The lists given below give some common words ending in each of these terminations and these should be learned by heart. Note that this is not an exhaustive list.

Words ending in -ar

• Pillar, scholar, calendar, vicar, particular, pedlar,
• beggar, solar, grammar, circular, similar, altar

Words ending in -er

• Miner, traveller, saddler, conjurer (or conjuror)
• Robber, summer, alter, clever, character, prisoner
• Leather, manner, messenger, villager, farmer, meter, tiger, interpreter

Words ending in -or

• Minor, impostor, inventor, traitor, debtor, surveyor, actor, tailor
• Doctor, ancestor, governor, emperor, sailor, author
• Professor, visitor, liquor, director

Words ending in -our

• ‘-Our’ is the common termination of abstract nouns.
• Endeavour, humour, hour, vigour, rigour, valour
• Colour, ardour, candour, demeanour

Words ending in -re

• Centre, massacre, theatre, sombre, calibre, metre
• Sceptre, manoeuvre

Words ending in -ure

• Leisure, signature, manufacture, agriculture
• Literature, imposture, nature, venture, enclosure, miniature

Words ending in -ur

• Murmur, sulphur, augur

Words ending in ceed and cede

Common words ending in these terminations are given below and students should add to this list as they come across fresh examples.

-ceed

• Proceed, exceed, succeed

-cede

• Accede, precede, concede, intercede, secede

Note the spelling of ‘supersede’

Notes

• A number of words end in -or in American English and -our in British English. Examples are: color and humor (US).
• Similarly some words end in -er in American and -re in British English. Examples are: center and meter (US)