Suffixes in Russian ik ek. When should you use the letter "e"? Spelling of vowels in suffixes of nouns formed from verbs

There are many suffixes in the Russian language, counting in the dozens, and each of them has a specific meaning. Some of them are found extremely rarely in modern language, for example, the suffix -ad- (as in the word “popadya”), while others are used constantly. The most common suffixes are -ek- and -ik-. The emphasis on these suffixes never falls, which causes difficulties when writing them. Schoolchildren and even adults sometimes confuse the letters “i” and “e” in these suffixes.

The meaning of the suffixes -ek-/-ik-

These suffixes are part of nouns.

The suffix -ik- should not be confused with another, very similar to it - -nik-. The latter forms words denoting professions, occupation (“”) or a person’s attitude towards any subject (“tselinnik”). It can also indicate the purpose of the item (“wallet”, “”). Words formed with this suffix can denote books (“reference book”, “problem book”) or spaces covered with something (“spruce forest”). The similarity of the suffixes is aggravated by the fact that in some cases the suffix -nik- is used without the letter “n” (“chemist”), but even in this case it can be distinguished by its meaning. This suffix is ​​always with the letter “i” and never with “e”.

The suffixes -ek-/-ik- have a completely different meaning. They belong to the suffixes of subjective assessment, which give words an emotional connotation, expressing an attitude towards the subject. These suffixes indicate either the small size of the object (“key”, “handkerchief”), or a tender, affectionate attitude towards it (“”, “kitten”). Such suffixes are called diminutive.

Another difference between these suffixes and -nik- is in the placement of stress: -nik- in some cases turns out to be stressed (“mushroom picker”), and of the diminutive suffixes under stress, -ok- (“sailor”) is used, but not -ek - or -hic-.

Spelling suffixes

In order to decide which diminutive suffix – “-ek-” or “-ik-” – should be written in this case, a noun is needed. With any change in the word, the suffix -ik- remains unchanged (“ticket - ticket, ticket”), and

Called the noun “bread of the tongue.” Indeed, without using this part of speech it is impossible to construct sentences. Objects, things, events and states, people and animals, feelings and emotions - we convey all this in speech using nouns.

When writing words of this part of speech, you should follow the rules. The greatest difficulties are caused by endings and suffixes. How to correctly write noun suffixes will be discussed in the article.

Suffixes with uniform spelling

The correct spelling of many morphemes in the Russian language is subject to the morphological principle, that is, they are written uniformly in all words and word forms. Nouns also have such suffixes. You just need to learn them.

These are suffixes such as IZN, OT, IN, OST, OTN, OVN and some others. Cheap, expensive, white; KINDNESS, REDNESS, SIMPLICITY; silence, depth; brevity, youth, pride; running, running; chatter and so on. Such suffixes are mainly characteristic of words formed from adjectives and verbal words.

It is recommended to remember the spelling of words formed from verbs using the suffixes IV and EB, for example “fuel”, “mesivo”, “brew”, “lace” and others. No rule can be applied to them; they must be remembered or checked in a dictionary.

Suffixes IK and EK

The suffixes of the nouns IK and EK serve to form a diminutive form and sound the same when pronounced. They need to be written in accordance with a very simple rule. If, when a word is declined, the vowel “runs away”, then this is the suffix EK, and if it remains, then this is the suffix IK. A classic example that schoolchildren love and easily remember is a lock and key. We bow the words and see:

• zamochEK - zamochka (vowel “ran away”);
• key - key (the vowel remained in place).

When applying this rule, you must first correctly find the suffix in the word. For example, in the word “ball” there is a root BALL and the familiar suffix IR, in the word “pilot” there is a knee LET and a suffix CHIC, and in the word “boy” there is no suffix at all, but only a root and a zero ending. It is important to remember: there are no nouns with the suffix CHECK in the Russian language!

• Conclusion. To choose IK or EK, you need to see whether the vowel appears in the form of oblique cases.

Suffixes EC and IC

The spelling of the noun suffixes EC and IC is similar to the previous paragraph of the rule. Here, too, with declension, the vowel drops out of the EC morpheme, but is retained in the IC morpheme. But there is one more nuance. EC is written in masculine words: well done, handsome, foreigner. Accordingly, IC will belong only to feminine words: beauty, snowstorm, lazy.

