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Year 2 - y to ies
Why does the 'Y' disappear in words ending with 'Y'?

Year 2 - y to ies

Some Year 2 words change when you add -es. If a word ends in a consonant + y, the y often changes to i before adding -es.

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Fascinating Fact:

“Lady” becomes “ladies”. The y changes to i and then you add -es.

In KS1 English Spelling, Year 2 pupils learn how to make some words plural. When a word ends in a consonant then y, the spelling often changes to -ies. This helps children spell everyday plurals correctly in their writing.

  • Plural: More than one of something, like two babies.
  • Consonant: A letter that is not a, e, i, o or u.
  • Root word: The original word before you change it, like baby.
When do you change y to ies in Year 2 spelling?

You usually change y to ies when a word ends in a consonant + y and you are making it plural, for example baby becomes babies.

Do you always change y to i when adding s or es?

No. If a word ends with a vowel + y, you usually just add -s, for example toy becomes toys and day becomes days.

What are some examples of y to ies words for Year 2?

Examples include baby to babies, city to cities, party to parties, and lady to ladies.

1 .
All the ____ joined together to fight the alien invasion!
arrmies
arrmeys
armies
armieys
An army is created to protect the country they live in and sometimes to protect other countries.
2 .
We say one baby and two ____.
babbies
babies
baybies
babeys
The word baby changes by taking away the 'y' and replacing it with an 'i' then adding 'es'.
3 .
She is taking ____ for you.
coppies
copies
copyies
coppyes
The machine in the picture is called a photocopier.
4 .
She went to two ____ on New Year's Eve!
partieys
parteys
partties
parties
New Year's Eve is the time of the year where most people celebrate and hold parties.
5 .
Before he ____ he has to send ____ to his boss' invitations.
fllies and replies
flies and reeplies
flies and replies
flys and replies
The word 'flies' can refer to the insect or the act of flying.
6 .
He ____ to stay awake but she ____ him to bed.
trries and carries
tries and carries
tries and caries
trries and caries
Trying to stay awake will just make you more tired!
7 .
She had kept all her ____.
diries
dighries
daires
diaries
You need to be able to spell the word 'diary' then make it a plural. Make sure you don't write 'dairy'!
8 .
The ____ danced along the bridge as they returned from a day of magic and fun.
fairies
faries
fayries
fearies
If you remember how to spell fairy, you just take the 'y' away and add 'ies'.
9 .
A country has many ____ but only one capital ____.
citties and citty
scities and scity
sities and sity
cities and city
The capital city of France is Paris.
10 .
I would like three ____ for my birthday party.
gellies
jellies
jelies
gelies
What is your favourite jelly flavour?
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Spelling

Author:  Finola Waller (MEd, Primary School Teacher & KS1 English Quiz Writer)

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