Adding y to a word creates an “adjective“, which is a word used to describe something:
The lazy dog, or
The muddy dog
The words lazy and muddy tell us more about the dog.
By the way:
Adjectives don’t have to end in y, for example: The quick dog, the green dog
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Normally, all you need to do is add the -y to create a new word: |
| crisp | + y >>> | crispy |
| cheek | + y >>> | cheeky |
| smell | + y >>> | smelly |
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If the word ends with a short vowel (link), then the last letter is usually doubled |
| fur | + y >>> | furry |
| fun | + y >>> | funny |
| hair | + y >>> | hairy |
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If the word ends with an e, then drop the e |
grease| + y >>> | greasy | |
laze| + y >>> | lazy | |
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Note, these 'rules' also apply to longer words ending in a short vowel sound: |
| careful | + y >>> | carefully |
Test: Add -y to the following words:
| shade | rose | nut | mud
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| sun | rain | cheek | thirst |
