3 VOCABULARY BUILDERS. 102 List 30 List 30. THE 20 Most CoMMON SUFFIXES ‘This is a research-based list for those who wish to see the data, These 20 suffixes account for 93 percent of occurences. Rank Suffix ‘Meaning % Example, 1 ses plurals 31 bays 2 ed past-tense verbs 20 wanted 3 ing verb form/present participle 14 playing 4 ly characteristic of 7 friendly 5 er, or person connected with 4 teacher 6 ion, tion, ation, ition act, process 4 action 7 ible, able can be done 2 likeable 8 al, ial having characteristics of 1 final 9 y characterized by 1 funny 10 ness state of, condition of 1 happiness n ity, ty state of 1 activity 12 ment action or process 1 enjoyment 13 ic having characteristics of 1 comic 4 ous, cous, ious possessing the qualities of 1 serious 1s on made of 1 enliven 16 er comparative 1 bigger Ww ive, ative, itive adjective form of a noun 1 atientive 18 ful full of 1 sorrovfid 19 less without 1 hopetess 20 est 7 comparative 1 biggest Alll other suffixes accounted for only 7% of the words. See List $1 for a more complete list of suffixes. Source: White, T.G., Sowell, V., and Yanagihara, A. (1999). Teaching elementary students to use word-part clues. The Reading Teacher, 42, 302-308. “The Reading Teacher's Book of Liss, Fifth Béition, © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ine1 © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ine ‘The Rending Teacher's Book of Lists, Fith Bai ust 31 103 3_ VOCABULARY BUILDERS List 31. More SuFFIxXES Suffixes are letter groups that are added to the end of a base word or root, They frequently signify the part of speech and sometimes add meaning. There are two types of suffixes: derivational and inflectional. Derivational suffixes are more numerous. When added to a base word, this type of suffix creates a new word that is “derived” from the base word but has a different meaning. For example, the addi- tion of -less to hope creates hopeless, a word related to hope but different in meaning. The following is 4 list of derivational suffixes, The most frequently occurring suffixes are listed at the beginning level Suffixes that are somewhat less frequent but still quite common are listed in Intermediate to Advanced. BEGINNING SUFFIXES Suffix Meaning Examples -able, -ible is, can be comfortable, learnable, walkable, climbable, perishable, durable, gullible, combustible an, ex, oF one who ‘beggar, liar, teacher, painter, seller, shipper, doctor, actor, editor “en to make strengthen, fasten, lengthen, frighten, weaken “er more smarter, closer, lighter, quicker, softer, luckier ess ‘one who (female) princess, waitress, countess, hostess, actress -est most smartest, closest, lightest, quickest, softest, Inckiest -ette small dinette, diskette, majorette, barrette fal full of joyful, fearful, careful, thoughtful, cheerful ish relating to childish, fftyish, bookish, selfish ess without thoughtless, tireless, joyless, ageless, careless slike resembling lifelike, homelike, childlike, computerlike ay resembling fatherly, scholarly, motherly, sisterly, brotherly -ment action or process government, development, experiment -ness state or quality of kindness, happiness, goodness, darkness, fullness -ship state or quality of _ friendship, hardship, citizenship, internship INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED SUFFIXES ‘Suffix Meaning Examples a, -ae plural deta, criteria, memoranda, alumnae, algae, formulae -acious inclined to Toquacious, mendacious, audacious, fallacious ade action or process Blockade, promenade, escapade cage action or process marriage, voyage, pilgrimage, blockage, rummage a zelating to urban, American, veteran, Hawaiian, metropolitan -ance, -ence state or quality of repentance, annoyance, resistance, violence, absence, reticence -aney,-eney state or quality of _—_-buoyanece, truancy, vacancy, vagrancy, frequency, clemency, expediency, consistency samt, -ent one who servant, immigrant, assistant, merchant, regent, superintendent, resident sant inclined to vigilant, pleasant, defiant, buoyant, observant one who Wbrarien, humanitarian, bertarian3_ VOCABULARY BUILDERS. -hood 104 ust 31 More SurFixes ContTinvep Meaning lace for place for state or quality of inclined to ‘repeated action state or quality of surgical removal of object of action state or quality of state or quality of female action or process direction state or quality of state or quality of relating to relating to state or quality of relating to relating to scientific o social system chemical compound female to make state or quality of doctrine of one who