Endings: -tion, -sion, -ssion, -cian
Year group: 3/4
Source: DfE, English Appendix 1: Spelling, National Curriculum for England (2013) — Years 3–4, Suffixes
Curriculum requirement: Statutory
Purpose: Years 3–4 guide to the endings -tion, -sion, -ssion and -cian — choosing the right form, worked examples, and practice activities.
The rule
These four endings all make the same /ʃən/ sound ("shun") but are spelled differently depending on the base word. Together they are the most common way to make nouns in English — and one of the trickiest spelling patterns for children and adults alike.
Which ending to use:
| Ending | When to use it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -tion | Most common. Used after vowels, r, and many consonants. Default choice. | station, invention, fraction |
| -sion | After l or n, and when the base verb ends in -d, -de, or -se | expansion, division, tension |
| -ssion | After a short vowel — the double s keeps the vowel short | discussion, permission, passion |
| -cian | When referring to a person with a skill or profession | musician, magician, politician |
Etymology note
All four endings descend from Latin -tio / -tionis, meaning "the act of." The different spellings reflect the different sounds at the end of the Latin base words, preserved through French into English. The -cian ending — -ician — specifically means "expert in" (from Latin -icia meaning "quality" or "skill"). This is why magician means "expert in magic" and musician means "expert in music."
The -cian rule is extremely reliable: if the word means a person whose job or skill involves something, and that thing ends in -ic or -ics, the person ending is -ician: music → musician, magic → magician, politics → politician, mathematics → mathematician, physics → physician.
-tion examples
Most nouns ending in the /ʃən/ sound use -tion. When in doubt, try this first.
From Y3/4 statutory list and Appendix 1:
- station (state → stati- + -on)
- fraction (fract- + -ion)
- mention † (ment- + -ion — the t is from the base)
- position † (posit- + -ion)
- question † (quest- + -ion)
- invention, attention, direction, collection, action
After r: portion, distortion, absorption — always -tion after r
-sion examples
Use -sion when the base verb ends in -d, -de, -se, or -l:
| Base verb | Noun |
|---|---|
| expand | expansion (d → s) |
| divide | division (de → s) |
| tense | tension (se → s) |
| extend | extension |
| suspend | suspension |
| decide | decision |
| revise | revision |
Also after n: comprehension, dimension, mansion, pension
-ssion examples
Use -ssion when the base verb ends in -ss or -mit, or when a short vowel precedes the /ʃən/ sound:
| Base | Noun |
|---|---|
| discuss | discussion |
| permit | permission |
| admit | admission |
| omit | omission |
| transmit | transmission |
| confess | confession |
| possess | possession † |
Also: passion, mission, session — short vowel before the ss
-cian examples (persons)
Use -cian when the word means a person skilled in something:
| Field | Person |
|---|---|
| music | musician |
| magic | magician |
| electric(ity) | electrician |
| politics | politician |
| mathematics | mathematician |
| physics | physician |
| optics | optician |
| beauty | beautician |
| diet(etics) | dietician |
The -cian test: Does the word mean a person? If yes, and the related noun ends in -ic or -ics, use -cian.
Common mistakes and why they happen
| Wrong | Right | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| discution | discussion | discuss → -ssion (double s + short vowel) |
| permition | permission | permit → -ssion |
| divistion | division | divide → -sion (base ends in -de) |
| musicean | musician | person-word from music → -cian |
| magition | magician | person-word → -cian, not -tion |
| posession | possession | possess + -ion = possession (double s from possess, then -ion) |
Word sort activity
Sort these nouns by their ending.
Words: station · division · musician · discussion · question · revision · electrician · tension · passion · mention · permission · magician · position · extension · session · politician
| -tion | -sion | -ssion | -cian |
|---|---|---|---|
Extension: Find the base word (verb or field) for each noun. What does the noun mean?
A reliable decision tree
Does the word mean a PERSON (expert/professional)? YES → use -cian (musician, magician, politician) NO → Does the base verb end in -d, -de, -se, or -l? YES → use -sion (division, tension, revision) NO → Does a short vowel come just before the ending? YES → use -ssion (discussion, permission) NO → use -tion (station, fraction, mention)
Dictation sentences (teacher-ready)
- She asked the teacher for permission to leave the room.
- The musician played her violin with great skill and expression.
- The class had a discussion about the fairest way to divide the work.
- His position in the team meant he had to make quick decisions.
- The magician performed tricks that created a sense of mystery and tension.
- Can you answer the question without any help?
Classroom questions
- What is the difference between -tion and -sion? How do we choose?
- Why does musician end in -cian and not -tion?
- What is the base verb of discussion? (discuss) What does the double s tell us?
- Can you think of another word that ends in -cian that means a person with a skill?
- revision, division, decision — what do all these base verbs have in common?
Links to other rules
- Y3/4 rule 02: -ation — the most common -tion pattern; teach alongside this rule
- Y5/6: -cious/-tious — the -ious adjective form of -tion/-ssion nouns (e.g. possession → possessive; ambition → ambitious)
Source: DfE English Appendix 1: Spelling (2013). All statutory word examples verified against the published statutory word lists for Years 3–4.