Drop the E

• 2nd grade
• 3rd grade
• CCSS L.3.2e
• CCSS L.3.2f
• CCSS L.2.2d

When a word ends in a silent e, drop the e before adding an ending that starts with a vowel: make → making, hope → hoped, nice → nicer. Keep the e when the ending starts with a consonant: hopeful, lovely.

The drop-the-e rule

A silent e makes the vowel before it long. Endings like -ing, -ed, -er, -est and -able start with a vowel, and that vowel can do the same job. So the e isn't needed: make + ing = making. The a stays long.

Endings that start with a consonant, like -ful, -ly, -ment and -ness, can't do the e's job. So the e stays: hope + ful = hopeful, love + ly = lovely.

This rule goes with the doubling rule: hoping (from hope, drop the e) and hopping (from hop, double the p) look alike but mean different things.

Drop it or keep it?

Look at the first letter of the ending.

A few words keep the e to protect a sound, like noticeable and courageous. Kids meet those later, in 4th and 5th grade.

Drop the e in sentences

The base word is in brackets.

1. I am making a cake. (make)
2. We hoped it would snow. (hope)
3. She is riding her bike. (ride)
4. He is a careful driver. (care)
5. This road is safer. (safe)
6. They are skating on ice. (skate)
7. Thank you for sharing. (share)
8. It was a lovely day. (love)
9. I used a pencil. (use)
10. The rope is useful. (use)

Examples 9 and 10 show both rules with the same word: used (drop the e) and useful (keep it).

How to teach drop the e

Five short steps, about 10 minutes each.

1. Find the silent e. Circle the e at the end of make, hope, ride.
2. Look at the ending. Does it start with a vowel or a consonant?
3. Vowel? Cross out the e. Write make, cross out the e, add -ing: making.
4. Consonant? Keep it. hope + ful: the e stays.
5. Mixed practice. Add -ing, -ed and -ful to care, use and hope.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Practice: drop the e quiz

10 questions. Your child can tap the speaker to hear a question read aloud. The first try on each question counts toward the score.

1. 1.Which spelling is right?

   🔈
   making makeing makking
   Show answer

   making.

2. 2.Which spelling is right?

   🔈
   hopeful hopful hopefull
   Show answer

   hopeful.

3. 3.Which spelling is right?

   🔈
   riding rideing ridding
   Show answer

   riding.

4. 4.Add -ed to smile.

   🔈
   smiled smileed
   Show answer

   smiled.

5. 5.Add -ly to safe.

   🔈
   safely safly
   Show answer

   safely.

6. 6.Tap the word where the e was dropped.

   🔈

   We are skating today.

   Show answer

   skating (from skate).

7. 7.Which spelling is right?

   🔈
   useful usful usefull
   Show answer

   useful.

8. 8.Which comes from hope?

   🔈
   hoping hopping
   Show answer

   hoping.

9. 9.Which spelling is right?

   🔈
   nicer niceer nicor
   Show answer

   nicer.

10. 10.When do you keep the silent e?

    🔈
    when the ending starts with a consonant when the ending starts with a vowel
    Show answer

    When the ending starts with a consonant.

Drop the E worksheet (free PDF)

Drop the E Worksheet, 2nd–3rd grade

Add endings to silent e words, sort drop and keep words, fix spelling mistakes and write a sentence. Prints on US Letter paper, with an answer key.

Download the PDF

Try it at home

• Cross it out: write the word, cross out the e, add -ing.
• Kitchen words: baking, slicing, taking: drop the e.
• Vowel or consonant? point to the first letter of the ending.
• Hoping vs. hopping: act out both.
• Proofread: look for -ing words in your child's writing.

What comes next

Next: change y to i. Earlier: the doubling rule. Related: silent e. All rules: spelling rules for kids.

Last reviewed: November 11, 2026

Questions parents ask