When a word ends in a silent e, drop the e before adding a suffix that starts with a vowel (-ing, -ed, -er, -est) — but keep the e when the suffix starts with a consonant (-ly, -ful, -ness).
The rule in one sentence
If a word ends in a silent e and the suffix starts with a vowel, drop the e. If the suffix starts with a consonant, keep the e. Bake + ing = baking (drop it, since -ing starts with a vowel). Care + ful = careful (keep it, since -ful starts with a consonant).
Exceptions worth memorizing
Soft c and soft g words keep the e before -able/-ous
Words ending in -ce or -ge keep the silent e even before a vowel suffix like -able or -ous, because dropping it would turn the soft c or soft g hard. Notice → noticeable (not noticable). Change → changeable. Courage → courageous. Manage → manageable.
- Check the first letter of the suffix. Vowel (a, e, i, o, u, or y) → drop the e. Consonant → keep the e.
- Check if the word ends in -ce or -ge. If so and the suffix is -able or -ous, keep the e to protect the soft sound.
- A few oddities exist to prevent confusion. "Dye" keeps its e before -ing (dyeing) so it isn't confused with "dying," from "die."
The -y suffix drops the e too
Suffixes aren't limited to -ing, -ed, -er, and -est — the same silent-e rule applies whenever a suffix starts with a vowel, and -y is one of the most common examples in everyday words. Shine becomes shiny, ice becomes icy, taste becomes tasty, nose becomes nosy, spice becomes spicy, and wave becomes wavy — in every case, the silent e drops because -y starts with a vowel sound, exactly the same logic as bake becoming baking. This is worth pointing out directly, because -y often gets taught separately as "the ending that makes an adjective" rather than being connected back to the drop-the-e rule a child already knows, and the connection usually makes both easier to remember. Note that this is different from the -ce/-ge exception covered above: "ice" drops its e before -y (icy) because the -able/-ous exception is specifically about preserving a soft c or soft g sound, and -y doesn't carry that same soft-sound requirement — so the exception simply doesn't apply here, and the normal drop-the-e rule takes over.
For the other major suffix rule, see the 1-1-1 doubling rule and change y to i — or the full suffix spelling rules guide for all of them together. Many drop-the-e words started as magic e words in the first place.
Free printable for this topic
Download the Magic E Worksheet — a free PDF you can print and use today.