Spelling
🔒 Log in to track-able / -ible, -ance / -ence, -ant / -ent
🔒 Log in to trackThree suffix pairs account for a third of SSC spelling items. There is no perfect rule — but there are reliable family anchors:
-ance vs -ence: trace the word to its root. persist → persistence (though resist → resistance!). Reliable set: -ence after fer (reference, preference, difference, inference), and existence, independence (noun) / independent, dependent, consistent, prominent, magnificent. -ance in: maintainance, appearance, resistance, allegiance, nuisance, hindrance (keep the d), assistance.
-able vs -ible: if the stem is a complete word, it is usually -able (comfort-able, accept-able); if the stem is not a word on its own, it is usually -ible (vis-ible, aud-ible, terr-ible). Learn the exceptions as a list: accessible, flexible, irresistible. Practical set: feasible, audible, visible, terrible, horrible. -able in: noticeable, changeable, manageable (keep the e!), comfortable, acceptable, remarkable, available.
Suffix families
| Correct | Trap spelling | Hook |
|---|---|---|
| independent | ends -ENT (like dependent, consistent) | |
| dependent | ends -ENT (note: 'dependant' is the British noun for a reliant person — SSC prefers dependent in adjectival use) | |
| persistent | persist + ent | |
| resistant | resist + ant | |
| arrogant | arrog- + ant | |
| prominent | promin- + ent | |
| existence | exist + ence | |
| persistence | persist + ence | |
| resistance | resist + ance | |
| maintenance | maintain → maintenance (the 'ai' shortens) | |
| appearance | appear + ance | |
| allegiance | allegi- + ance | |
| nuisance | nuis- + ance | |
| hindrance | keep the d: hindrance (from hinder) | |
| accessible | -IBLE after 'cess' | |
| irresistible | -IBLE (re + sist + ible) | |
| feasible | -IBLE | |
| noticeable | keep the e: notice + able (e saves the soft c) | |
| changeable | keep the e before -able | |
| manageable | keep the e | |
| courageous | keep the e before -ous | |
| outrageous | keep the e | |
| sufficient | -CIENT (like efficient, ancient) | |
| efficient | -CIENT | |
| efficient | -CIENT, not -iant | |
| ancient | -CIENT | |
| science | sci + ence | |
| conscience | con + science — science is hiding inside | |
| magnificent | -CENT at the end | |
| questionnaire | double n, then -naire (French 'naire') | |
| millennium | double l AND double n: mil-lenn-ium |
Memory economics: don't learn 'rules' — learn the 30-word families above as units. In the options, the three wrong spellings each break a different letter, so ONE remembered family member settles the item.
Detailed notes
Two words people get wrong
The noun from maintain is maintenance (never 'maintainance'), and the -ible word meaning 'able to be heard' is audible (there is no 'auditible'). Horrible, terrible, visible, audible and feasible all take -ible because their stems (horr-, terr-, vis-, aud-, feas-) are not complete English words.
-able or -ible: the whole-word test
- If the stem is a complete word, the ending is usually -able: accept-able, comfort-able, depend-able, remark-able, avail-able, desir(e)-able.
- If the stem is not a complete word, the ending is usually -ible: poss-ible, horr-ible, vis-ible, cred-ible, ed-ible, plaus-ible, feas-ible.
- A few complete-word stems still take -ible: accessible, flexible, digestible, contemptible, collapsible. Learn these as a short list.
- Many -ible words have a related -ssion or -sion noun: permission/permissible, division/divisible, comprehension/comprehensible.
- indispensable is the most common trap: the stem 'dispense' is a complete word, so it takes -able.
-ance/-ence and -ant/-ent go together
A word's -ance/-ence noun and its -ant/-ent adjective share the same vowel. Learn one form and you have the other:
- relevant -> relevance; significant -> significance; tolerant -> tolerance; brilliant -> brilliance
- permanent -> permanence; confident -> confidence; obedient -> obedience; coincident -> coincidence
- surveillance, perseverance, maintenance, grievance take -ance (persevere -> perseverance). When stuck, think of the matching adjective: 'relevent' is wrong because 'relevant' is the adjective.
Keep or drop the final e
- Drop the e before a suffix starting with a vowel: write -> writing, desire -> desirable, argue -> arguing, use -> usable, hope -> hoping.
