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Common Suffixes in English

Expand Your Vocabulary by Studying 26 Common Suffixes
By Richard Nordquist, About.com Guide Filed In:
1. Words

A suffix is a letter or a group of letters attached to the end of a word to form a new word or to alter the grammatical function of the original word. For example, the verb read can be made into the noun reader by adding the suffix -er; read can be made into the adjective readable by adding the suffix -able. Understanding the meanings of the common suffixes can help us deduce the meanings of new words that we encounter. The table below defines and illustrates 26 common suffixes.

Common Suffixes
Noun Suffixes Suffix Meaning Example -acy state or quality privacy -al act or process of refusal -ance, -ence state or quality of maintenance, eminence -dom place or state of being freedom, kingdom -er, -or one who trainer, protector -ism doctrine, belief communism -ist one who chemist -ity, -ty quality of veracity -ment condition of argument -ness state of being heaviness -ship position held fellowship -sion, -tion state of being concession, transition Verb Suffixes become eradicate become enlighten make or become terrify become civilize Adjective Suffixes capable of being edible, presentable pertaining to regional reminiscent of picturesque notable for fanciful pertaining to musical, mythic characterized by nutritious, portentous having the quality of fiendish having the nature of creative without endless characterized by sleazy

-ate -en -ify, -fy -ize, -ise

-able, -ible -al -esque -ful -ic, -ical -ious, -ous -ish -ive -less -y
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English Suffixes
Most English suffixes can tell you the type of word you're dealing with. For instance, most people know that when a word ends in ly they are dealing with an adverb. Adverbs typically tell you the how of something. As an example, let's say that you are a nice singer. To change nice into an adverb and to say how you do something we would add one of the English suffixes -- in this case "ly" -- and say not only are you a nice singer, but that you sing (how?) nicely. Thankfully, there aren't that many suffixes to learn in the English Language, but they are important and certain rules do apply. Common English suffixes below show you the kind of word formed and the type of suffix they are.

Verb Suffixes ize, ise ate en fy ced, cede duc, duct to make to make cause to become make to go, to give in to lead criticize, hypnotize consecrate, mitigate strengthen, weaken, lengthen simplify, testify, fortify intercede, recede induct

Adverb Suffixes ly, (y) like neatly, quietly

English Suffixes - Adjectives

able, ible ac, ic acious, icious ant, ent ary, ery capable of like, pertaining to full of full of like, connected with understandable cardiac, metallic delicious, audacious militant, delinqent ordinary, dictionary, bravery

escent fic iferous il, ile ive less oid ful ose ous

becoming, in process making, doing producing, bearing pertaining to, capable of like lacking resembling, like full of full of full of

adolescent terific, scientific vociforous infantile imaginative, redemptive timeless negroid, ovoid stressful, resentful verbose, morose spacious

English Suffixes - Nouns

ation cy eer, er, or graph ism ist ity ment ory osis ous tude that which is state of being the person who to write doctrine, belief dealer, doer state of being act or state of having quality of condition full of state of justification democracy mountaineer, teacher phonograph, lithograph statism scientist calamity refinement, confinement advisory osmosis generous gratitude

Prefixes Suffixes
Most prefixes suffixes change the meaning of the word they are attached to. Spelling rules can vary and make things a little confusing, but I've included spelling rules on other pages within this site to help eliminate any confusion. The majority of prefixes and suffixes come to English via the Latin and Greek languages, but I'm sure there are many other languages represented as well. What's interesting to note is just how common prefixes suffixes are. Look at any newspaper article and take a paragraph or two and underline just the prefixes.

Next, do the same for the words that have suffixes. Finally circle the words that have both prefixes suffixes. You'll probably find as many words with an underline as without... which simply shows just how common they are and how often they are used.

Prefixes Suffixes Meanings Use

suffixes change the meaning of the word they are attached to. Spelling rules can vary and make things a little confusing, but I've included spelling rules on other pages within this site to help eliminate any confusion. The majority of prefixes and suffixes come to English via the Latin and Greek languages, but I'm sure there are many other languages represented as well. What's interesting to note is just how common prefixes suffixes are. Look at any newspaper article and take a paragraph or two and underline just the