Lesson 19   The suffixes able and ible

adapt + able = adaptable	vis + ible = visible
avail + able = available	aud + ible = audible
attain + able = attainable	leg + ible = legible
agree + able = agreeable	ed + ible = edible
regret + able = regrett able	poss + ible = possible
forget + able = forgett able	cred + ible = credible
control + able = controll able	tang + ible = tangible
adore + able = adorable
advise + able = advisable
excite + able = excitable
notice + able = noticeable
change + able = changea ble
manage + able = managea ble

1.	Is the suffix able added to complete words or to roots? __________
2.	How do the three VAC words change when able is added? ________________________________________________
3.	Six of the base words end with a silent e. What happens to the final e in the first three words when able is added? _____________________
4.	Now look at the last three silent e words. Is the e dropped in these words when able is added? _____ What letter would follow the c and g in these words if the e were not kept? _____ Would the c and g have a hard sound (c able, g able) or a soft sound (lac e, page) if they were followed by a? _____________
5.	Is the suffix ible added to complete words or to roots? _____________

Lesson Generalization The suffix able means "able to be." It is commonly added to complete words to form adjectives. When able is added to words that end in ce or ge, the e must be kept to protect the soft sound of c or g. The suffix ible is more commonly added to roots than to complete words. The i in ible gives the letter g a soft sound: legible, tangible. Mnemonic device: Many words that begin with a use the suffix that begins with a.

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