- Keep the e before a suffix starting with a consonant: hope -> hopeful, manage -> management, care -> careful. Exceptions: argue -> argument, true -> truly, nine -> ninth, whole -> wholly.
- Keep the e after soft c or g before a or o, so the letter stays soft: notice -> noticeable, change -> changeable, courage -> courageous, advantage -> advantageous, outrage -> outrageous.
The -y ending
Change y to i after a consonant, keep it after a vowel: happy -> happiness, busy -> business, carry -> carried, but enjoy -> enjoyment, pay -> payable. Keep y before -ing: carrying, studying.
How to use this in the exam
- Find the part where the options differ — usually the last four or five letters.
- Apply one test: whole word? a matching adjective or noun? soft c or g?
- If no test applies, it is a word you need to know by heart — use the family lists.
Quick revision
- Complete-word stem -> -able (acceptable, indispensable); non-word stem -> -ible (possible, visible, audible).
- -ssion/-sion noun often signals -ible: permissible, divisible, comprehensible; learn accessible and flexible as exceptions.
- -ance goes with -ant, -ence with -ent: relevant/relevance, permanent/permanence.
- Drop e before a vowel suffix (writing, desirable); keep it after soft c or g (noticeable, advantageous).
- Maintenance, not maintainance; truly, argument, ninth drop the e.
Types of questions asked
Every way this subtopic shows up in exams — how to recognise it, the formula or logic to use, and a solved example.
Type 1: -ance or -encevery common3 practice Q
The options differ only in -ance/-ence (perseverance, coincidence, surveillance).
- Think of the matching adjective or verb: coincident -> coincidence.
- Match the vowel: -ant goes with -ance, -ent with -ence.
- If there is no matching form, use the word families you know (surveillance, perseverance).
Why it works: a noun and its adjective share the same vowel.
Example: Coincidence / Coincidance / Coinsidence / Coincedence
Coincidence — coincident -> coincidence.
Type 2: -able or -iblecommon2 practice Q
The options differ in -able/-ible (responsible, indispensable, accessible).
- Remove the ending: is the stem a complete word?
- Complete word -> -able; not a word -> -ible.
- Check the -sion clue: permission/permissible, division/divisible.
Why it works: -able was added to complete English words; -ible came with Latin stems.
Example: Responsible / Responsable / Resposible / Responsibel
Responsible — 'respons' is not a complete word, so the ending is -ible.
Type 3: Keep or drop the final ecommon2 practice Q
The base ends in e (write, advantage, notice) and the options differ in whether the e stays.
- Does the suffix start with a vowel? Drop the e (writing, desirable).
- Is there a soft c or g before a or o? Keep the e (advantageous).
- Consonant suffix: keep the e (management), except truly, argument, ninth.
Why it works: the e either marks a long vowel or keeps c and g soft; it goes only when it has no job to do.
Example: Advantageous / Advantagous / Advantageus / Advantagious
Advantageous — the e keeps the g soft before -ous.
Type 4: -ant or -ent adjectivecommon2 practice Q
The options differ in -ant/-ent (relevant, permanent, brilliant), usually along with a vowel swap earlier in the word.
- Think of the matching noun: relevance -> relevant, permanence -> permanent.
- Check the letters before the ending as well (re-LE-vant, per-MA-nent).
- Remove any option that fails either check.
Why it works: the noun keeps the same vowel as the adjective.
Example: Relevant / Relevent / Revelant / Relavant
Relevant — relevance -> relevant; 'revelant' also swaps two letters.
Shortcut tricks
⚡ Root trace
Strip the suffix and look at the root: exist→exist-ence, maintain→maintenance (ai shortens), resist→resist-ance, persist→persist-ence. The root's own spelling decides.
⚡ -fer always -ence
Words from 'fer' nouns take -ence: reference, preference, difference, inference. Verbs keep one f or double by stress: refer→referring, but reference.
⚡ Scient family
One family handles four words: sufficient, efficient, ancient, science (and conscience = con + science). All -cient/-ience.
Where students lose marks
Writing 'persistant' by analogy with 'resistant' — the pair split: persist-ence, resist-ance.
Dropping the e in 'noticeable' — the e protects the soft c.
Writing 'maintainance' — maintain's 'ai' shortens to 'e'.
Writing 'magnificant' — it ends -cent.
Practice sets — 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Each answer comes with a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.