You can change the meaning of a word simply by adding a few letters to its beginning or end, called affixes. They are very useful to know whether it is for general language rules or academic writing, as you will encounter them in your everyday life. Suffixes are a subgroup of affixes, which only stand at the very end of a word. The following article will dive into the topic of suffixes and give you a detailed list of all of them.
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Suffix in a nutshell
Suffixes are small particles placed at the end of a word to change its meaning, or word class or to clarify your point.
Definition: Suffix
Suffixes are affixes added to the end of a word to alter its meaning or form a new word. They belong to the group of morphemes, particles that modify the meaning of a word. The most common use is to change from one word class to another, for example, verbs to adjectives, adjectives to nouns, etc.
Examples
- To do → doable
- Soft → softness
Suffixes exist in countless other variations too. They can change the types of words, form associations, or describe biological and chemical groups.
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Use and purpose
Since plenty of suffixes exist, it is not always easy to find the right one to express what you have in mind. The following paragraphs will show you an overview of different applications and types.
Applications
Since many suffixes exist, it is not always easy to find the right one to express what you have in mind. The following paragraphs will show you an overview of different applications and types.
The most obvious use of suffixes might be for the conjugation of verbs. Adding “-s” or “-es” to a verb indicates third-person singular present tense (present simple). The ending “-ed” transforms it into the past tense, and “-ing” results in the progressive form. Note, however, that irregular verbs are not built like this.
Examples
- I walk down the street.
- She walks down the street.
- She walked down the street.
- She is walking down the street.
Another common use is to create the plural from singular nouns by adding “-s” or “-es.” As with verbs, there are also irregular nouns, so keep that in mind when building plurals.
Examples
- There is one tree in my garden.
- There are many trees in the forest.
- One child is playing inside, the other children are outside.
- I bought one apple from the market, but mum wanted 3 apples.
Suffixes are also used to show possessions with the ending “-‘s.” Possessive nouns that are already in plural and have an -s ending only need an apostrophe.
Examples
- This is Lisa’s car.
- Those are Chris‘ letters.
- These are the students’ chairs.
- Those are the workers‘ lunch tables.
Forming comparatives and superlatives also uses endings like “-er” and “-est” to show the degree of something in a category.
Examples
- He is quicker than his brother.
- She has softer hair than her sister.
- She is the fastest.
- The professor is the smartest.
Moreover, suffixes change word types in various ways, making them irreplaceable in everyday language. An example would be “soft”:
Examples
- Soft (adjective)
- Soften (verb)
- Softly (adjective)
- Softness (noun)
Lastly, ordinal numbers are also built with suffixes in informal writing. Usually, you would spell out the complete word like “first,” “second,” and “third” but you can also write them with numbers.
Examples
- 1st
- 2nd
- 3rd
- 4th
Inflectional vs. derivational
Suffixes can be divided into two groups; inflectional and derivational. Inflectional suffixes are those used for grammatical purposes, including:
- verb conjugation with “-ing” and “-ed”
- plurals for nouns with “-s”
- possessives with “-‘s”
- reflexive pronoun endings with “-self” and “-selves”
- comparatives and superlatives for adjectives “-er” and “-est”
Derivational suffixes are able to change word types, such as verbs to nouns or adjectives to adverbs. Generally, all of them can be sorted into these two groups. The only exception might be chemical terms, where the ending tells you what kind of composition a substance has in its atomic structure.
Examples
- To play → playable
- tender → tenderness
Spelling
When suffixes change the word class, they can sometimes also change the spelling of a word. When forming nouns from words with the ending “-ion,” the “-e” of the verb is dropped.
Examples
- To create → creation
- To complicate → complication
- To activate → activation
When changing words ending with “-y,” the “y” is oftentimes replaced by an “i.”
Examples
- Beauty → beautiful
- Happy → happiness
- Crazy → craziness
Adjectives ending with “-le” will change into a “-il-” when the ending is “-ity.”
Examples
- Stable -> stability
- Possible -> possibility
- Readable -> readability
List
Below you will find a smaller list with the most common prefixes to know, as well as a full list of all existing English prefixes.
Most common suffixes
Listed here are the most common suffixes you will find in your everyday life, or which are important and interesting to know.
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
| -able | able to | suitable |
| -age | forming nouns | patronage |
| -ar | forming adjectives, nouns | beggar |
| -ary | forming adjectives and nouns | contrary |
| -ate | forming adjectives, nouns and verbs | dominate |
| -ed | characteristic, possessing, past tens of regular verbs | searched |
| -en | forming verbs, adjectives, nouns, plurals and past participle | harden |
| -fy | make, transform, become | amplify |
| -id | forming adjectives and nouns | druid |
| -ing | forming nouns and participle verb forms | surprising |
| -ism | forming nouns | critcism |
| -less | without, unaffected, inability | effortless |
| -let | smaller, lesser | booklet |
| -ly | forming adjectives and adverbs | correctly |
| -s | plural nouns, third person singular present, nicknames | students |
| -s' | plural possessive nouns | students' |
| -some | forming adjectives, group of x members, cell | handsome |
| -sy | forming nouns and adjectives | controversy |
| -tastic | outstanding, excellent | fantastic |
| -ty | forming nouns, groups of ten | infinity |
| -ution | forming nouns | solution |
| -wide | extending through an area | nationwide |
| -wise | in a given manner | otherwise |
| -worthy | deserving, suitable, fitting | trustworthy |
Complete list
This Excel sheet includes all suffixes of the English language. Many are very niche and specific, not necessary to know, but it might still be entertaining to look at all the weird ones that exist out there.
FAQs
A suffix is a particle added to the end of a word to change its word class or meaning. Examples would be adding “y” (or replacing the last letter with “y”) to a noun to form an adjective like “noisy” or attaching “able” to a verb like in “readable.”
Yes, because affix is the umbrella term for prefixes and suffixes, meaning that they are a certain type of affix along with circumfixes and infixes.
Morphemes are words or particles that change the meaning of words.
