Among the common suffixes in English are the suffixes _or_ and _er_.
These suffixes mean _one who_ or _that which_. For example, _builder_,
one who builds; _actor_, one who acts; _heater_, that which heats. But
we are confused many times to know whether to add the suffix _or_ or
_er_ to form these derivative words. There is no exact rule which can be
given, but the following rule usually applies with but few exceptions:
To the shorter and commoner words in the language add the suffix _er_.
For example, _writer_, _boxer_, _singer_, etc. To the longer and less
common words, usually those derived from the Latin or the Greek, add the
suffix _or_. For example, _legislator_, _conqueror_, etc.
There are a number of words in the English like _honor_, in which the
last syllable used to be spelled _our_ instead of _or_. You will
probably run across such words as these in your reading. This mode of
spelling these words, however, is being rapidly dropped and the ending
_or_ is being used instead of _our_. There are also a number of words in
our language like _center_, which used to be spelled with _re_ instead
of _er_. The _re_ ending is not used any more, although you may run
across it occasionally in your reading. The proper ending for all such
words as these is _er_. There are a few words, however, like _timbre_ (a
musical term) and _acre_, which are still properly spelled with the _re_
ending.
The spelling lessons for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,
contain words from which derivatives can be formed by adding _er_ or
_or_. Look these words up in the dictionary and be sure that you have
added the proper suffix. The list for Friday consists of words which you
may find in your reading spelled with the _our_ ending. The list for
Saturday contains words which you may find spelled with the _re_ ending
instead of the _er_.
+Monday+
Create
Produce
Profess
Debate
Govern
+Tuesday+
Edit
Consume
Consign
Legislate
Design
+Wednesday+
Solicit
Pay
Success
Observe
Invent
+Thursday+
Vote
Debt
Organize
Sail
Strike
+Friday+
Labor
Neighbor
Rumor
Valor
Candor
+Saturday+
Theater
Scepter
Fiber
Somber
Meager