~ SUFFIXES ~

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added at the end of a word which makes a new word.

• forget + -ful = forgetful
• use + -ful = useful
• state + -ment = statement
• govern + -ment = government
• complicate + -ion = complication
• create + -ion = creation

The new word is most often a different word class from the original word.

Above, the suffix -ful has changed verbs to adjectives, -ment, and -ion have changed verbs to nouns.

If you see a word ending in -ment, for example, it is likely to be a noun (e.g. commitment, contentment).

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SUFFIXES: spelling

Often, the suffix causes a spelling change to the original word. Above, the -e ending of complicate and create disappears when the -ion suffix is added. Other examples of spelling changes include:

• beauty, duty + -ful → beautiful, dutiful (-y changes to i)

• heavy, ready + -ness → heaviness, readiness (-y changes to i)

• able, possible + -ity → ability, possibility (-le changes to il)

• permit, omit + -ion → permission, omission (-t changes to ss)

A good learner’s dictionary will give you information on the correct spelling of words with suffixes.

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Common suffixes and examples

🔵Noun suffixes🔵


• -age : baggage, village, postage

• -al : arrival, burial, deferral

• -ance/-ence : reliance, defence, insistence

• -dom : boredom, freedom, kingdom

• -ee : employee, payee, trainee

• -er/-or : driver, writer, director

• -hood : brotherhood, childhood, neighbourhood

• -ism : capitalism, Marxism, socialism (philosophies)

• -ist : capitalist, Marxist, socialist (followers of philosophies)

• -ity/-ty : brutality, equality, cruelty

• -ment : amazement, disappointment, parliament

• -ness : happiness, kindness, usefulness

• -ry : entry, ministry, robbery

• -ship : friendship, membership, workmanship

• -sion/-tion/-xion : expression, population, complexion

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Common suffixes and examples

🔴Adjective suffixes🔴


• -able/-ible : drinkable, portable, flexible

• -al : brutal, formal, postal

• -en : broken, golden, wooden

• -ese : Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese

• -ful : forgetful, helpful, useful

• -i : Yemeni, Iraqi, Pakistani

• -ic : classic, Islamic, poetic

• -ish : British, childish, Spanish

• -ive : active, passive, productive

• -ian : Canadian, Malaysian, Peruvian

• -less : homeless, hopeless, useless

• -ly : daily, monthly, yearly

• -ous : cautious, famous, nervous

• -y : cloudy, rainy, windy

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Common suffixes and examples

⚪️Verb suffixes⚪️


• -ate : complicate, dominate, irritate

• -en : harden, soften, shorten

• -ify : beautify, clarify, identify

• -ise/-ize : economise, realise, industrialize (-ise is most common in British English; -ize is most common in American English)

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Common suffixes and examples

⚫️Adverb suffixes⚫️


• -ly : calmly, easily, quickly

• -ward(s) : downwards, homeward(s), upwards

• -wise : anti-clockwise, clockwise, edgewise

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