practices inflammation of state or quality of, inclined to state or-guality of to make stall most ‘esernbling sugars full of fear of inclined to numbers fall of Examples aquarium, planetarium, solarium, auditorium brary, mortuary, infirmary, Isboratory, conservatory desperation, starvation, inspiration, tension, caution, suspicion, attention, fascination, companion demonstrative, pejorative, talkative stumble, squabble, mumble, tumble, fumble freedom, boredom, martyrdom, wisdom tonsillectomy, appendectomy, mastectomy payee, lessee, employee violence, absence, reticence, abstinence frequency, clemency, expediency, consistency comedienne, equestrienne, tragedienne murder, plunder, waiver, flounder, thunder easter, western, northern, postern bravery, savagery, forgery, slavery Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Siamese statuesque, picturesque, Romanesque alphabeti dietetic frenetic, athletic, sympathetic childhood, adulthood, falsehood, nationhood filial, commercial, remedial, barbarian, Christian comic, historic, poetic, public, rhetorical, economical physics, economics, politics, statistics, demographics fluoride, peroxide, sulfide, iodine, chlorine, quinine czarina, ballerina, Wilhelmina, heroine, Josephine satisfy, terrify, falsify, beautify, vilify Sracious, ambitious, religious, nutritious, delicious capitalist, socialism, communism, patriotism biologist, capitalist, communist, philanthropist laryngitis, arthritis, bronchitis, appendicitis necessity, civility, parity, loyalty, honesty, amnesty, unity active, passive, negative, restive, positive civilization, standardization, organization standardize, computerize, popularize, pulverize duckling, yearling, suckling, fledgling utmost, westernmost, innermost, foremost humanoid, asteroid, paranoid, planetoid lucose, sucrose, fructose, dextrose Joyous, virtuous, nervous, wondrous dlaustrophobia, acrophobia (see List 37, Phobia and -Philia Word Families) ‘meddlesome, awesome, tiresome, fulsome fifth, twelfth, twentieth, fiftieth turbulent, corpulent, fraudulent, truculent ‘The Roading Teacher's Book of Liste, Fith Editon, © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ineley & ‘The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists, Fifth Ration, © 2006 by John List 31 105 3 VOCABULARY BUILDERS Suffix Meaning Examples -und state or quality of rotund, fecund, moribund, joound -aous state or quality of contemptuous, tempestuous, sensuous, vacuous sure action or process. censure, procure, endure, inure, secure -ward direction forward, backward, eastward, upward, onvward aways manner sideways, longways, crossways -wise ‘manner, direction _—_ clockwise, lengthwise, counterclockwise y being or having fruity, sunny, rainy, funny, gooey, chewy Inflectional suffixes indicate the grammatical form of words such as the tense or case of verbs, ‘whether a word is an adjective or adverb, and whether a noun is plural or singular. While this sounds complicated, most native speakers of English are already using most of these suffixes in their speech prior to the beginning of formal reading instruction. Therefore, your primary task is to help them translate endings they already know into sounds. If students are reading for meaning, this may happen almost automatically. NOUN SUFFIX «+s indicates that a noun is plural: books, boys, pencils, dogs, shoes, hands, desks, teachers, students ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES Many nouns and/or verbs are changed to adjectives using suffixes. Here are some examples ((nilk—muily; trick tricky; boss—bossy) like (child—chilélike; boy—boylike; life—felike) “ful (care—cazeful; thought—thoughtful; fear—feazful) “ish (tickde—ticldish; child—childishs Scot—Scottish) “ie (scene —scenic; history—historic; metal—metallic) ~ese (Japan—Japanese; Siam—Siamese; China—Chinese) -ward (east—eastward; west—westward; south—southward) ven (stole—stolen; chose—chosen; write—written) ‘These suffixes are used to compare adjectives: er (fatter, shorter, crazier, smarter, faster) -est (fattest, shortest, craziest, smartest, fastest) VERB SUFFIXES -eid indicates past tense: walked, cooked, studied, dressed, jumped, cried, typed, tried “ing indicates a present*participl: eating, singing, freezing, studying, dcessing, going “en indicates past participle: eaten, frozen, stolen, written, hiddea, forgotten, spoken “s indicates third-person singular: walks, cooks, studies, dresses, plays, runs, teaches ADVERB SUFFIX ly (or ~ily ifthe base word ends in y) indicates an adverb. Many adjectives can be changed to adverbs