26 most common suffixes

Noun suffixes

Suffix Meaning Example

-acy state or quality privacy
-al act or process of refusal
-ance, -ence state or quality of maintenance,
eminence
-dom place or state of freedom, kingdom
being
-er, -or one who trainer, protector
-ism doctrine, belief communism
-ist one who chemist
-ity, -ty quality of veracity
-ment condition of argument
-ness state of being heaviness
-ship position held fellowship
-sion, -tion state of being concession,
transition
     
Verb Suffixes
-ate Become eradicate
-en Become enlighten
-ify, -fy make or become Terrify
-ize, -ise Become civilize
     
Adjective
Suffixes
-able, -ible capable of being edible, presentable
-al pertaining to regional
-esque reminiscent of picturesque
-ful notable for fanciful
-ic, -ical pertaining to musical, mythic
-ious, -ous characterized by nutritious,
portentous
-ish having the quality fiendish
of
-ive having the nature creative
of
-less Without endless
-y characterized by sleazy
Common suffixes and examples
Noun suffixes

examples of
Suffix
nouns
baggage,
-age
village, postage
arrival, burial,
-al
deferral
- reliance,
ance/- defence,
ence insistence
boredom,
-dom freedom,
kingdom
employee,
-ee
payee, trainee
-er/- driver, writer,
or director
brotherhood,
-hood childhood,
neighbourhood
capitalism,
Marxism,
-ism
socialism
(philosophies)
-ist capitalist,
Marxist,
 examples of
Suffix
nouns
socialist
(followers of
philosophies)
brutality,
-ity/-
equality,
ty
cruelty
amazement,
-ment disappointment,
parliament
happiness,
-ness kindness,
usefulness
entry, ministry,
-ry
robbery
friendship,
-ship membership,
workmanship
-
expression,
sion/-
population,
tion/-
complexion
xion
Adjective suffixes
 examples of
Suffix
adjectives
drinkable,
-able/-
portable,
ible
flexible
brutal,
-al formal,
postal
broken,
-en golden,
wooden
Chinese,
-ese Japanese,
Vietnamese
forgetful,
-ful helpful,
useful
Iraqi,
-i Pakistani,
Yemeni
classic,
-ic Islamic,
poetic
British,
-ish childish,
Spanish
-ive active,
 examples of
Suffix
adjectives
passive,
productive
Canadian,
-ian Malaysian,
Peruvian
homeless,
-less hopeless,
useless
daily,
-ly monthly,
yearly
cautious,
-ous famous,
nervous
cloudy,
-y
rainy, windy
Verb suffixes

examples of
Suffix
verbs
complicate,
-ate dominate,
irritate
-en harden,
soften,
 examples of
Suffix
verbs
shorten
beautify,
-ify clarify,
identify
economise,
realise,
industrialize
(-ise is most
common in
-ise/-
British
ize
English; -ize i
s most
common in
American
English)
Adverb suffixes

examples of
Suffix
adverbs
calmly,
-ly easily,
quickly
downwards,
-
homeward(s),
ward(s)
upwards
 examples of
Suffix
adverbs
anti-
clockwise,
-wise
clockwise,
edgewise
Inflectional suffixes
Inflectional suffixes do not change the meaning of
the original word. So in "Every day I walk to
school" and "Yesterday I walked to school", the
words walk and walked have the same basic
meaning. In "I have one car" and "I have two cars",
the basic meaning of the words car and cars is exactly
the same. In these cases, the suffix is added simply for grammatical "correctness". Look at these
examples:

    example

original suffixed
suffix grammatical change word word

-s Plural dog dogs

-en plural (irregular) ox oxen

-s 3rd person singular like he likes

present

-ed past tense work he

past participle worked
he has
worked
    example

-en past participle eat he has

(irregular) eaten

-ing continuous/progressive sleep he is

sleeping

-er comparative big bigger

-est superlative big the

biggest

Derivational suffixes
With derivational suffixes, the new word has a
new meaning, and is usually a different part of
speech. But the new meaning is related to the old
meaning - it is "derived" from the old meaning.
We can add more than one suffix, as in this
example:
derive (verb) + ation → derivation (noun)
+ al → derivational (adjective)
There are several hundred derivational suffixes. Here are some
of the more common ones:

