Alphabetical List of Suffixes

Use the links below to go straight to the explanation for that suffix use
(and the back button to come back to this page.) . The suffix list is right below
them.

Section abbreviations and links for the suffix list:

Adj: for Adjectives

Adv: for Adverbs,

CP: Suffixes for Comparison , N: for Nouns,

NP: for Nouns -- Groups of People,
PT: for Plurals or Tenses

V: for Verbs

also: pl= plural, 3ps= 3rd person singular

1. -able: Adj (able)-- dependable, valuable
2. -al: Adj-- original, typical
3. -an: NP (belonging to; see -ian)-- Korean, Mexican
4. -ance: N (see -ant 1)-- reliance, significance
5. -ancy: N (see -ant 1)-- constancy
6. -ant 1: Adj-- constant, reliant, significant
7. -ant 2: NP-- attendant, participant
8. -ar: NP (person who __; see -er 2)-- beggar
9. -ary: Adj-- primary, secondary
10.

-ate: V-- coordinate, differentiate

11.-ed: Adj or tense (PT)-- bored, coordinated, tired

12.

-ee: NP (person who receives an action)--nominee, refugee

13.

-en 1: Adj or tense (PT)-- eaten, written

14.

-en 1: V (to make __)-- lengthen, tighten

15.

-ence: N (see -ent 1)-- influence, persistence

16.

-ency: N (see -ent1)-- efficiency, emergency

17.

-ent 1: Adj-- efficient, persistent

18.

-ent 2: NP-- resident

19.

-er 1: CP (Adj)-- busier, taller

20.

-er 2: NP (person who __)-- baker, consumer, teacher

21.

-es 1: pl-PT (N; see -s 1)-- candies, dishes, toes

22.

-es 2: 3ps, PT (see -s 2)-- fixes, washes

23.

-est: CP (superlative adj)-- busiest, tallest

24.

-fication: N (see -fy)-- modification, simplification

25.

-ful: Adj (full of)-- resourceful stressful

26.

-fy, -ify: V (to make__ )-- classify, modify, simplify

27.

-ian: NP (see -an)-- Brazilian, musician

28.

-ible: Adj (able)-- eligible, visible

29.

-ic: Adj-- basic, sympathetic

30.

-ing: Adj or tense (PT)-- boring, frightening

31.

-ion: N (see -sion & -tion)-- erosion, resolution

32.

-ish: Adj (similar to)-- boyish, Irish

33.

-ism: N-- communism, federalism

34.

-ist: NP (group member)-- chemist, communist, federalist

35.

-ity: N-- diversity, security

36.

-ive: Adj-- excessive, productive

37.

-ize: V-- characterize, organize

38.

-less: Adj (without)-- effortless, helpless

39.

-logy: N (study of)-- archeology, geology

40.

-ly: Adv-- basically, typically, usually

41.

-ment: N-- assignment, judgment

42.

-ness: N-- awareness, tiredness

43.

-or: NP (person who __; see -er 2)-- doctor, sailor

44.

-ous: Adj-- ambiguous, enormous

45.

-s 1: pl-PT (N)-- clocks, streets, trees

46.

-s 2: 3ps, PT-- eats, thinks

47.

-ship: N-- authorship, relationship

48.

-sion: N-- expansion, vision

49.

-tion: N-- classification, reaction

50.

-y: Adj (presence of)-- cheery, noisy, rainy

Note: All the suffixes labeled 'Aj' make words into adjectives (or show that
the word is an adjective). The 'Adv' suffixes mark adverbs, 'Ns' mark
nouns, and 'Vs' mark verbs. Their meanings are discussed in each
section.
CP suffixes are used for adjective comparisons, and PT suffixes for
plurals of nouns as well as for past tenses, continuous tenses, and the
third person singular of the present tense, as well as to show plurals of
nouns. Again, for a more complete explanation see each section below.
If you want to teach suffixes (alone or along with prefixes and roots) there
are several helpful pdf lesson packets (with the information from this and
other pages, as well as teaching suggestions and games) on the Root,

Prefix, and Suffix Worksheets page. The basic suffix packet is free; the
complete one or combination bundles are inexpensive-- and have lots of
time-saving teaching ideas.
Go to Suffix List by Use for an explanation and more examples of each
type of suffix, as well as to see all the suffixes of each type together. (I
think that makes it easier to understand and learn them.) Practice
Suffixes, Word Families, Word Family Practice, and Word Formation
Examples & Exercises provide more practice with suffixes that show parts
of speech.
1.