Everything seems simple here. But what about neuter words, attentive readers will ask? Even their vowel does not fall out during declination. But here another principle works, and you need to pay attention to the emphasis. If the emphasis falls on the ending, we write EC: PALTETSO, letterTSO. If the base of the word is stressed, we write the suffix ITs: dressITse, nameITse, jamITse.

• Conclusion. The EC and IC suffixes depend on the gender of the word. If you eat a neuter word, look at the stress.

Suffixes ICHK and ECHK

The noun suffixes ICHK and ECHK are also found in affectionate and diminutive names for both animate and inanimate objects. It is very easy to distinguish from. ICHK is written in those words that are formed from forms with the suffix ITs: staircase - ladder, sister - sister, mill - mill. ECHK is used in all other words, including affectionately diminutive forms of proper names: kroshka - kroshechka, cat - cat, Olya - Olechka.

• Note. The use of the names TanICHKa, ManICHKa and other similar ones is found in works of fiction, but is not standardized.

You should also keep in mind that there is no suffix YACHK in Russian.

• Conclusion. The spelling of the suffixes ECHK and ICHK depends on the presence of the suffix ITs at the base of the word from which the noun is derived

Suffixes ONK and ENK

Spelling the suffixes of nouns with the affectionate meaning ONK and ENK rarely causes difficulties, because they, as a rule, are clearly audible when pronounced. But let’s generalize: ONK should be written after a hard consonant, ENK - after a soft or hissing one. The braid is the braid, the birch is the birch, but the daughter is the daughter, the night is the night, Julia is Yulenka. Exceptions can be considered diminutive variants of the words “mom” and “dad”: only mamma and papa are permissible, despite the fact that the stem of these words ends in hard consonants. You also need to remember the spelling of words that do not obey the rule, “ZaINKA”, “PaINKa”, “BaINKi”. They are written in a special way and are dictionary.

• Conclusion. The suffixes ONK and ENK depend on the softness/hardness of the preceding consonant.

Combinations IN-K and ENK-K and suffixes INK and ENK

Noun suffixes are also interesting because they can be difficult to identify correctly. Words have similar meanings but are formed using different suffixes. For example, the words “pea” and “snowflake” denote a diminutive form of an object, but the first is formed from the word “snow” using the morpheme INK, and the other is formed from the word pea-in-a by adding the suffix K.

• The combination IN-K is written in words formed from feminine nouns with the suffix IN: ballerIN-Ka - from ballerIN, BusIN-Ka - from busIN.
• The combination EH-K occurs in words formed from nouns ending in -NYA: cherry-Ka - from cherry, cherry-Ka - from cherry, and so on.

The suffixes of the nouns INK and ENK are difficult to explain by any clear rule. ENK is found in words denoting female persons: beggar, nun, Frenchwoman and others. Accordingly, in words that do not have such a meaning, the suffix INK is written: gorlinka, smeshinka, zadorinka. If the suffix that causes doubt is in an unstressed position, it is better to check the dictionary.

• Conclusion. The spelling of suffixes and combinations ENK (EN-K) and INK (IN-K) depends on the morphemic composition of the word or is regulated by the dictionary.

The letters O-E in the suffixes of nouns in the position after sibilants sound the same, which is why this particular spelling causes the most difficulties, and it is with it that the most errors are associated. In fact, the rule is very simple.

In the suffixes of nouns OK-EK, ONK-ENK, ONOK-ENOK and similar ones, O is written under stress, E is written without stress. Examples of stressed positions: riverONKa, MezhvezhONOK, circle. Unstressed suffixes: daughter, river and others.

As you can see, O-E after hissing nouns in suffixes is very easy to distinguish!

But there is one nuance (after all, the Russian language does not recognize rules without exceptions). This rule does not apply to words formed from verbs. In them, regardless of the place of stress, you should always write E (most often such suffixes are in the stressed position, which is why they are misleading). NochEVka - we write E, because from the verb "to spend the night", condensed - we write E, because from the verb "to thicken", stew - is explained in a similar way.

• Conclusion. Suffixes of nouns after sibilants depend on the place of stress (with the exception of verbal words).

