How do I teach -dge?

-dge

I am concluding my series of short vowel-based patterns with <dge>. Click the attached links to read about the other short vowel patterns <ck >, <tch>, and the Fizzle/ Floss rule

<dge> tends to confuse people; not understanding why it doesn’t apply to words like logic and tragic can muddle your instruction. Conversely, it seems to apply to words like bludgeon and fidget. Additionally, an entire group of words end in <age>; let’s look into those too!

As always, delving into the etymology of a word can unveil fascinating insights. So, let’s look at the intriguing history behind <dge>. Referring back to Old English, we see /j/ is written as <cg>  and < g>.  So words such as wedge were spelled wecg.  During Middle English, <gg> was often used after a stressed short vowel, such as lodge written as logge to signify the short vowel. With the introduction of the printing press in England by William Caxton in the fifteenth century, along with spelling reforms, <dge> soon replaced previous spellings. Go here for more information on soft <c> and soft <g>. 

The frequently heard generalization for <dge> is “at the end of a one-syllable word after a short vowel.” While I tend to minimize the verbiage to “after a short vowel,” the former is not untrue and definitely gets you out of the holes you could fall into with words like logic, village, and partridge! However, if you were to look further into this set of ordered rules, you would also find <dg> is used after a stressed short vowel and as seen in words like curmudgeon, gadget, stodgy, and ledger. 

At this point, you may assume your student is solid with background knowledge such as “before and after,” short and long vowels, and so on. But a word to the wise: never assume! Take a moment to reinforce your assumption! 

How do we introduce all of this information to our students? I follow this order of introduction. Starting with <dge> and using simple verbiage, I tell my students <dge> comes after a short vowel. When they feel solid with that, we will look at <dge> with the word ending <et>.  Next would be soft <g> along with soft <c>. With intention, I ask my students why words like binge and singe don’t use <dge> or why we need the <e> at all.  The depth of your lesson will depend on the student. You know your students best, so you will determine how much background information they will need or appreciate. 

So you may be wondering why we have so many words that don’t follow the pattern <dg> is used after a stressed short vowel and a following vowel, such as magic or legislate? This is where morphology and etymology come into play. Words contain meaning, and equally important, so do the morphemes that make up the word. *The root <leg> generally implies; having to do with the law. This information will help your student with the spelling aspect of these groups of words. I also like using this group to demonstrate accent shifts, as seen in legal-legality.

Lastly, let’s touch on <age> as /ij/ like in the word baggage. The exact spelling will also be pronounced /zh/, as in corsage. <age> is a word ending carrying the meaning “to belong to.”   Many of these words are French borrowed words; the remainder contain the French word ending. There are a plethora of these words, and it is well worth your time to familiarize your students with them.

Reviewing the list of words you use in your lesson is worth your time. Prepare yourself for your student's inevitable questions.  As a wise colleague said, “You can’t teach English Language structure without understanding English language structure.”

To expand your word lists to cover multi-syllablic <dge> words and lists of <age> check out my wordbook, More Words. I also created a fun boom game, Ridges and Gorges, focusing on <dge> with lots of hard and soft <g> words! 

Happy times with -dge! 

 

* While the jury is still out with etymonline.com on whether the actual root meaning is law or to collect. I have found other sources, including Origins by Eric Partridge, to state, “This entire group rests upon L …law orig religious then governmental. “    page 344

Next article “Fizzle/Floss Rule”

Comments

Lisa Olson - February 2, 2025

Thank you, Pam! I learn so much from your blog posts! Thank you for explaining the morphology and etymology of words! It’s so helpful to read and think about these spelling generalizations so we can better help our students! Thank you!
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Laughing Ogre Press replied:
Lisa, I appreciate the positive response! I enjoy learning about the history of the words, too! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! ~ Pam

I live and work on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabe people. I recognize their enduring relationship with this land and their deep connection to the water, plants, and animals that share this environment. I express my gratitude to the Anishinaabe ancestors and all those who continue to care for this land.

Jill Maki - February 2, 2025

Another fabulous article, Pam! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on scaffolding in different types of words. I always appreciate the background knowledge you provide.

On the same soft topic, I’ll need to check out your other blogs as I see some students wanting to turn everything into soft instead of using in places they previously knew it belongs. If that’s not part of your soft blog, please provide your insight and anecdotes! They’re invaluable!
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Laughing Ogre Press replied:
Jill, I believe scaffolding lessons is essential, especially when working with older students. It is fun to watch your student unlock new words! As for in place of , I don’t speak of that in my soft and post. Fortunately for me, that hasn’t happened too often! My advice is to review all the words beginning with . If they are struggling with two-syllable words, you will find teaching roots will help with medial such as and . I hope that helps a bit! Great question, thanks for starting the conversation! ~ Pam

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