ENGLISH SUFFIXES
TO IMPROVE YOUR VOCABULARY
SUFFIXES
English has many common word parts:
prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
SUFFIXES
If you learn some of these word parts, it
will be easier for you to figure out the
meanings of new words.
WORD PARTS = VOCABULARY POWER!
SUFFIXES
We can add a suffix to the end of a word
to change its meaning.
KIND + NESS (state) =
KINDNESS (kind state)
SUFFIXES
A suffix usually indicates the PART OF
SPEECH of a word.
For example, words with the suffix –NESS are nouns.
-ABLE
-IBLE
Examples:
Trainable
invisible
Defensible
Meaning:
“capable
of”
adjective
-AL
Examples:
Personal
Verbal
Political
Meaning:
“having quality of; related to”
adjective
-ER
-OR
Examples:
Teacher
Worker
Spectator
Meaning:
“one who”
noun
-FUL
Examples:
Beautiful
Tearful
Wonderful
Meaning:
“full of”
adjective
-IC
Examples:
Linguistic
Metallic
Poetic
Meaning:
“having quality of; related to”
adjective
-ISM
Examples:
Communism
Buddhism
Racism
Meaning:
“practice
or theory”
noun
-IST
Examples:
Artist
Typist
Biologist
Meaning:
“one who”
noun
-LESS
Examples:
Careless
Hopeless
Fearless
Meaning:
“without”
adjective
-LY
Examples:
Carefully
Clearly
Slowly
Meaning:
“in a
manner”
adverb
-MENT
Examples:
Enjoyment
Retirement
Contentment
Meaning:
“action or
process”
noun
-NESS
Examples:
Sadness
Kindness
Playfulness
Meaning:
“state or
condition”
noun
-OID
Examples:
Android
Cuboid
Planetoid
Meaning:
“like;
similar to”
noun
-OUS, -IOUS,
-OSE
Examples:
Poisonous
Anxious
Verbose
Meaning:
“having
quality of”
adjective
-TION
-ATION
Examples:
Revolution
Decoration
Celebration
Meaning:
“action”
noun