Lesson One: -ance & -ence

Memorize the spelling of these words through reading them aloud.    No forced memorization and no flashcards are needed when using this Reading Aloud Approach (RAA).  Relax,  look at the way words are spelled, read slowly, and read aloud.  The following five lessons will teach you to spell 434 words at a time:

Number of words taught: 115

Do we use -ance as in attendance or -ence as in evidence, and why?

Drop the end silent e in these complete words and add -ance:

attend+ance = attendance, accept+ance = acceptance

import+ance = importance, inherit+ance = inheritance

disturb+ance = disturbance, avoid+ance = avoidance

appear+ance = appearance, accord+ance = accordance

vigil+ance = vigilance, assist+ance = assistance

resist+ance = resistance, perform+ance = performance

annoy+ance = annoyance

acquaint+ance = acquaintance

rely (y becomes i) + ance = reliance

vary (y becomes i) + ance = variance

ignore+ance = ignorance, insure+ance = insurance

assure+ance= assurance, endure+ance= endurance

guide+ance = guidance, grieve+ance = grievance

observe+ance= observance

resemble+ance = resemblance

Keep the c and g hard by using -ance:

significant+ance = significance

elegant+ance = elegance

arrogant+ance = arrogance

extravagant+ance = extravagance

Use -ance in these words which undergo some internal changes:

enter+ance = entrance

hinder+ance = hindrance

remember+ance = remembrance

abound+ance = abundance
maintain+ance = maintenance

sustain+ance = sustenance

radiate+ance = radiance

hesitate+ance = hesitance

dominate+ance = dominance

tolerate+ance= tolerance

Memorize these exceptions (13 words):
Double the t or d after the short vowel i, and add -ance:

admit+ance = admittance

remit+ance = remittance

rid+ance = riddance

Add -ance after st in these four words:

instance, substance, distance, circumstance

These six nouns have no verbs and end in -ance:

brilliance, radiance, relevance, reluctance, surveillance, abeyance

2) The -ence in these 65 words:
Use -ence after a non-word; 'evid' has no meaning:

evid+ence = evidence, confid+ence = confidence,

viol+ence = violence, sil+ence = silence

sci+ence = science, ess+ence = essence

pres+ence = presence, abs+ence = absence

sequ+ence = sequence, frequ+ence = frequency

consequ+ence = consequence, eloqu+ence = eloquence

intellig+ence = intelligence, influ+ence = influence

experi+ence = experience, conveni+ence = convenience

obedi+ence = obedience, disobedi+ence = disobedience

audi+ence = audience, expedi+ence = expedience

pati+ence = patience, impati+ence = impatience

promin+ence = prominence, emin+ence = eminence

abstin+ence = abstinence

compet+ence = competence, incompetence

Use -ence to keep the c and the g soft:

magnificence, innocence, reticence, fluorescence, effervescence, iridescence, incandescence, reminiscence, diligence, convergence, divergence, contingence, indulgence

Use the ending -ence after these five Latin stems:

The Latin stem fer means to bear, as in difference

The Latin stem sist  means to stand, as in persistence

The Latin stem here means to stick, as in coherence

The Latin stem cur means to run, as in occurrence

The Latin stem pond means to promise, as in correspondence

Use -ence in six words after the stem fer; it means to bear:

refer+ence = reference, prefer+ence = reference

differ+ence = difference, confer+ence = conference

infer+ence = inference, transfer+ence = transference

Use -ence after the Latin stem sist; it means to stand:

insist+ence = insistence, persist+ence = persistence

consist+ence = consistence   

Two exceptions: assistance & resistance

Use -ence after the Latin stem here; it means to stick:

cohere+ence = coherence, incoherence

adhere+ence = adherence, inheer+ence= inherence

Use -ence after the Latin stem cur; it means to run:

occur+ence = occurrence, recur+ence = recurrence

concur+ence = concurrence

Double the r and the l in these two words and add -ence:

abhor+ence = abhorrence,

excel+ence= excellence (excell isn't a word)

Memorize these exceptions using -ence after six words:

sent+ence = sentence

depend+ence = dependence, independence

condole+ence = condolence

reside+ence = residence, prude+ence = prudence

Note: The endings -ance and -ence make nouns.

Practice
Print out and fill in the blanks using a or e in each blank:

Use -ance or -ence:

*insist_ nce, persist_nce, consist_nce,

inconsist_ncy, exist_nce, assist_nce, resist_nce,

dist_nce, inst_nce, subst_nce, circumst_nce

*attend_nce, depend_nce, correspond_nce, acquaint_nce,

sent_nce, occurr_nce, recurr_nce, concurr_nce,

abhorr_nce, excell_nce, admitt_nce, ridd_nce

*ignor_nce, insur_nce, assur_nce, endur_nce,

guid_nce, griev_nce, observ_nce, resembl_nce,

resid_nce, prud_nce, condol_nces

*entr_nce, hindr_nce, remembr_nce, abund_nce

mainten_nce, susten_nce, radi_nce, hesit_nce

domin_nce, toler_nce

*brilli_nce, radi_nce, relev_nce, reluct_nce, surveill_nce

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Copyright © 1999, 2000 by Camilia Sadik. All rights are reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means.