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
passage

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