by adding ly. Examples: quick—quicky, clear—dlearly, beautiful—beautifuly, slow—slowly, klful-—skillfuly, neat—neatly, plain—plainly, lud—lonaly, sft—sofely, chumsy—clumsiy, snungry—bungrily, greedy—gceedily See also List 157, Spelling Rules for Adding Suffixes.3 VOCABULARY BUILDERS 106 List 31 More SUFFIXES CONTINUED NOUN SUFFIXES Suffix Meaning “a plural -ade action or process -ade product or thing ae plural (feminine) action or process action or process state or quality of state or quality of ‘one who one who one who one who place for place for state or quality of action or process small small ‘person of power state or quality of action or process state or quality of surgical removal of object of action person state or quality of state or quality of female one who one who -er action or process ery, -1y, trade 6 occupation “ery establishment ery, -1Y, goods or products ery, 37, state or quality of -ese person -ess cone who (female) “et small cette small (female) -eur one who -eur state or quality of ful fall fy cause to be Examples data, criteria, memoranda blockage, escapade, parade, promenade Jemonade, marmalade alumnae, formulae, larvae, algae rarriage, voyage, pilgrimage refuse, revival repentance, annoyance, resistance ‘buoyancy, truancy, vacancy, vagrancy servant, immigrant, assistant, merchant beggar, liar drunkard, steward, coward, wizard Vbrarian, humanitarian, libertarian aquarium, planetarium, solarium brary, mortuary, sanctuary, infirmary desperation, starvation, inspiration emancipation, narration, computation corpuscle, particle, icicle, cubicle minuscule, molecule democrat, autocrat accuracy, bankruptcy, conspiracy ‘truancy, diplomacy, vagrancy, piracy freedom, boredom, martyrdom, wisdom tonsillectomy, appendectomy, mastectomy payee, lessee, employee engineer, puppeteer, auctioneer violence, absence, reticence, abstinence frequency, clemency, expediency, consistency comedienne, equestrienne, tragedienne superintendent, resident, regent teaches, painter, seller, shipper murder, thunder, plunder, waiver surgery, archery, sorcery, dentistry bakery, grocery, fishery, nunnery pottery, jewelry, cutlery ‘bravery, savagery, forgery, butchery chinese, portuguese ‘waitress, actress, countess, hostess midget, sonnet, bassinet, cygnet dinette, cigarette, majorette chauffeur, connoi ‘hauteur, grandeur cupful, spoonful solidify, beautify eur, masseur ‘The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists, Fith PAition, © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ine‘The Reading Teacher's Book of Lists, Fi Raton, © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Ine List 31 107 3 VOCABULARY BUILDERS ‘Meaning Examples state or quality of childhood, adulthood, falsehood plural alumni, foci person musician, Parisian -ology -or -ory -ose -osis -ostracy -phobia “8, -¢8 scientific or social system one who chemical female chemical or basic substance female material state or quality of near, ike, almost state or quality of doctrine of one who practices mineral or rock ‘person inflammation of state or quality of state or quality of small small small cone who works with automatic machine action or process state or quality of product or thing product or thing state or quality of alcohels study or science of one who stats ox quality of place for place for sugars abnormal increase rule fear of plural possession physics, economics, politics, statistics cashier, financier, gondolier, lawyer fiuoride, bromide, peroxide compound carina, Wilhelmina, ballerina iodine, chlorine, caffeine, quinine heroine, Josephine, Pauline ‘edaing, roofing, frosting, stuffing champion, companion, ambition, suspicion pinkish, sevenish ‘baptism, heroism, racism, despotism capitalism, socialism, hedonism biologist, capitalist, communist granite, anthracite, bauxite socialite, Luddite laryngitis, arthritis, bronchitis necessity, felicity, civility, parity civilization, standardization, organization lembkin, napkin, manikin, Munchkin owlet, rivulet, starlet, leaflet, islet duckling, yearling, suckling, fledgling cameraman, mailman, doorman laundromat, vendomat emibezzlement, development, government amusement, predicament, amazement instrument, omament, fragment testimony, matrimony, ceremony, alimony ‘happiness, kindness, goodness, darkness methanol, ethanol, glycol biology, psychology (see List 36, -Ology Word Family) actor, doctor, donor, auditor error, stupor, candor, fervor, pallor auditorium, emporium Inboratory, conservatory, purgatory sincose, sucrose, fructose, dextrose thiberculosis, fibrosis aristocracy, demostracy