MFS SERIES TRUST IX /MA/
497, 1996-01-04
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                                  MFS BOND FUND

Supplement  to the  September 1, 1995  Prospectus  and  Statement of  Additional
Information

The section of the Prospectus  entitled  "Expense  Summary" is hereby revised as
follows:

1.       EXPENSE SUMMARY

Shareholder Transaction Expenses:             Class A      Class B      Class C

 Maximum Initial Sales Charge Imposed
  on Purchases of Fund Shares (as a
  percentage of offering price).............   4.75%        0.00%        0.00%
 Maximum Contingent Deferred Sales
  Charge (as a percentage of original
  purchase price or redemption proceeds,
  as applicable)............................ See Below1     4.00%        0.00%

Annual  Operating  Expenses of the Fund (as a  percentage  of average  daily net
assets):

Management Fees.............................   0.43%        0.43%        0.43%
Rule 12b-1 Fees.............................   0.30%2       1.00%3       1.00%3
Other Expenses..............................   0.32%        0.41%        0.32%

Total     Operating     Expenses....................     1.05%    1.84%    1.75%
- -----------------------------
1.  Purchases of $1 million or more are not subject to an initial  sales charge;
however,  a contingent  deferred sales charge  ("CDSC") of 1% will be imposed on
such purchases in the event of certain redemption  transactions within 12 months
following such purchases (see "Purchases").

2. The Fund has adopted a Distribution Plan for its Class A shares in accordance
with Rule 12b-1 under the Investment  Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940
Act"), which provides that it will pay distribution/service  fees aggregating up
to (but not  necessarily all of) 0.35% per annum of the average daily net assets
attributable to Class A shares (see "Distribution Plans").  Currently, a portion
of the 0.10% per  annum  distribution  fee equal to 0.05% per annum is not being
imposed  and will become  payable on such date as the  Trustees of the Trust may
determine.  The 0.25% per annum  service  fee is  reduced to 0.15% per annum for
shares sold prior to March 1, 1991.  Distribution expenses paid under this Plan,
together with the initial sales charge, may cause long-term  shareholders to pay
more than the maximum sales charge that would have been  permissible  if imposed
entirely as an initial sales charge.

3. The Fund has  adopted  separate  Distribution  Plans  for its Class B and its
Class C shares in accordance  with Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which provides
that it will pay distribution/service  fees aggregating up to 1.00% per annum of
the average  daily net assets  attributable  to Class B shares under the Class B
Distribution  Plan and the Class C shares  under the Class C  Distribution  Plan
(see  "Distribution  Plans").  Distribution  expenses  paid under  these  Plans,
together  with any CDSC payable  upon  redemption  of Class B shares,  may cause
long-term shareholders to pay more than the maximum sales charge that would have
been permissible if imposed entirely as an initial sales charge.

                               Example of Expenses

An  investor  would pay the  following  dollar  amounts of  expenses on a $1,000
investment in the Fund,  assuming (a) a 5% annual  return and (b)  redemption at
the end of each of the time periods indicated (unless otherwise noted):

 Period                                 Class A        Class B         Class C
                                                             (1)

 1 year..............................    $ 58      $ 59     $ 19        $ 18
 3 years.............................      79        88       58          55
 5 years.............................     103       120      100          95
10 years.............................     170       195(2)   195(2)      206
- -----------------------------
1.   Assumes no redemption.
2. Class B shares  convert to Class A shares  approximately  eight  years  after
purchase; therefore, years nine and ten reflect Class A expenses.

The purpose of the expense table above is to assist  investors in  understanding
the various costs and expenses that a shareholder of the Fund will bear directly
or indirectly. More complete descriptions of the following Fund expenses are set
forth in the following sections:  (i) varying sales charges on share purchases -
"Purchases";  (ii)  varying  CDSCs  -  "Purchases";   (iii)  management  fees  -
"Investment  Adviser";  and (iv) Rule  12b-1  (i.e.,  distribution  plan) fees -
"Distribution Plans."

The "Example" set forth above should not be considered a representation  of past
or future  expenses  of the Fund;  actual  expenses  may be greater or less than
those shown.

                                   * * *


Page 24 of the Prospectus and page 21 of the Statement of Additional Information
are each revised to include the  sentences  stating that MFS Fund  Distributors,
Inc.   ("MFD")  is   currently   waiving  a  portion  of  the  0.10%  per  annum
distribution/service  fee with respect to Class A shares. These sentences are as
follows:  "MFD  is  currently  receiving  a  portion  of  the  0.10%  per  annum
distribution  fee  equal  to  0.05%  per  annum;  the  remaining  0.05%  of this
distribution  fee will become  payable on such date as the Trustees of the Trust
may determine."

                   The date of this  Supplement is January 1, 1996.


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