Suffixes are attached to the end of words and have an important impact on a word's meaning. Some suffixes can change the grammatical function of vocabulary by transforming a noun into an adjective or forming verbs from nouns. With many examples of common suffixes and their meanings, you will see how suffixes can show grammatical tenses, plural nouns, and comparisons in comparative and superlative forms. Become an expert in recognizing word parts that can combine and pull apart to create new meaning.
A suffix is a meaningful unit of letters attached to the end of a word.
Suffixes have the power to change the meaning or even grammatical function of a word! Knowing the meaning behind suffixes can help you identify what part of speech the word is.
Some suffixes indicate verb tense. These are the most common and recognizable suffixes because everyone uses them all the time.
Suffixes can show plurals by adding –s or –ies to the end of a noun:
Suffixes can be used to show comparisons (comparative and superlative forms):
Suffixes can often change a word’s function from one part of speech to another, as well as indicate the part of speech.
–ive /–ative /–itive
As I said earlier, suffixes can help you understand what a word means and what part of speech it is functioning as. The following is a list of common suffixes, their meanings, and examples. When the multiple meanings of a suffix need specific clarification, an example word directly follows each of the multiple meanings (instead of appearing at the end).
–able /–ible: can be done, capable of: comfortable, livable, noticeable
–age: action (leverage); result of action (wreckage); a number of (baggage, percentage); cost of use (postage) a place (village)
–er /–ier: designating persons from the occupation usually by the object involved (plumber), group (New Yorker), or characteristic (runner)
–ology: the study of..: Psychology (the study of the psyche), Theology (the study of the nature of God [theos])
–less: without: Heartless, Homeless, Hatless,
–oid: resembling (asteroid) or characterized by (paranoid)
–ose /–ous /–ious /–eous: full of, tending to have: verbose (full of words, more than needed); boisterous (full of noise, cheer); obnoxious (full of unpleasantness); curvaceous (tending to have curves or to be full of curves); Nervous System (full of nerves, tending to have nerves)
–ic /–tic: having the characteristics of: terrific, fantastic, sulfuric, economic
–ness: the state or condition of: happiness, kindness, freshness
Often combined with –ly ending adverbs: friendly + ness = friendliness; lovely + ness = lovliness
–ism: action, result of an action, movement, state or condition: Fascism, Racism, Naturalism, Modernism, Rheumatism, Nepotism, Favoritism
–ist: a person who practices or is concerned with something: activist, optometrist, ventriloquist
–ize: to render, to make, to convert into...: tenderize, symbolize, prioritize, fantasize
–ian: of or relating to...: Presbyterian, Unitarian, American, Canadian,
–ician: expresses occupation or specific skill set in...: technician, electrician, politician, musician
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