How reliable is the test?

Strong but not perfect. Flexible, sensible, and reversible have a whole word inside and still take -ible, and a few words like probable take -able after a broken piece. The strategy is test first, and keep a short exception list, which beats memorizing every word individually.

Why are these words worth drilling?

They are everywhere in school writing: possible, terrible, comfortable, incredible, responsible. The endings are a top-ten misspelling site for this age band.

5th grade suffixes -able and -ible

5th grade suffixes -able and -ible worksheets

Fifth graders apply the test quickly, translate each word into its can-be meaning, and handle the common exceptions as sight spellings.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.5.4.b.

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

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.

divisreversreliadorwashed

Columns: -able and -ible. Only able turns "ador_" into a real word, so adorable 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 5th grade sheet

5th grade sheets draw from 24 words, 14 to a page. 5th and 6th grade print from the same 24 words. What changes is the standard (L.5.4.b here) and the teaching notes below. All 18 of 4th grade's words are here too, plus 6 more.

Some of the words:

agreeablereliablevaluableportablepossiblevisiblehorribleresponsibleincredibledivisible

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

Translate as you sort: reversible, can be reversed; edible, can be eaten. The meaning translation doubles the value of the page, building vocabulary and spelling in the same pass.

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 5th grade suffixes -able and -ible

How reliable is the test?: Strong but not perfect. Flexible, sensible, and reversible have a whole word inside and still take -ible, and a few words like probable take -able after a broken piece. The strategy is test first, and keep a short exception list, which beats memorizing every word individually.
Why are these words worth drilling?: They are everywhere in school writing: possible, terrible, comfortable, incredible, responsible. The endings are a top-ten misspelling site for this age band.

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Aligned to Common Core L.5.4.b. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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