Add ness to form nouns from adjectives

The suffix ness forms nouns from adjectives. Not all adjectives can have
ness added to them, but it is a common form especially with adjectives ending in y
(though note the spelling change, to iness), hard consonant sounds like d, and many
adjectives ending in ful. Common examples are:

2.

ready They questioned her readiness for the test.

happy It is important to create happiness for everyone.
weak Eating too much cake was a major weakness of his.
sad The closure of the post office brought sadness to the
community.
mad The decision to drive in the snow was pure madness.
forgetful Forgetfulness comes with old age.

Add ity to form nouns from adjectives

The suffix ity forms nouns from adjectives. Again, this is only for certain adjectives,
though it is common adjectives ending in ble or with soft s sounds. To form nouns
with ity, changes in spelling often occur, such as replacing the last few letters of the
adjective. Common examples are:

responsible Your children are not my responsibility.

possible Nuclear war seemed like a real possibility.
scarce The scarcity of drinks became problematic during the party.
hilarious They reacted to the joke with much hilarity.
probable Its hard to guess the probability of her passing the test.

3.

Add ance or ence to form nouns from adjectives or verbs

The suffix ance (or ence) can be added to either adjectives or verbs to form
nouns. This is particularly used for adjectives ending in ent or ant (where the
spelling changes to replace t with -ce) and various verbs. Common examples include:

4.

independent Having a car has improved my independence.

important Never underestimate the importance of studying.
silent Enjoy the silence while the children are away.
appear The appearance of a second singer improved the concert.
resist The home team put up a strong resistance against their
opponents

Add ment to form nouns from adjectives or verbs

The suffix ment can be added to either adjectives or verbs to form nouns. It is mostly
used with verbs, of many kinds, but occasionally also with adjectives with soft endings
(such as y endings). This suffix normally does not change the spelling of the core word
(though y may change to i). Common examples include:

5.

appoint I need to make an appointment with my doctor.

assign The final essay was a very big assignment.
enjoy Dont let the rain affect your enjoyment of this walk.
merry The children found a lot of merriment in the clowns antics.
replace Our replacement teacher was much better than the first
one.

Add tion or sion to form nouns from verbs

The suffix tion (or sion) can be added to verbs to form nouns. They follow many
different verb forms, and often change spellings to fit comfortably (for example adding
an additional vowel or changing a consonant to sound more natural).

inform There is not enough information about foxes in our area.

decide The committee will make a formal decision this Friday.
describe The police have a good description of the thief.
multiply I like addition and subtraction but multiplication is
difficult.

admit The criminals admission of guilt got him in trouble.

Note that a lot of the changes from adjective or verb to noun will need to be learned
individually, and spelling rules will not always help you even if you know how to
choose the right suffix, the spelling to connect it to the core word may not be simple.
Admit is a good example of this, as it can be used as a verb with two different
meanings, and each one forms a noun with a different suffix:

Admit to confess The criminals admission.

Admit to give access Admittance to the top floor is prohibited.

6.

Use ship or hood to form nouns from other nouns

The suffixes ship and hood can be used to create nouns from other nouns. Nouns
with ship added to the end create an abstract noun that shows a relationship
(relationship itself is an example!).

friend Our friendship is very strong.

partner We are in partnership with a major organisation.

Nouns with hood added to the end are abstract nouns to show groupings, which can
refer to grouped people, areas or, more abstractly, periods of time:

priest Entering the priesthood is a very serious commitment.

neighbour Our neighbourhood is thankfully very quiet.
child My childhood was a fun and productive time!

This is a quick introduction to using suffixes to form new nouns from other words.
There are many exceptions, and these are patterns rather than rules, so often it is
necessary to learn examples individually. However, these patterns can quickly give you
more options to build your vocabulary, and to understand what a new noun means

when you are familiar with its root. The suffixes also give useful signals to identify a
word as a noun. If you have any questions, as always, do ask!