4th grade suffixes -able and -ible worksheets
Fourth graders sort can-be words by spelling, -able (enjoyable, breakable) or -ible (possible, terrible), and learn the whole-word test that usually decides it.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.4.4.b.
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Need one more? These are the skills next door at this grade.
The kind of words you'll complete and sort
Fill in the missing letters to make a real word, then write the whole word in its column.
comfortpossedportbreakincred
Columns: -able and -ible. Only able turns "comfort_" into a real word, so comfortable goes under -able; Only ible turns "ed_" into a real word, so edible goes under -ible.
Every print pulls a new set of words at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.
What's on a 4th grade sheet
4th grade sheets draw from 18 words, 14 to a page. All 18 are on 5th grade sheets too, along with 6 more.
Some of the words:
enjoyablereliableportableadorablepossiblevisibleinvisibleflexibleresponsibleincredible
- Complete and sort. Fill in the missing letters to make a real word, then write the whole word in its column. 14 words per page.
Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.
How to teach this
Run the whole-word test aloud on every word before sorting: is 'wash' a word? Yes, so -able. Is 'poss' a word? No, so -ible. Saying the test keeps it from collapsing into guessing.
Watch for: The whole-word test does the heavy lifting: enjoy+able, break+able. When the base cannot stand alone (poss-, vis-, terr-), -ible is the likely spelling. Both suffixes MEAN the same thing: able to be. Translating each word (washable: can be washed) keeps meaning attached to the spelling drill.
Common questions about 4th grade suffixes -able and -ible
- What do -able and -ible mean?
- Can be: washable can be washed, visible can be seen. One meaning, two spellings, and the sort teaches the test that picks between them.
- What is the whole-word test?
- If you remove the suffix and a real word remains (enjoy, break, wash), the spelling is usually -able. If a broken stem remains (poss-, vis-), it is usually -ible.
Related worksheets
- 5th grade suffixes -able and -ible A step harder, same skill
- 4th grade adages and proverbs Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade analogies Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade antonyms Same grade, nearby skill
- 4th grade context clues Same grade, nearby skill
- Suffixes -able and -ible, all grades The full progression
- All 4th grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 4th grade worksheets Everything at this level
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Aligned to Common Core L.4.4.b. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.
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