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Years 5 and 6 English · Key Stage 2 · Spelling – English Appendix 1

Years 5 and 6 spelling: -fer words and using hyphens

Why is it referred and referring with a double r, but reference and referee with a single r? In Years 5 and 6 children learn that the answer depends on which part of the new word is said most strongly. They use this stress rule when adding endings that begin with a vowel letter to words ending in -fer, and they learn how a hyphen can join a prefix to a root word, as in re-enter and co-operate.

-fer words and hyphens, explained

Words ending in -fer include refer, prefer, transfer, defer, confer and infer. When an ending that begins with a vowel letter is added, such as -ed, -ing, -ence, -ee or -al, children have to decide whether to double the r. The rule is about stress, the syllable that is spoken most strongly. If the stress stays on the -fer syllable in the new word, the r is doubled: re-FER-red, re-FER-ring, pre-FER-red, trans-FER-red. If the stress moves to an earlier or later syllable, the r is not doubled: REF-er-ence, PREF-er-ence, CON-fer-ence, ref-er-EE.

The skill is hearing where the stress falls, and children are taught to do it by saying the word in an exaggerated way, clapping it, or tapping on the strongest beat. It is more reliable than trying to remember lists. One sensible note: words such as offer, suffer and differ also end in -fer, but the stress is on the first syllable even before an ending is added (OFF-er), so they are never doubled: offered, suffering, differed. The idea of doubling a final consonant when the last syllable is stressed is the same one children already use for words like forgetting and beginning.

The second half of the topic is the hyphen in spelling. A hyphen can join a prefix to a root word, particularly where two vowel letters would otherwise meet in a clumsy way, as in re-enter, co-operate, co-ordinate and co-own. Dictionaries do vary, and some print cooperate and coordinate without a hyphen, which is why teachers describe hyphens as something to learn word by word and to check, not a rule that always applies. Most prefixes do not take hyphens at all, as in unhappy or rewrite.

A hyphen can also change the meaning of a word. To recover from a cold is not the same as to re-cover a sofa, and to re-sign a contract is not to resign from a job. Where a word might be read in two ways, the hyphen tells the reader which one is meant.

Teachers usually build this through spelling investigations: sorting -fer words by where the stress falls, finding which ones double, and collecting hyphenated words from reading. It is worth the effort because correct spelling of these words shows up in children’s written work, and spelling is part of the national test in May of Year 6.

Words your child will hear

Suffix
Letters added to the end of a word, such as -ed, -ing or -ence.
Prefix
Letters added to the start of a word, such as re- or co-.
Syllable
A beat in a word. Refer has two syllables, re and fer.
Stress
The syllable spoken most strongly. In refer it is the second, re-FER.
Hyphen
A short mark (-) that joins words or parts of words, as in re-enter.
Vowel letter
One of the letters a, e, i, o and u.
Root word
The basic word that prefixes and suffixes are added to, such as enter in re-enter.

What the National Curriculum says

The programme of study for Years 5 and 6 says:

  • Pupils should be taught to spell words by adding suffixes beginning with vowel letters to words ending in –fer
  • Pupils should be taught the use of the hyphen in spelling

Objectives from the National Curriculum in England, © Crown copyright, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Try it: referred, preference and re-enter

Add the ending: refer + ed, prefer + ence, transfer + ing, refer + ee. Then decide how to join re and enter.

  1. Use the stress test. Say the new word aloud, find the strongest beat, and ask whether it falls on the fer syllable. If it does, double the r.
  2. Refer + ed: the word is re-FERRED, with the stress on the second syllable, so the r is doubled. It is referred.
  3. Prefer + ence: the word is PREF-er-ence. The stress has moved to the front, away from fer, so the r stays single. It is preference.
  4. Transfer + ing: the word is trans-FER-ring, with the stress still on fer, so the r doubles. It is transferring.
  5. Refer + ee: the word is ref-er-EE. The stress is on the last syllable, so the r stays single. It is referee.
  6. Re + enter: the vowels e and e meet in the middle, so the hyphen helps the reader. It is re-enter.

referred, preference, transferring, referee, re-enter

Common mistakes and how to help

Always doubling the r: “preferrence” or “referrence”

Children learn that referred and preferred have two rs and expect every new word in the family to do the same.

What helps: Say the word and tap the strongest beat. In reference and preference it is on the first syllable, so the r is single. Only double when the stress stays on fer.

Never doubling: “refered” or “prefered”

In many words, like walked, nothing is doubled, and the double r is easy to forget because the sound is the same either way.

What helps: Say “re-FERRED” slowly and hear the strong beat land on the second syllable. Write the double r in a different colour in your child’s word list.

Doubling the r in offer, suffer and differ

They look like refer and prefer because they end in -fer, so children conclude they follow the same pattern.

What helps: Say OFF-ered. The stress is on the first syllable, so the r is not doubled. Offered, suffering and differed are the correct spellings.

Hyphens everywhere, or hyphens nowhere

Children see re-enter and co-operate and assume every prefix needs a hyphen, writing “un-happy” or “re-write”, or they leave them out when the meaning needs one.

What helps: Tell them a hyphen is used for a reason: to avoid two vowels bumping together or to avoid a wrong reading, as in re-cover and recover. Otherwise check a dictionary.

How to help at home

  • Tap the stress. Say words such as refer, referred, reference and referee, tapping the table on the strongest beat. Sort them into ones where the stress stays on fer and ones where it moves.
  • Build words from cards. Write refer, prefer and transfer on cards, with -ed, -ing, -ence, -ee and -al on others. Combine them, say each result aloud and decide whether the r doubles. Check the spelling in a dictionary together.
  • Run a family preference survey. Ask everyone at home their favourite food, game or film. Your child writes a sentence for each person, such as “Dad preferred tea”, “Her preference is toast”, using the right spelling every time.
  • Draw the double meanings. Pair re-cover and recover, or re-sign and resign, and draw a quick picture of each meaning. The hyphen then has an obvious job.
  • Hunt for hyphens in books. Look through a reading book for hyphenated words and decide why each has one. Is it joining a prefix, or avoiding a double reading? Keep a running list.

Related topics

Builds on

More on spelling – English Appendix 1

Everything in Years 5 and 6 English

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