Editing Finnish grammar (section)

====Vowel stems====
A word with a '''vowel stem''' is one that ends in a vowel in the nominative, and retains a final vowel in all forms. The stem vowel can however change in certain inflected forms:

:{| class="wikitable"
|-
!English
!stem vowel
!singular
!{{abbr|sg.|singular}} [[Genitive case|{{abbr|gen.|genitive}}]]
!{{abbr|sg.|singular}} [[Partitive case|{{abbr|part.|partitive}}]]
!plural
!{{abbr|pl.|plural}} {{abbr|gen.|genitive}}
!{{abbr|pl.|plural}} {{abbr|part.|partitive}}
!Notes
|-
|fish
|{{lang|fi| -a}}
|{{lang|fi|kala}}
|{{lang|fi|kalan}}
|{{lang|fi|kalaa}}
|{{lang|fi|kalat}}
|{{lang|fi|kal'''oj'''en}}
|{{lang|fi|kal'''oj'''a}}
|{{lang|fi|a}} + {{lang|fi|i}} becomes {{lang|fi|oj}} when after {{lang|fi|a}}, {{lang|fi|e}} or {{lang|fi|i}}.
|-
|corner
|{{lang|fi| -a}}
|{{lang|fi|kulma}}
|{{lang|fi|kulman}}
|{{lang|fi|kulmaa}}
|{{lang|fi|kulmat}}
|{{lang|fi|kulm'''i'''en}}
|{{lang|fi|kulm'''i'''a}}
|{{lang|fi|a}} + {{lang|fi|i}} becomes {{lang|fi|i}} when after {{lang|fi|o}} or {{lang|fi|u}}.
|-
|summer
|{{lang|fi| -ä}}
|{{lang|fi|kesä}}
|{{lang|fi|kesän}}
|{{lang|fi|kesää}}
|{{lang|fi|kesät}}
|{{lang|fi|kes'''i'''en}}
|{{lang|fi|kes'''i'''ä}}
|{{lang|fi|ä}} + {{lang|fi|i}} becomes {{lang|fi|i}}.
|-
|name
|{{lang|fi| -e}}
|{{lang|fi|nim'''i'''}}
|{{lang|fi|nimen}}
|{{lang|fi|nimeä}}
|{{lang|fi|nimet}}
|{{lang|fi|nim'''i'''en}}
|{{lang|fi|nim'''i'''ä}}
|{{lang|fi|e}} becomes {{lang|fi|i}} at the end of a word; {{lang|fi|e}} + {{lang|fi|i}} becomes {{lang|fi|i}}.
|-
|hall
|{{lang|fi| -i}}
|{{lang|fi|halli}}
|{{lang|fi|hallin}}
|{{lang|fi|hallia}}
|{{lang|fi|hallit}}
|{{lang|fi|hallien}}
|{{lang|fi|hall'''ej'''a}}
|{{lang|fi|i}} + {{lang|fi|i}} becomes {{lang|fi|ej}}.
|-
|light
|{{lang|fi| -o}}
|{{lang|fi|valo}}
|{{lang|fi|valon}}
|{{lang|fi|valoa}}
|{{lang|fi|valot}}
|{{lang|fi|valojen}}
|{{lang|fi|valoja}}
|A stem with a labial vowel {{lang|fi|-o, -u, -y, -ö}} is invariable; plural {{lang|fi|i}} becomes {{lang|fi|j}} between vowels.
|-
|teddy bear
|{{lang|fi| -e}}
|{{lang|fi|nalle}}
|{{lang|fi|nallen}}
|{{lang|fi|nallea}}
|{{lang|fi|nallet}}
|{{lang|fi|nallejen}}
|{{lang|fi|nalleja}}
|Invariable ''e''-stems can be found in very recent coinages.
|-
|land, earth
|{{lang|fi| -aa}}
|{{lang|fi|maa}}
|{{lang|fi|maan}}
|{{lang|fi|maata}}
|{{lang|fi|maat}}
|{{lang|fi|m'''a'''iden}}
|{{lang|fi|m'''a'''ita}}
|A long vowel is shortened before the oblique plural {{lang|fi|-i-}}.
|-
|road
|{{lang|fi|-{{Not a typo|ie}}}}
|{{lang|fi|tie}}
|{{lang|fi|tien}}
|{{lang|fi|tietä}}
|{{lang|fi|tiet}}
|{{lang|fi|t'''e'''iden}}
|{{lang|fi|t'''e'''itä}}
|Historical long mid vowels {{lang|fi|*ee *öö *oo}} have been diphthongized, but the original vowel survives in shortened forms.
|}

The change of original (pre-Proto-Finnic) final ''*e'' to {{lang|fi|i}} means that the stem vowel of a word ending in {{lang|fi|i}} cannot be determined from the nominative alone; one of the inflected forms must be consulted. However, most old inherited words ending in {{lang|fi|i}} decline as ''e''-stems (or consonants stems, see below), while modern loans, where {{lang|fi|i}} frequently is added for phonotactic reasons (as in the case of {{lang|fi|halli}}), always decline as ''i''-stems.