claustrophobia, acrophobia (see List 37, ‘Phobia and -Philia Word Families) ‘pens, books, boxes, parentheses John’s, dog'sr | 3_VOCABULARY BUILDERS 108 ust 31 i More SurFIxes Conrinvep t Meaning Examples skill or art of penmanship, showmanship, horsemanship i: state or quality of friendship, hardship, citizenship i state or quality of tension, compulsion person gangster, gamester state or quality of strength, warmth, filth, depth, length state or quality of attention, caution, fascination ts fomale aviatrix, exeoutrix i state or quality of gratitude, fortitude, beatitude ; state or quality of loyalty, honesty, amnesty, unity I action or process censure, failure, enclosure, exposure ma ‘one who works with playwright, shipwright, wheelwright ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES By Meaning Examples | state or quality of drinkable, washable | Be inclined to loquacious, mendacious, audacious, fallacious relating to natural, royal, maternal, suicidal relating to urban, American, Alaskan, veteran inclined to vigilant, pleasant, defiant, buoyant relating to honorary, military, literary, ordinary state or quality of fortunate, desperate, passionate inclined to demonstrative, pejorative, talkative inclined to gullible, perishable, voluble, durable relating to golden, ashen, wooden, earthen inclined to competent, different, excellent sore (comparative) fatter, smaller, crazier, smarter direction eastern, western, northern, postern state or quality of Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Siamese et telating to statuesque, picturesque, Romanesque ‘most (comparative) fattest, smallest, smartest, fastest u relating to alphabetic, dietetic, frenetic ya full of thoughtful, joyful, careful, fearful t relatifig to filial, commercial, remedial ‘ relating to barbarian, physician, Christian relating to comic, historic, poetic, public i relating to comical, rhetorical, economical state or quality of candid, sordid, lucid, splendid, rigid t state or quality of virile, agile, volatile, docile, fragile i relating to feminine, bovine, feline, marine I state or quality of gracious, ambitious, religious r relating to childish, whitish, fiftyish, Scottish i inclined to active, passive, negative, affirmative i without ‘thoughtless, tireless, ageless, careless | resembling childlike, homelike lifelike, boylike i i L ‘The Reading Teacher's Booh of Lists, Fills Edition, © 2006 by John Wiley & Sona, in.‘The Reading Teacher's Book of Liste, Yds Béition, © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, In, List 31 109 3_VOCABULARY BUILDERS ‘Suffix Meaning Examples dy resembling fatherly, motherly, scholarly ay every daily, weekly, monthly, yearly -most most ‘utmost, westernmost, innermost oid resembling humanoid, asteroid, paranoid, planetoid -0se full of verbose, morose, bellicose, comatose -ous full of joyous, virtuous, nervous, wondrous -some inclined to ‘meddlesome, awesome, tiresome th, -eth numbers fifth, twelfth, twentieth, fiftieth -ular relating to granular, cellular, circular, popular -ulent full of turbulent, corpulent, fraudulent und state or quality of rotund, fecund, moribund, jocund -nous state or quality of contemptuous, tempestuous, sensuous ward direction forward, backward, eastward, upward x state or quality of fruity, sunny, rainy, funny, gooey ‘VERB SUFFIXES Suffix ‘Meaning Examy ade action or process blockade, promenade, parade age action or process ravage, pillage ate to make activate, fascinate, annihilate, berate ble repeated action stumble, ‘squabble, inumble, tumble, fumble 0d, -d past tense talked, walked, baked, raised “on past completed action taken, eaten, proven, stolen to make strengthen, fasten, lengthen, frighten, weaken action or process discover, murder, conquer, deliver to make satisfy, terrify, falsify, beautify continuous action singing, talking, jumping, eating to make advertise, merchandise action or process finish, flourish, nourish, punish to make standardize, computerize, popularize 5, -¢s form third person rrans, finishes sure action or process censure, procure, endure, inne ADVERB SUFFIXES Suffix Meaning Examples ay forms adverb slowly, beautifuly, happily largely from adjective sways manner sideways, always, longways, crossways -wise ‘manner, direction clockwise, lengthwise -ward(s) direction onwards, nosthward See also List 28, The 20 Most Common Prefixes; List 29, More Prefixes; List 30, The 20 Most Common Suffixes; List 34, Greek and Latin Roots; List 157, Spelling Rules for Adding Suffixes; List 158, Plurals; List 180, Parts of Speech.