Suffixes
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. With derivational suffixes,
the new word has a new meaning, and is usually a different part of speech. But the new meaning is related to the old meaning - it is "derived" from the old
meaning.
We can add more than one suffix, as in this example:
derive (verb) +
tion = derivation (noun) + al = derivational (adjective).
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.
There are several hundred derivational suffixes. Here are some of the more common ones:
|
NOUN SUFFIXES |
||
| Suffix | Original word | Suffixed word |
| -age |
bag
block
carry
-
lug
marry
pack
pass
short
store
- |
baggage
blockage
carriage
language
luggage
marriage
package
shortage
storage
village |
|
-al |
arrive propose refuse survive |
arrival proposal refusal survival |
| -ance, -ence |
elegant eminent important adolecent confident different independent intelligent (im)patient maintain violent |
elegance eminence importance adolescence confidence difference independence intelligence (im)patience maintenance violence |
| -ant, -ent |
assist immigrate study |
assistant immigrant student |
| -cy |
accurate decent efficient fluent frequent private urgent |
accuracy decency efficiency fluency frequency privacy urgency |
| -dom |
bore free king pope prince star wise |
boredom freedom kingdom popedom princedom stardom wisdom |
| -ee |
employ train interview |
employee trainee interviewee |
| -er, -or |
act conduct conquer drive paint protect teach train |
actor conductor conqueror driver painter protector teach trainer |
| -hood |
child
brother mother |
childhood brotherhood motherhood |
| -ian |
comedy Christ Egypt electricity guard history magic music politics physics |
comedian Christian Egyptian electrician guardian historian magician misician politician physician |
| -ism |
atheist common capital feminin human race |
atheism communism capitalism feminism humanism racism |
| -ist |
art chemical optimism pacifism science |
artist chemist optimist pacifist scientist |
| -ety, -ity |
able anxious diverse divine electric generous nation popular safe social |
ability anxiety diversity divinity electricity generosity nationality popularity safety society |
| -ment |
achieve acknowledge adjust amuse announce appoint argue arrange assess assign attach commit comply develop embarrass employ enjoy enroll entertain environ equip establish excite experience govern harass improve invest judge manage pay prison refresh sacred settle ship supply treat |
achievement acknowledgement adjustment amusement announcement appointment argument arrangement assessment assignment attachment commitment compliment development embarrasment (un)employment enjoyment enrollment entertainment environment equipment establisment excitement experiment government harassment improvement investment judgement management payment imprisonment refreshment sacrament settlement shipment supplement treatment |
| -ness |
aware bad bald black blind comprehensive cool dark dizzy dull effective empty fair faithful false forgive glad happy heavy ill jealous kind lazy lonely rich sad short shortsighted tall weak |
awareness badness baldness blackness blindness comprehensiveness coolness darkness dizziness dullness effectiveness emptiness fairness faithfulness falseness forgiveness gladness happiness heaviness illness jealousness kindness laziness loneliness richness sadness shortness shortsightedness tallness weakness |
| -ship |
champion citizen fellow friend memeber relation scholar |
championship citizenship fellowship frienship memebership relationship scholarship |
| -sion, -tion |
abort accept accomodate accuse act activate add addict admire admit adopt adore alter classify concede conclude confuse (dis)connect conserve consume cooperate decide describe discuss divide examine explode
expect explore expose express forest form hesitate imagine inspect intent invent invite isolate manipulate mutate notify organize participate permit persuade pollute present revise
receive solve transit |
abortion acceptation accomodation accusation action activation addition addiction admiration admission adoption adoration alteration classification concession conclusion confusion (dis)connection conservation consumption cooperation decision description discussion division examination explosion
expectation exploration exposition expression (de)forestation formation hesitation imagination inspection intention invention invitation isolation manipulation mutation notification organization participation permission persuasion pollution presentation revision
reception solution transition |
| -ure |
create depart fail literate mix please sculpt press proceed |
creature departure failure literature mixture pleasure sculpture pressure procedure |
| -y |
expect jealous victor |
expectancy (life
expectancy) jealousy victory |