5th grade suffixes -tion and -sion worksheets
Fifth graders predict the spelling from the base word: t-enders take -tion, the -de/-se/-ss families take -sion, and the pairs (divide/division) become automatic.
Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.5.4.b.
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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.
movacacelebraconfuexplodeci
Columns: -tion and -sion. Only tion turns "celebra_" into a real word, so celebration goes under -tion; Only sion turns "confu_" into a real word, so confusion goes under -sion.
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 19 of 4th grade's words are here too, plus 5 more.
Some of the words:
motioninventiondirectionsubtractioneducationvacationvisiondivisiondecisiontelevision
- 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
Teach the percentage play: guess -tion first, then check the base. If the base ends in -de, -se, -ss, or -mit, switch to -sion. Two steps, ninety-plus percent accuracy.
Watch for: -tion is the overwhelming favorite: when in doubt, -tion is the smart first guess, then check. -sion belongs to certain base families (-de, -se, -ss, -mit). Both endings do the same JOB: they turn a verb into a noun. Kids who see act/action and discuss/discussion as pairs learn the meaning along with the spelling.
Common questions about 5th grade suffixes -tion and -sion
- How do kids predict -sion?
- By the base word's ending: decide/decision, confuse/confusion, discuss/discussion, permit/permission. Four small families cover nearly all of it.
- What about words like occasion?
- A few -sion words have no obvious base in a child's vocabulary. They join the sight-spelling list, and the sort still files them with their family.
Related worksheets
- 4th grade suffixes -tion and -sion A step easier, same skill
- 6th grade suffixes -tion and -sion A step harder, same skill
- 5th grade absorbed prefixes (im-, il-, ir-) Same grade, nearby skill
- 5th grade adages and proverbs Same grade, nearby skill
- 5th grade analogies Same grade, nearby skill
- Suffixes -tion and -sion, all grades The full progression
- All 5th grade English worksheets Every skill at this level
- All 5th grade worksheets Everything at this level
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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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