Glossary · Spelling rules and patterns
What is the change y to i rule?
Definition
If a word ends in a consonant plus y, the y turns into i when most suffixes are added (cry, cried; happy, happiness), but it stays before -ing.
The rule only applies after a consonant. After a vowel, keep the y: play becomes played, enjoy becomes enjoyment. That's the step students most often miss.
Before -ing, always keep the y, so English never has two i's in a row: crying, carrying, studying. Before every other suffix, change it: cries, carried, happier, happily, beautiful.
The plural follows the same rule. Baby becomes babies and city becomes cities, but toy becomes toys and day becomes days. Once students see that the plural and the suffix rules match, they have one rule to learn instead of two.
In a lesson
Give the student cry, play and carry with -ed and -ing cards. They should build cried, crying, played, playing, carried and carrying, and explain why play keeps its y.
Examples
Each word with its spelling units, one per sound.
- criedc·r·i·ed
- cryingc·r·y·i·ng
- happierh·a·pp·i·er
- babiesb·a·b·ie·s
- playedp·l·ay·ed
Words come from our lexicon, checked against a pronouncing dictionary. Words a student sees in our assessments are left out.
Why does this matter for the record?
Note whether errors come after a vowel (plaied) or before -ing (criing). Each points to a different half of the rule.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.