listbeeEndings and word parts
-tion words
The ending -tion sounds like “shun” and turns verbs into nouns: act becomes action, invent becomes invention. It is the most common way to spell that ending.
- Sound
- /shun/ at the end of a word
- Usually taught
- 3rd–5th grade
- Words on this page
- 20 in 2 lists
-tion words: word lists
Practice a list online (each word is read aloud), or open it in the worksheet maker to print a test, word search, or look-cover-write-check sheet.
Two-syllable -tion words
10 words- action
- nation
- motion
- lotion
- potion
- station
- caption
- fraction
- section
- mention
Longer -tion words
10 words- addition
- subtraction
- vacation
- direction
- question
- attention
- invention
- collection
- location
- celebration
How the pattern works
When a word ends with the sound “shun,” the spelling is usually -tion.
Many -tion words come from a shorter word you already know: act → action, collect → collection, direct → direction. Spelling the base word first makes the long word easier.
After s, the ending often sounds like “chun”: question. A smaller group of words uses -sion (television, mansion); learn those separately.
Common mistakes
- Writing it as it sounds: “acshun,” “stashun.”
- Writing -sion for -tion, or the reverse.
- Dropping letters from the base word: “colection” for collection.
Practice ideas
- Match base words to -tion words: add → addition, locate → location.
- Clap the syllables of each longer word and spell one clap at a time.
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