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Watch: Words ending with -cious and -tious

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The shus sound is often found in adjectives and can be spelt in two different ways: cious or tious. For example:

  • delicious, precious, suspicious

  • fictitious, infectious, nutritious

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Using -cious and -tious

If your starting word has the letter 't' towards the end of it, your new word will probably use -tious.

For example:

ambition → ambitious

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And if your starting word has the letter 'c' towards the end of it, your new word will probably use -cious.

For example:

space → spacious

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Activity 1

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Activity 2

Think you can spell words ending in -tious or -cious? Try this short quiz to test your knowledge so far!

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Activity 3

A great way to learn how to spell words that end in a certain suffix is to use them in a silly sentence.

Look at this list of words that end with -cious or -tious.

  • precious

  • vicious

  • delicious

  • malicious

  • suspicious

  • ambitious

  • cautious

  • fictitious

  • nutritious

Here's an example of a silly sentence that uses five of these words.

The malicious, vicious and ambitious robber stole a precious diamond and hid it in a bowl of nutritious soup.

How many of these words can you use in silly sentences of your own?

Write at least two silly sentences, using at least five of the words each time.

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Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers. game

Use grammar, punctuation and spelling skills to explore jungles, caves and tombs on your mission!

Play our fun English game Crystal Explorers
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