SUFFIXES
Examples:
- agree + ment = agreement (change verb to noun)
- postpone + ment = postponement (change verb to noun)
- willing + ness = willingness (change adjective to noun)
- frank + ness = frankness (change adjective to noun)
- arrive + al = arrival (change verb to noun)
- profession + al = professional (change noun to adjective)
Suffixes Rules
Change The Spelling Of The WordIn some cases, the suffix causes a spelling change to the original (root or base) word. The last alphabet or letter of the word may be dropped or changed, when the suffix is added. Such as:
Example:
-
Words ending with letter -e:
-e may be dropped, when suffix is added begins with vowel, such as:
(i) use + able → usable
(ii) adore + able → adorable - Words ending with letter -y:
-y changes to an i when suffix is added, such as:
(i) beauty + -ful → beautiful
(ii) duty + -ful → dutiful
(iii) heavy + -ness → heaviness
(iv) ready + -ness → readiness
(v) ugly + -ness → ugliness - Words ending with letter -le:
-le changes to il when suffix is added, such as:
(i) able + -ity → ability
(ii) possible + -ity → possibility -
Words ending with letter -t:
-t changes to ss when suffix is added, such as:
(i) permit + -ion → permission
(ii) omit + -ion → omission
Change The Meaning Of The Word
Suffixes sometimes change the meaning of the words, such as:
Suffix -er is added:
-
With adjective, it shows comparative meaning of "more" as:
(i) kind + -er → Kinder
(ii) long + -er → longer
(iii) fond + -er → fonder - With verb, the word can be turned into noun, as:
(i) read + -er → reader
(ii) dance + -er → dancer
(iii) build + -er → builder
Suffix -est added:
-
With adjective, it shows superlative meaning of "the most" as:
(i) kind + -est → Kindest
(ii) long + -est → longest
(iii) fond + -est → fondest
List Of Common Suffixes With Meaning and Examples
Noun suffixes
SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
-acy | state or quality | privacy, fallacy, delicacy |
-age | action or process | baggage, village, postage, drainage, marriage, |
-al | pertaining to | arrival, burial, deferral, regional, functional, musical, accidental |
-ance /-ence | state or quality of | reliance, defence, insistence, maintenance, eminence, assurance |
-dom | place or state of being | boredom, freedom, kingdom |
-ee | - | employee, payee, trainee |
-eer | engaged in something, associated with something | auctioneer, volunteer, engineer, profiteer |
-er | someone who performs an action | driver, writer, director, helper, teacher, preacher, dancer |
-hood | - | brotherhood, childhood, neighbourhood |
-ion | the action or process of | celebration, opinion, decision, revision |
-ism | doctrine, belief | capitalism, Marxism, socialism (philosophies), communism |
-ist | one who | capitalist, Marxist, socialist (followers of philosophies), chemist |
-ity /-ty | the state or condition of, quality of | brutality, equality, cruelty, probability, abnormality, civility, inactivity, validity |
-ment | the action or result of, condition of | amazement, disappointment, parliament, movement, retirement, abandonment, establishment, argument, enchantment, achievement, excitement |
-ness | a state or quality | happiness, kindness, usefulness, fondness, awareness, darkness, sickness |
-or | a person who is something | distributor, investigator, translator, conductor |
-ry | - | entry, ministry, robbery |
-ship | position held | friendship, membership, workmanship, worship, ownership, courtship, internship, citizenship |
-sion /-tion /-xion | state of being | expression, population, complexion, depression, confusion, tension, compulsion, affection, promotion |
-th | state or quality | strength, labyrinth, depth, warmth |
Adjective Suffixes
SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
-able / -ible | capable of being, can be done | drinkable, portable, flexible, preventable, adaptable, predictable, credible, reversible, terrible |
-al | pertaining to | brutal, formal, postal, natural, criminal, seasonal |
-ant | inclined to or tending to | vigilant, defiant, brilliant, reliant |
-ary | of or relating to | budgetary, planetary, military, honorary |
-en | become | broken, golden, wooden, enlighten, awaken, strengthen |
-er | action or process, making an adjective comparative | bigger, stronger, faster, fuller, longer |
-ese | - | Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese |
-esque | reminiscent of | picturesque, statuesque, burlesque |
-est | superlative (degree) | strongest, tiniest, tallest |
-ful | full of or notable of | forgetful, helpful, useful, grateful, beautiful, wonderful, thankful, doubtful |
-i | - | Iraqi, Pakistani, Yemeni |
-ic | relating to or pertaining to | classic, Islamic, poetic, iconic, organic, heroic, domestic |
ical / cal | having the form or pertaining to | Psychological, Hypocritical, Methodical, Musical |
-ious / -ous | having qualities of or characterized by | cautious, famous, nervous, gracious, humorous, fabulous, pious, jealous, ridiculous, religious, nutritious |
-ish | having the quality of | British, childish, Spanish |
-ive | quality or nature of | active, passive, productive, creative, expensive, expressive, informative, attentive |
-ian | - | Canadian, Malaysian, Peruvian |
-less | without something | homeless, hopeless, useless, faultless, fearless, restless, meaningless, mindless, endless, friendless, tireless |
-ly | related to / quality | daily, monthly, yearly, clearly, hourly |
-y | made up of or characterized by | cloudy, rainy, windy, brainy, fruity, tasty, hasty, smelly, glory, messy, victory |
Verb Suffixes
SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
-ate | become | regulate, eradicate, enunciate, repudiate, complicate, dominate, irritate |
-ed | past-tense verb | laughed, climbed, called, missed |
-en | become | soften, fasten, lengthen, strengthen, harden, shorten |
-ify / -fy | make or become | terrify, satisfy, rectify, exemplify, beautify, clarify, identify |
-ing | verb form/present participle of an action or denoting an action, a material, or a gerund | laughing, swimming, acting, showing, driving, writing |
-ize / -ise | to cause or to become | memorialize, authorize, commercialize, advertise, civilize, humanize, socialize, economize, realize, industrialize (-ise is most common in British English; -ize is most common in American English) |
Adverb suffixes
SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
-ily | forming an adverb | happily, lazily |
-ly | in what manner something is being done, a characteristic of | bravely, simply, honestly, gladly, calmly, easily, quickly |
-ward | in a certain direction | backward, wayward, awkward, afterward, toward(s), downwards, upwards |
-wise | in relation to | clockwise, edgewise, lengthwise, likewise, otherwise |
PREFIXES
OR
A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word.For example: the word “unhappy” consists of the prefix “un-” [which means “not”] combined with the root (or stem) word “happy”; the word “unhappy” means “not happy.”
