT

“A great achievement.”

lonelinesslonlyness ✗⭐⭐

LOHN-lee-ness

Being alone

💡 lonely→loneliNESS (Y→I+NESS)

“Loneliness is hard.”

awarenessawarness ✗⭐⭐

uh-WAIR-ness

Knowing about

💡 aware→awareNESS

“Environmental awareness.”

⚠️ EXCEPTIONS — Drop E Before Consonants!

trulytruely ✗⭐⭐

TROO-lee

Really

💡 EXCEPTION! true→truly (drop E before -ly!)

“I truly appreciate it.”

argumentarguement ✗⭐⭐

AR-gyoo-munt

Disagreement

💡 EXCEPTION! argue→argument (drop E before -ment!)

“Avoid arguments.”

ninthnineth ✗⭐⭐

NYNTH

Number 9th

💡 EXCEPTION! nine→ninth (drop E!)

“The ninth floor.”

whollywholely ✗⭐⭐

HOH-lee

Completely

💡 EXCEPTION! whole→wholly (drop E!)

“I wholly agree.”

dulyduely ✗⭐⭐

DOO-lee

Properly

💡 EXCEPTION! due→duly (drop E!)

“Duly noted.”

awfulaweful ✗⭐⭐

AW-ful

Terrible

💡 EXCEPTION! awe→awful (drop E!)

“The weather was awful.”

wisdomwisedome ✗⭐⭐

WIZ-dum

Deep knowledge

💡 EXCEPTION! wise→wisdom (drop E!)

“Words of wisdom.”

widthwideth ✗⭐⭐

WIDTH

How wide

💡 EXCEPTION! wide→width (drop E!)

“Measure the width.”

judgmentjudgement ✗⭐⭐

JUJ-munt

A decision

💡 judge→judgment (US) or judgement (UK) — both OK!

“Use good judgment.”

acknowledgmentacknowledgement ✗⭐⭐

ak-NOL-ij-munt

Recognition

💡 acknowledge→acknowledgment (US) or acknowledgement (UK)

“A letter of acknowledgment.”

🔊 Keep E to Preserve Sound (CE, GE)

noticeablenoticable ✗⭐⭐

NOH-tis-uh-bul

Can be noticed

💡 KEEP E! notice→noticeable (E keeps C soft!)

“A noticeable improvement.”

manageablemanagable ✗⭐⭐

MAN-ij-uh-bul

Can be handled

💡 KEEP E! manage→manageable (E keeps G soft!)

“The task is manageable.”

changeablechangable ✗⭐⭐

CHAYNJ-uh-bul

Likely to change

💡 KEEP E! change→changeable (E keeps G soft!)

“Changeable weather.”

traceabletracable ✗⭐⭐

TRAY-suh-bul

Can be traced

💡 KEEP E! trace→traceable (E keeps C soft!)

“The package is traceable.”

replaceablereplacable ✗⭐⭐

rih-PLAY-suh-bul

Can be replaced

💡 KEEP E! replace→replaceable (E keeps C soft!)

“Easily replaceable parts.”

peaceablepeacable ✗⭐⭐

PEE-suh-bul

Peaceful in nature

💡 KEEP E! peace→peaceable (E keeps C soft!)

“A peaceable community.”

courageouscouragous ✗⭐⭐

kuh-RAY-jus

Very brave

💡 KEEP E! courage→courageous (E keeps G soft!)

“A courageous firefighter.”

outrageousoutragous ✗⭐⭐

owt-RAY-jus

Shockingly bad

💡 KEEP E! outrage→outrageous (E keeps G soft!)

“An outrageous price!”

advantageousadvantagous ✗⭐⭐

ad-van-TAY-jus

Beneficial

💡 KEEP E! advantage→advantageous

“An advantageous position.”

gorgeousgorgeus ✗⭐⭐

GOR-jus

Very beautiful

💡 KEEP E-like pattern! gorgeOUS

“A gorgeous sunset!”

📐 5 Spelling Rules

Drop E Before Vowel Suffixes (-ing, -ed, -er, -able)

make→making, hope→hoped, nice→nicer, love→lovable. The vowel suffix ‘replaces’ the silent E.

✅ making, hoping, used, larger, lovable, adorable

Keep E Before Consonant Suffixes (-ful, -ment, -ness, -ly)

hope→hopeful, excite→excitement, aware→awareness. E stays before consonants.

✅ hopeful, careful, excitement, achievement, awareness

Exception: Drop E in truly, argument, ninth

A few common words break the ‘keep E before consonant’ rule: true→truly, argue→argument, nine→ninth.

✅ truly, argument, ninth, wholly, duly, awful, wisdom

Keep E After CE/GE Before -ABLE/-OUS

noticeable, manageable, courageous — E keeps the C/G soft. Without E: ‘noticable’ would sound like ‘notik-able’!

✅ noticeable, manageable, changeable, courageous, outrageous

UK vs US: -MENT Words

British English sometimes keeps E: judgement, acknowledgement. American English drops it: judgment, acknowledgment. Both are correct in India!

✅ UK: judgement | US: judgment | Both OK in India

🐝 Spelling Quiz

1. make + ing = ?

2. hope + ful = ?

3. true + ly = ?

4. notice + able = ?

5. argue + ment = ?

6. care + ful = ?

7. courage + ous = ?

8. Drop E before vowel or consonant suffixes?

9. Why keep E in ‘noticeable’?

10. love + able = ?

🔀 Word Scramble

Unscramble the letters

GNIAMK

LUEPHOF

LYRUT

GTNMUEAR

BALCIEETNOO

✏️ Fill in Missing Letters

Type the missing letters

mak_ + ing = making

hope + _ul = hopeful

tru_ + ly = truly

notic_ + able = noticeable

argu_ + ment = argument

❓ FAQ

When do I drop the silent E?

Before VOWEL suffixes: -ing, -ed, -er, -able, -ous. make→making, hope→hoped, nice→nicer. The vowel suffix replaces the job of silent E.

When do I keep the silent E?

Before CONSONANT suffixes: -ful, -ment, -ness, -ly. hope→hopeful, excite→excitement, aware→awareness. The consonant suffix needs E to stay.

Why is ‘truly’ an exception?

Nobody knows for sure! ‘Truly’ has been spelled without E since the 1500s. Other exceptions: argue→argument, nine→ninth, whole→wholly, awe→awful.

Why keep E in ‘noticeable’?

Without E, the C would make a hard K sound: ‘notik-able’. The E keeps C soft (S sound). Same for manageable (G stays soft), courageous, outrageous.

Is it ‘judgement’ or ‘judgment’?

Both! British English prefers ‘judgement’, American English prefers ‘judgment’. Indian schools accept both. Same for acknowledgement/acknowledgment.

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