…le, …el and …al Word Endings (Suffixes)
The words example, travel and local all end with an L sound, but their endings (final two letters) are spelt differently. Correct L-sound word endings are very easy to muddel muddle up. There are no absolute rules which keep us correct here, but we can often make an educated guess. For a start, approximately three quarters of all L-sounding word endings are -le, so if you don’t know then should probably be your guess. Next most common is -al with -el least common.
Another rule of thumb is that if the letter before the suffix (the word ending) is a tall or deep letter (bdfghjklpty) then the ending is normally –le. Watch out though, a single t can break this rule! If, on the other hand, it is a small letter (acemnorsuvwxz) then the ending is usually –el or –al.
Try this worksheet dealing with -le -el and -al words.
