Endings: -ant/-ance/-ancy and -ent/-ence/-ency
Year group: 5/6
Source: DfE, English Appendix 1: Spelling, National Curriculum for England (2013) — Years 5–6, Suffixes
Curriculum requirement: Statutory
Purpose: Years 5–6 guide to -ant/-ance/-ancy and -ent/-ence/-ency — patterns for choosing the right ending with statutory examples and practice.
The rule
These six endings are notoriously difficult because both sets make very similar sounds and there is no single reliable rule that distinguishes them in all cases. Appendix 1 gives the most useful guidance:
Use -ant, -ance, -ancy when:
- The root word has a related form with the -ation suffix
→ observe → observation → observant, observance
→ hesitate → hesitation → hesitant, hesitancy
Use -ent, -ence, -ency when:
- The root word has a related form with the -tion or -sion suffix (but NOT -ation)
→ innocent → innocence (no -ation form)
→ differ → difference (no -ation form — differ → different, not differatious)
→ frequent → frequency (relate to -tion not -ation)
When neither test applies: learn the individual word. Many high-frequency examples must be memorised alongside the pattern.
Etymology note
Both sets derive from Latin verb endings. -ant- comes from the Latin present participle -antem (first/second conjugation verbs); -ent- from -entem (third/fourth conjugation verbs). English absorbed both through French and kept both spelling forms. This is why there is no single sound-based rule — the distinction was grammatical in Latin, not phonological.
-ant / -ance / -ancy words
(related -ation forms shown where applicable)
| Word | -ation connection | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| observant | observation | quick to notice |
| observance | observation | the act of following a rule or custom |
| hesitant | hesitation | uncertain; slow to act |
| hesitancy | hesitation | the quality of hesitating |
| expectant | expectation | waiting hopefully |
| expectancy | expectation | the state of expecting |
| relevant | — (no -ation form: must learn) | connected to the matter at hand |
| relevance | — | the quality of being relevant |
| significant | signification | important; meaningful |
| significance | signification | importance |
| tolerant | toleration | willing to accept difference |
| tolerance | toleration | the capacity to accept difference |
| dominant | domination | most powerful or important |
| dominance | domination | the state of being dominant |
| pleasant | placation (related placent) | enjoyable; agreeable |
| pleasant | — | note: pleasance is archaic; use pleasure instead |
| abundant | aboundation (via abundance) | plentiful |
| abundance | — | a very large quantity |
| brilliant | — (no -ation form: must learn) | very clever; sparkling |
| brilliance | — (no -ation form: must learn) | the quality of being brilliant |
| substance | — | matter; the most important part |
| distance | — | the amount of space between things |
| instance | — | an example |
| importance | — | the quality of being important |
| ignorant | ignorance | lacking knowledge |
| ignorance | — | the state of lacking knowledge |
-ent / -ence / -ency words
(no -ation form)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| innocent | not guilty; pure |
| innocence | the state of being innocent |
| frequent | happening often |
| frequency | how often something happens |
| confident | sure of oneself |
| confidence | the feeling of certainty |
| different | not the same |
| difference | the way things are not the same |
| patient | able to wait calmly |
| patience | the quality of waiting calmly |
| efficient | achieving results without waste |
| efficiency | the quality of being efficient |
| excellent | very good |
| excellence | the quality of being very good |
| evident | clear; obvious |
| evidence | facts or proof |
| intelligent | able to learn and understand |
| intelligence | the ability to think and learn |
| permanent | lasting forever |
| permanence | the quality of lasting |
| present | here; existing now; a gift |
| presence | the fact of being somewhere |
| violent | using force to hurt |
| violence | the use of harmful force |
| obedient | doing as told |
| obedience | the quality of obeying |
| convenient | easy; fitting well |
| convenience | the quality of being easy to use |
Word families — always teach the trio together
Teach the adjective, noun, and quality noun as a set:
| Adjective | Noun (person/act) | Quality noun |
|---|---|---|
| observant | observer | observance |
| confident | confidence | — |
| innocent | innocent | innocence |
| frequent | — | frequency |
| efficient | — | efficiency |
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| innocant | innocent | -ent, no -ation form |
| confidant | confident | -ent (n → -ant is an old French loanword meaning a confidant person — actually correct but different word) |
| diffrence | difference | -ence, missing middle syllable |
| relevent | relevant | -ant (must learn — no reliable -ation test) |
| frequant | frequent | -ent, no -ation form |
| excellant | excellent | -ent, no -ation form |
The -ation test in practice
Does the word have a related -ation form?
| Test | Word | -ation form? | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| hesit- | hesitant/hesitance | hesitation ✓ | -ant |
| differ | different/difference | difference (no -ation) | -ent |
| observ- | observant/observance | observation ✓ | -ant |
| excell- | excellent/excellence | (no -ation form) | -ent |
| expect- | expectant/expectancy | expectation ✓ | -ant |
| innocent | innocent/innocence | (no -ation form) | -ent |
Word sort
Use the -ation test. Sort these into the correct column.
Words: observant · innocent · hesitant · different · expectant · frequent · tolerant · confident · dominant · excellent · relevant · patient
| -ant/-ance (has -ation form) | -ent/-ence (no -ation form) |
|---|---|
Dictation sentences
- She was confident that the evidence was sufficient to prove her case.
- His innocent expression made the difference between ignorance and deceit.
- With patience and observance of the rules, they made excellent progress.
- The frequency of the violent storms made it evident that the climate was changing.
- His hesitant response showed a lack of confidence in his own intelligence.
Links to other rules
- Y3/4 rule 02: -ation — the key test for choosing -ant/-ance
- Y5/6 rule 04: -able/-ible — similar challenge; related decision strategy
Source: DfE English Appendix 1: Spelling (2013). The -ation test is the guidance given in Appendix 1. Individual words verified against the statutory lists and standard British English usage.