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