Words Ending in -tion
Learn the -tion ending that sounds like 'shun', in words like station, action and nation. A spelling lesson for ages 6-8 with games and a quiz.
Key takeaways
- The ending -tion sounds like 'shun'
- Many naming words end in -tion: station, action, nation
- Look for the whole chunk t-i-o-n at the end of the word
The 'shun' sound
Lots of words end with a special chunk of letters: -tion. Here is the tricky part. We do not say "tee-on". We say shun! 🤫
- station 🚉 (say "stay-shun")
- action 🎬 (say "ak-shun")
- nation 🌍 (say "nay-shun")
The same four letters, t-i-o-n, hide at the end and make the sound shun.
Read these -tion words
Say each word out loud. Listen for shun at the end.
- motion ➡️
- lotion 🧴
- fraction ➗
- question ❓
- vacation 🏖️
- celebration 🎉
Can you hear how they all finish the same way?
A word list to read
| Word | Sounds like |
|---|---|
| station 🚉 | stay-shun |
| action 🎬 | ak-shun |
| nation 🌍 | nay-shun |
| motion ➡️ | mo-shun |
| question ❓ | kwes-chun |
How to spell -tion words
When a word ends with the shun sound, try this:
- Hear the shun at the end.
- Most of the time, write the chunk t-i-o-n.
- Keep the four letters together: -tion, never "-shun".
Many of these words are naming words (nouns), like an action or a question.
Well done!
Now you can read and spell lots of -tion words. Look for the shun sound and write -tion!
Next, try Words Ending in -sion and Prefixes and Suffixes.
Quick quiz
Test yourself and earn XP
How does the ending -tion sound?
The chunk -tion sounds like 'shun', as in station. 🚉
Which word ends in -tion?
Nation ends in -tion and sounds like 'nay-shun'. 🌍
Finish the word: sta___
We write it station, even though it sounds like 'shun'. 🚉
Play & learn
-tion word cards +5 XP
Completed ✓ +5 XP
Match the picture to the word +10 XP
Completed ✓ +10 XP
FAQ
English often spells the 'shun' sound with the letters t-i-o-n. So we say 'shun' but write -tion, as in station and action.
Yes, most -tion words are nouns (naming words), like action, nation and question.
Keep exploring
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