Word Forms - Suffixes

A suffix is a letter or a group of letters attached to the end of a word to form a

new word or to alter the grammatical function of the original word. For
example, the verb read can be made into the noun reader by adding the suffix
-er; read can be made into the adjective readable by adding the suffix -able.
Understanding the meanings of the common suffixes can help us deduce the
meanings of new words that we encounter. The table below defines and
illustrates 26 common suffixes.
Common Suffixes
Noun Suffixes
Suffix

Meaning

Example

-acy
state or quality
primacy
-al
act or process of
refusal
-ance, -ence
state or quality of
maintenance, dependence
-dom
place or state of being
freedom, kingdom
-er, -or
one who
painter, protector
-ism
doctrine, belief
Catholicism
-ist
one who
geologist
-ity, -ty
quality of
plasticity
-ment
condition of
argument
-ness
state of being
heaviness
-ship
position held
dictatorship
-sion, -tion
state of being
tension, transition
Verb Suffixes
-ate
-en
-ify, -fy
-ize, -ise

become
become
make or become
become

fabricate, duplicate
lighten
intensify
publicize, economise

Adjective Suffixes
-able, -ible
-al
-esque
-ful
-ic, -ical
-ious, -ous
-ish
-ive
-less
-y

capable of being
pertaining to
reminiscent of
notable for
pertaining to
characterized by
having the quality of
having the nature of
without
characterized by

edible, presentable
regional
picturesque
delightful
musical, economic
nutritious, horrendous
foolish
creative
endless
classy