7th Grade spelling
7th Grade Words Ending in Ify
Words ending in ify: identify, justify, simplify, classify, modify, clarify. Play hangman with the list or print a spelling worksheet with answers.
Read the spelling list
The pattern: The suffix ify means to make: simple becomes simplify, class becomes classify.
The suffix ify means to make or to cause to become. Simple becomes simplify, class becomes classify, pure becomes purify. It forms verbs, and it comes from Latin by way of French. The ending is always pronounced /ih-fy/ with the stress on the syllable before it.
The list holds thirty words, among them identify, qualify, justify, verify, clarify, testify, modify, specify, notify, simplify, classify, amplify, certify, magnify and terrify. Many are verbs students meet in math and science instructions, such as identify, verify and classify. Seventh grade is a good time to show the way suffixes change a word's part of speech, because the pairs are clean: a noun or adjective goes in, a verb comes out.
30 entries. Our solver needed 2.5 wrong guesses on average: 6 easy, 22 medium and 2 hard. The toughest is purify (6 misses), the quickest identify (0).
- identify Easy · 0
- qualify Medium · 4
- justify Medium · 3
- verify Medium · 3
- clarify Medium · 4
- testify Medium · 2
- modify Medium · 4
- specify Medium · 2
- notify Medium · 2
- simplify Medium · 2
- classify Medium · 3
- quantify Easy · 1
- signify Easy · 1
- rectify Medium · 2
- amplify Medium · 3
- diversify Medium · 2
- intensify Easy · 0
- certify Medium · 2
- purify Hard · 6
- glorify Medium · 4
- solidify Medium · 3
- disqualify Medium · 2
- ratify Medium · 3
- fortify Medium · 4
- nullify Medium · 2
- terrify Medium · 2
- magnify Easy · 1
- exemplify Medium · 2
- pacify Hard · 6
- indemnify Easy · 0
Words worth a closer look
- simplifySimple loses its final e before ify. Compare with purify, where the e of pure also drops.
- identifyRelated to identity, which is a handy way to remember the i in the middle. Students often write identfy.
- justifyJust plus ify. A good example of an ending added with nothing lost.
- classifyClass plus ify. Contains a double s.
- verifyVerify comes from the Latin for true. Short, and often written verfy.
Teaching it
Ask students to find the base each word grows from: simple, class, just, pure, clear, note, special, certain. The spelling rules are the interesting part. A base that ends in e loses it: simple becomes simplify. A base that ends in a consonant joins directly: class plus ify. The typical errors are ify written as ifie or ify with a double f.
In hangman, the ify ending is predictable, so give it free and ask players to name the base word as soon as they can. Print the worksheet and have students write each verb in a sentence that includes the base word.
Print a 7th Grade Words Ending in Ify worksheet
Eight puzzles on one US Letter page, with a clue, letter blanks, an empty frame to draw in, an alphabet strip to cross off and circles to count misses. Page two is the answer key.
Need another sheet?
Draw eight different words from this list, right here. Same layout, new answer key.
Keep going
- 7th Grade Words Ending in Ship and HoodWords ending in ship and hood: friendship, leadership, partnership, childhood, parenthood. Play hangman or print a spelling worksheet.
- 7th Grade Words With the Prefix ExWords with the prefix ex, meaning out or away: export, expand, explain, extend, exposure. Play hangman or print a spelling worksheet.
- 7th Grade Words Ending in IzeWords ending in ize: realize, recognize, organize, apologize, summarize, memorize. Play hangman with the list or print a spelling worksheet.
- 7th Grade Words Ending in IstWords ending in ist: artist, scientist, tourist, dentist, chemist, journalist. Play hangman with the list or print a spelling worksheet with answers.
- 7th Grade Words Ending in CianWords ending in cian: musician, magician, electrician, technician, mathematician, physician. Play hangman or print a spelling worksheet.
- 7th Grade Words Ending in Cial and TialSort words ending in cial and tial: special, social, official, potential, essential. Play hangman with the list or print a worksheet.