A short list of prefixes:
Negative Prefixes
Some prefixes translate the original meaning of the new word into its opposite meaning.SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
anti- | Against, opposing | antibiotics, antithesis, antifreeze, antisocial |
contra- | - | contradict, contraindicated, contrarian |
de- | from, down, away, reverse, opposite, off | decode, decrease, decompose, defrost, deactivate, degrade, |
dis- | not, opposite, reverse, away | disagree, disappear, disconnect, disapprove, dislike, dishonest, disagree, disappear |
il- | not | illegal, illogical |
im- | not, without | impossible, impermeable, improper, imbalance |
in- | not, without | inaction, invisible, injustice, incomplete, inaccurate, inability, incorrect, indefinite |
ir- | Not | irregular, irreversible |
non- | not, without | nonfiction, nonsense, non-exist |
un- | against, not, opposite | undo, unequal, unusual, unfinished, unskilled, unfriendly, unsatisfied, unkind, unresponsive, unruly, unknown |
- | - | - |
Other Common Prefixes
There are many prefixes that don’t negate the original meaning of the root word, but rather alter it in unique ways, such as expressing relationships of place, time or manner.SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
ante- | before | antebellum, antediluvian, antechamber, antedate |
auto- | self | Automatic, autograph, automobile |
circum- | around | circumnavigate, circumscribe, circumvent, circumstances, circumcircle |
co- | with | coexist, co-worker, cooperation, cosign |
com- / con- | - | commiserate, contact |
em- | Cause to, put into | Embrace, emphasis, embed |
en- | Cause to, put into | Encode, encounter, encase, endow, envelope, enclose, engulf |
epi- | upon, close to, after | Epicenter, epidermis, epiglottis |
ex- | former | ex-president, exterminate, exterior, extension |
exo- | out of, away from, lacking | exhale, explosion, exoskeleton |
extra- | more than | extracurricular, extraterrestrial, extraordinary |
fore- | Before | Forecast, foresight, forehead, foremost |
homo- | Same | Homogeneous, homo-nuclear, homosexual, homo-plastic |
hyper- | Over, above | hyperactive, hyperspace, hypertension, hypersensitive |
im- | into | import |
in- | into | Insert, infield, infiltrate, inside |
infra- | beneath, below | Infrastructure, infrared, infra-specific |
inter- | Between | international, intermediate, interlock, intersect |
intera- | Between | interact, interactive, intranet |
macro- | large | macroeconomics, macro-molecules, macrobiotics |
mega- | Large | megaphone, megaton |
micro- | Small | microorganism, microphone, microscope, microwave, microbiology |
mid- | Middle | Midday, midway, midnight, mid-season, midterm, midsummer |
mis- | bad, wrong | mislead, misplace, misunderstand, misfire, misappropriate, misuse, mistake, misconduct |
mono- | Singular, one | monogamous, monotone, monogram, monopoly, monolingual, monotone |
omni- | All, every | Omnivore, omnidirectional, omniscient, omnipotent |
over- | too much | overdue, overlook, overcook, overdone, overwork |
para- | Beside | Parachute, paragraph, paradox |
poly- | many | Polygon, polymers, |
pre- | before | prefix, prehistory, predict, preschool, prevent, preview, preliminary |
post- | after | Postmortem, Posterior, postpone, postoperative, postscript |
pro- | for, forward, before | proactive, profess, program, Project, proceed, promote, progress, propose |
re- | again, back | react, reappear, regain, return, rebuild, reconsider, re-evaluate, rewrite |
semi- | Half | Semifinal, semicircle, semiconductor, semester |
sub- | Under | Submarine, substandard, subsidiary, subeditor, subtitle, submerge |
super- | Above | Superman, superstar, supernatural, super-food |
sym- / syn- | - | symmetry, symptoms, synchronize, synapse |
tele- | - | Television, telephone, telepathy |
therm- | heat | thermometer, thermostat, thermodynamic |
trans- | Across, beyond | Transmit, transaction, translation, transfer, transport, transform |
tri- | three | tricycle, triangle, tripod |
under- | below | Undersea, understand, underwater, underline, underweight |
uni- | One | Unicellular, unicorn, universal, unicycle, unilateral |
up- | - | Upbeat, upload, upward, upgrade |
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