Suffixes CHIC and SCHIK

Noun suffixes cause difficulty in writing not only vowels, but also consonants. A striking example is the sibilants in the suffixes of the nouns CHIC and SCHIK, which often sound the same in oral speech. Most often, these suffixes form words with the meaning of profession or occupation: “roofer”, “scout”, “layer”, etc. How to distinguish them?

The suffix CHIK is written only after the letters D, T, Z, S, ZH: Breadwinner, Clerk, Defector. The SHCHIK morpheme is written after all other sounds: mason, recruiter, etc.

It is noteworthy that the soft sign is never written before the suffix CHIC, and before SHCHIK is preserved only in one case - after L: sawyer, roofer, layout worker.

• Conclusion. The choice of the suffix CHIC or SCHIK depends on the preceding consonant sound.

N and NN in noun suffixes

Double vowels occur in words of any part of speech, including nouns. How to determine how many N to write in the suffixes of this part of speech?

• One N is written if the noun is formed without adding the suffix N from a word whose stem ended in one N: yuNost - from yuNy, gingerbread - from spicy, and so on.
• Two N are written at the junction of morphemes, that is, if a noun is formed from a word with a stem in N by adding another H: treason - from treason with the addition of NIK, tsennik - from tseNA with the addition of NIK.
• NN is also written if a noun is formed from an adjective or participle that already contains a double N. CONFIDENCE - from confident, restraint - restrained.
• Conclusion. The spelling of one or two Hs in a noun depends on the morphemic composition of the word, as well as on the number of Hs in the word from which it is formed.

Let's sum it up

The suffixal method is the main way of word formation of nouns. This probably explains the richness and variety of suffixes in this part of speech. Here are such common morphemes as OST, EK, ONK, but there are also rare or obsolete suffixes, for example, YAD in the word “mokryad”, YSH in the word “foundling” or UN in the word “runner”.

The difficulty is that all suffixes that form nouns require the use of a special rule, as well as knowledge of the morphemic composition of the word and the method of word formation. Therefore, when studying the spelling of nouns, you will have to turn to dictionaries very often.

Words with the suffixes -ek-/-ik- always raise a lot of questions among schoolchildren. Moreover, not every adult knows in what cases this or that morpheme is written. That is why we decided to devote this article to this topic.

General information

Name 2 words with the suffix -ik-. It should be noted that this is not difficult to do, but only if you know the basic rule of the Russian language, which explains the spelling of the letters “i” and “e” in a given morpheme. After all, some people constantly make the same mistakes, and instead of “key” they write “key”, instead of “bush” - “kustek”, “ball” - “ball”, and so on. That is why special attention is paid to this topic in the school curriculum.

When should you use the letter "i"?

What words with the suffixes -ek-/-ik- do you know? These include the following: sofa, granddaughter, son, brick, pea, knife, pencil, bell, leaf, lump, hammer, flower, leaf, bush, light, whistle, stem, key, boy, nose, cucumber, chair, finger , piece, face, bag, ball, handkerchief, pie, bridge, curl, airplane, cog, bow, rain, nut, kindergarten, kitten, etc.

As you may have noticed, every word mentioned with the suffix -ik- raises serious doubts about its correct spelling. After all, this morpheme is in an unstressed position, and therefore it is impossible to determine which vowel should be placed at the end - “i” or “e” (and maybe “o”?). That is why we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the relevant rules of the Russian language.

Basic Rule

A word with the suffix -ik- should be written only if the vowel letter “i” is preserved when it is declined. For clarity, here are specific examples:

• pencil - pencilIka;
• sofa - sofa;
• cucumber - cucumber;
• kalachik - kalachIka;
• bush - bush;
• spout - spout;
• high chair - high chair;
• finger - finger;
• face - face;
• boy - boy;
• key - key;
• ball - ball;
• airplane - airplane;
• leaf - leaf;
• screw - screw;
• bow - bowIka;
• bridge - bridge;
• brick - brick;
• rain - rain;
• kindergarten - kindergarten, etc.

When should you use the letter "e"?

We talked about how you can check a word with the suffix -ik- just above. However, it should be noted that in the Russian language there are often lexical units that have the morpheme -ek-. And in order to make sure that the letter “e” is actually written in these words, it is also recommended to decline them. If it is fluent (that is, it drops out), then only the suffix -ek- should be used.

