What is Suffix ?
Suffixes are a combination of letters that are added at the end of a base word to modify the word and also to change the meaning of the word. It is one of the two affixes.
Example – dismiss+ al – dismissal
Suffixes can be divided in –
Noun Suffixes
Adjective Suffixes
Verb Suffixes
Adverb Suffixes
1 . Noun Suffixes – These are the suffixes which are used to form a noun.
Examples –
al ( condition/quality)-
approval , refusal , referral,
proposal , arrival
age ( process / state )-
marriage , Postage , baggage,
package , breakage
acy ( quality )-
diplomacy , democracy , accuracy ,
supremacy ,autocracy ,theocracy ,
bureaucracy
ate ( become )-
collaborate, mediate, duplicate, moderate, estimate
ance / ence ( quality/ state / condition/ action )-
insurance ,acceptance , existence,
reference, preference, tolerance
ation/ tion – ( action or a result )
destination, celebration,
education , elimination
dom ( state of being)-
freedom, kingdom, stardom, wisdom.
er / yer ( Person who does an action )-
checker , teacher , cricketer, footballer,
dancer , farmer , jeweler, villager,
lawyer , manager , officer, reader,
interpreter , writer
eer ( engaged in something)-
engineer
volunteer
musketeer
ery ( behavior / machinery ) –
slavery
bravery
bakery
machinery
fy ( become or make )-
satisfy , justify , simplify, magnify , personify
hood ( a state or characteristic )-
motherhood
parenthood
childhood
fatherhood
ing ( action / state )- generally used to form Gerunds.
writing , reading , starting ,
driving , swimming , running
ism ( belief )-
Nationalism
exceptionalism
escapism
skepticism
ity ( a state or condition )-
severity , equality , reality ,
possibility, curiosity
ist ( a person who practices something)-
novelist , columnist, cartoonist,
neurologist , pulmonologist,
cardiologist, optometrist
ise / ize ( become )-
synthesize , compromise, hypnotize, publicize, advertise
ment ( action )-
fulfillment
establishment
retirement
movement
ness ( quality )-
kindness
awareness
happiness
business
usefulness
or ( a person engaged in certain profession )-
distributor
conductor
translator
investigator
contractor
sion ( state of being )-
conclusion, inclusion , exclusion
impression, tension , revision
confusion, decision
Ship ( position held )-
partnership
membership
internship
friendship
ownership
ty ( condition )-
loyalty , honesty , fertility ,
safety ,cruelty ,difficulty,
certainty
th ( quality )-
warmth
growth
width
depth
ure ( resulting state )-
failure , erasure
pressure , departure
gesture
Yard ( attached place )-
backyard, shipyard, dockyard, railyard
ways / way ( through a road or communication)-
roadways, railways, waterways, subway
2 . Adjective Suffixes – These are the suffixes used to make adjectives .
Examples –
ant ( tending to ) –
vigilant , brilliant, reliant, radiant
able ( capable / able to be ) –
adaptable, capable, suitable , remarkable, comfortable, valuable, acceptable, stable, acknowdgeable , predictable
al ( pertaining to ) –
criminal, accidental, incidental, brutal, natural, conditional, regional, personal
ary ( relating to ) –
monetary, planetary, military, honorary, complimentary, budgetary
en ( made of )-
golden, wooden, woolen
er ( comparative adjective )-
longer, thinner, simpler, harder, softer, louder, smaller, bigger
ful ( full of )-
colourful, grateful, beautiful, faithful, doubtful, powerful, peaceful
ic ( relating to ) –
poetic, iconic, basic , heroic, photographic, scientific, historic
ish ( a little / a small effect )-
reddish, brownish, accomplish, greenish, silverish, extinguish, relinquish
ious ( having quality)-
gracious , spacious, victorious, mysterious
ical ( having the nature of )-
logical, political, apolitical, practical, theoretical, alphabetical, historical, statistical , musical
ible ( ability )-
sensible, flexible, possible, impossible, horrible, terrible, inflexible, incompatible, compatible, accessible, inaccessible, edible, credible, incredible, infeasible, feasible
ive ( nature of )-
expensive, inexpensive, passive, creative, active
less ( without ) –
ruthless, meaningless, powerless, careless , harmless, restless, breathless, motionless, pointless
like ( similar ) –
manlike, apelike, lifelike, canelike, tracelike
ous ( full of ) –
famous , dangerous, curious, joyous, osmous, pilous, mucous, lupous, iodous , fabulous
some ( a tendency to )-
fearsome, lonesome, handsome, foursome, liposome, quartelsome
y ( having some character of )-
fruity, brainy, rainy, tasty, dirty, funny, spotty
wide (expansion ) –
nationwide , statewide
3 . Verb Suffixes – These are the suffixes used to make verbs .
Examples–
ate ( to make )-
accomodate , activate, animate , consolidate, cooperate, captivate, decorate
en ( become )-
strengthen, fasten, awaken, brighten, shorten, darken, sweeten, harden , soften, broaden
ed ( past tense of verb )-
completed, guided, activated, worked, walked
ing ( present participle form of verb )-
raining, reading, writing, listening, happening, practicing, running
ify / fy ( to produce ) –
modify, notify, classify , satisfy, intensify, simplify, identify, unify, justify , defy , personify, speecify
ize / ise ( to cause )-
characterize, apologize, specialize, organise, digitalize, advertise, familiarize, stabilize, symbolize, monetize , advise, compromise
4. Adverb Suffixes – These are the suffixes used to make adverbs .
Examples –
ly ( In a manner ) –
completely, definitely, quickly, rarely, really, sweetly, lovely, happily, maturely , beautifully, dangerously, carefully, bravely, boldly, eagerly, slowly, smoothly
er ( comparative degree of Adverbs )-
faster, harder, smarter
Ways ( direction ) –
edgeways, sideways , sunways
Wise ( In a manner of / in a relation to )-
clockwise, anticlockwise, choirwise, zigzagwise , lengthwise, crosswise
Ward ( towards certain direction)-
eastward, westward, southward, northward, forward, backward, upward, downward, windward , afterward
