Suffixes: -tion & -sion

About This Worksheet

This Year 4 spelling worksheet focuses on words ending in -tion and -sion. Students practise recognising these suffix patterns and connecting spelling to word structure, helping them build a stronger understanding of how longer words are formed.

What Students Practise

Students recognise -tion and -sion endings, notice relationships between base words and derived nouns, choose the appropriate ending in context and spell target words accurately. They also learn that pronunciation alone does not always provide enough information to choose the correct spelling.

How to Use It

Read the words aloud and identify the ending. Where possible, discuss a related base word, such as invent → invention. Ask students to sort words by ending, complete the worksheet and then reread each word in context. Encourage them to check the whole word rather than relying only on the final sound.

Parent Tip

Make a small word family together. For example, talk about how “educate” connects with “education”. Ask your child to underline the ending and explain which letters they need to remember.

Learning Intention

Students will correctly spell words ending in -tion and -sion and understand the related base words.

Australian Curriculum

Supports Year 4 English literacy and spelling learning (AC9E4LY10).

Teacher Notes

Link -tion/-sion words to their base verbs (e.g. invent → invention). Sort by ending.

Skills Practised

• Suffixes -tion / -sion
• Morphology
• Word building
• Spelling patterns