Here are some illustrative examples:

• bell - bell;
• granddaughter - granddaughter;
• little light - little light;
• peas - peas;
• knife - knife;
• lump - lump;
• whistle - whistle;
• hammer - hammer;
• leaflet - leaflet;
• nut - nut;
• son - son;
• stalk - stalk;
• piece - piece;
• pouch - pouch;
• flower - flower;
• handkerchief - handkerchief;
• pie - pie;
• kitten - kitten and so on.

As you can see, it is quite easy to determine which word is spelled with the suffix -ik-, and which is written with the suffix -ek-. By the way, such morphemes in Russian are called alternating. Unlike unchangeable ones, their spelling depends on certain situations (in this case, on the preservation of the vowel when declension of the word).

with the suffix -ok-

Above we looked at words with the suffix -ik-. -Ok- is also a morpheme. However, during word formation, such a suffix does not raise any doubts. What is this connected with? The fact is that the presented morpheme almost always occupies a stressed position. As a result, the letter “o” in the suffix -ok- is heard as clearly as possible. For clarity, here are a few examples:

• cam;
• top;
• son;
• hammer;
• arrowOK;
• roosterOK;
• foolOK;
• BereOK;
• chalk;
• connoisseur;
• snowOk;
• hook;
• TeremOk, etc.

Suffixes -ek- and -ok- after pinching consonants

You know what words with the suffix -ik-, -ek- and -ok- exist. However, here a new question arises: “In what cases in the last two morphemes should the letter “e” be placed after the sibilants, and in which cases should the letter “o” be placed? After all, it is quite difficult to determine which will be correct: cockerel or cockerel. What is this connected with? The fact is that during the pronunciation of such lexical units, both the letter “e” and the letter “o” after hissing consonants are heard as [o].

Rule for spelling vowels “e” and “o” after sibilants

If the suffix after a hissing consonant is stressed, then only the morpheme -ok- should be written. Let's give a clear example:

• BereOK;
• roosterOK;
• cam;
• top;
• manOK;
• top;
• old manOk;
• worm;
• boot;
• foolOK;
• bounce;
• jointOK;
• son;
• snowOk;
• hook and others.

As for the suffix -ek-, it is placed only in those words in which it is not stressed, and if such a lexical unit loses a vowel during declension.

For clarity, here is an example:

• knife
• nut
• grandsons;
• peas;
• bell;
• lump;
• hammer;
• sheetPoints;
• light;
• whistle;
• son Eyes;
• colorPoints;
• stem;
• piece;
• bag;
• ovrAzhek;
• handkerchief;
• pie;
• kitten and others.

Ways to form words using the suffix -ok-

How are such words formed? Nouns with the suffix -ik-/-ek- arise by adding a morpheme to. As a result, we get a new lexical unit, but in a diminutive meaning (for example, sofa, lump, granddaughter, leaf, hammer, bell, etc.).

As for the suffix -ok-, it gives slightly different meanings:

• Diminutiveness accompanied by an expression of endearment (let’s give an example: seagull, brother, son-in-law, mushroom, leaf, etc.).
• Action (let's give an example: yawn, throw, kick, sip, jerk, smear, push, jump, slap, jump, click, clap, etc.).
• An object, or rather the result of an action (we give an example: a fragment, a skein, a stump, a sketch, a cast, an imprint, a stitch, a village, a settlement, etc.).
• An object, or rather an instrument of action (let's give an example: whistle, bell, buzzer, etc.).
• An object, or rather a subject of action (for example, a float, a slider, a sprout, etc.).
• Venue (skating rink).
• Diminutive or only affectionate meaning (for example, Ninok, Vitek, Lidok, Igorok, Sashok, etc.).
• The person who performs the action (for example, rider, eater, shooter, player, walker, etc.).
• A person that arises as a result of an action (for example, a premature child, a geek, an overgrown child, a short child, a teenager, etc.).
• Persons characterized by a quality contained in a motivating word (for example, ancestor, descendant, etc.).
• An object characterized by a feature that is called motivating (for example, game, white, yolk, etc.).
• A substance that is named by a motivating noun (for example, chalk).
• A unit that stands out in nouns and denotes a group of identical objects. Moreover, there are exactly as many of them as are called motivating (for example, heels, tens, etc.).