Key Concepts
Adding a suffix to a word that ends in y may require a change in the word's spelling. The following guidelines will help you decide whether the spelling should be changed and, if so, how to change it. Try to visualize these words as you study them.
- If there is a vowel before the final y, keep the y.
- employ + ed = employed
- fray + ed = frayed
- display + ing = displaying
- If there is a consonant before the final y, change the y to i before adding the suffix.
- fortify + cation = fortification
- fury + ous = furious
- rely + ance = reliance
- tally + ed = tallied
- unruly + ness = unruliness
- When adding the suffix -ing, keep the y.
- classify + ing = classifying
- To form the plural of a word that ends in y, change the y to i and add es.
- peculiarity + es = peculiarities
