5th grade spelling words

So, this week's spelling words in 5th grade were all about "able" or "ible." When we did the mandatory homework practice last night, my son had all but one correct. He asked, "How am I supposed to know when it's able or ible?"

First, I told him there's no way to know other than to practice and memorize them, and when you get older you just know because it will "look wrong" if it's wrong.

Then, I decided maybe there was a grammar rule I wasn't aware of that might help. There is!

I found a rule online that says if you remove the "able" what you're left with is a complete word, but if you remove the "ible" what you're left with isn't a word.

Of course, there are exceptions, like with any grammar rule for English. But, it's something to keep in mind - especially for a 5th grade spelling test.