example example
suffix making original word suffixed word

-ation nouns explore exploration

hesitate hesitation

-sion persuade persuasion

divide division

-er teach teacher

-cian music musician

-ess god goddess

 example example
suffix making original word suffixed word

-ness sad sadness

-al arrive arrival

-ary diction dictionary

-ment treat treatment

-y jealous jealousy
victor victory

-al adjectives accident accidental

-ary imagine imaginary

-able tax taxable

-ly brother brotherly

-y ease easy

-ful sorrow sorrowful

 example example
suffix making original word suffixed word

forget forgetful

-ly adverbs helpful helpfully

-ize verbs terror terrorize

private privatize

-ate hyphen hyphenate

List of English Suffixes

A suffix is an affix that is added to the end of a
word that conditions its usage or meaning. The
opposite of suffix is prefix.
Suffix General Meaning Example
pedagogy ,
-agogy leading
demagogy
gynarchy ,
-archy rule, leadership
anarchy
-cele, -
mucocoel or
coele, - body cavity
mucocoele
coel
-cele tumor, hernia hydatidocele
amniocentesis ,
-centesis puncturing
rachicentesis
-
small grainlike structuremitochondrion
chondrion
suicide ,
-cide murder, killing agent vespacide,
regicide
-cracy rule, government kakistocracy ,
 democracy ,
androcracy
circle, cycle, unit epicycle ,
-cycle
of radio frequency hydrocycle
-ectasia, - brochiectasis ,
stretching out
ectasis telangiectasia
-ectomy surgical removal vasectomy
hematemesis ,
-emesis vomiting
hyperemesis
leukemia ,
-emia blood condition
anaemia
mesenchyma ,
-enchyma cellular tissue
karyenchyma
actress ,
-ess female waitress ,
stewardess
-esthesis, synesthesia,
sensation, feeling
-esthesia kinesthesis
-fugal fuge, driving or centrifugal
travelling away from,
 expelling
full of, having some or
-ful hopeful , useful
much
icosahedron ,
-hedron geometric solid
tetrahedron
-holic love , addiction alcoholic
-ic
-id skin rash syphilid
Protestantism , a
doctrine, act, practice, lcoholism ,
-ism
condition Buddhism ,
southernism
-ist person dentist
hepatitis ,
-it is disease, inflammation
gingivitis
attitude ,
-itude
certitude
metallic element sodium ,
-ium
(exception: helium) Calcium
 movement (ability
-kinesis telekinesis
thereof)
homeless ,
-less lack of
useless
-like, having the
attributes of; In modern
quick(adj) >
English, primarily
quickly(adv),
changes adjectives to
state(n) >
-ly adverbs; also changes
stately(adj),
some nouns to
abashed(v) >
adjectives and some
abashedly(adv)
(past-tense) verbs to
adverbs
an irrational but kleptomania ,
-mania irresistible motive for a megalomania ,
belief or action mythomania
stenography ,
-ography
writing, description geography ,
or –ogram
ideogram
solenoid ,
-oid resembling
hominoid
 planetology ,
-ology study, science thyroidology ,
phthisiology
-omics area of biology proteomics
-onomy knowledge of astronomy
antonym ,
-onym name, word consonym ,
heteronym
mitosis ,
-osis process, action
osmosis
-osis formation ostosis
-osis diseased condition psychosis
-phagy, -
eating monophagy
phagia
-philia attraction hemophilia
acrophobia ,
-phobia fear
mysophobia
telephone ,
-phone sound, audio
homophone
-science knowing omniscience
from
Greek skopos , view; microscope ,
-scope
instrument for viewing telescope
and observing spaces
friendship ,
-ship circle, state of being
relationship
-stan land, country Afghanistan
-tropism to turn phototropism
-us inflammation ulcus (ulcer)
-ward direction southward
-wise direction clockwise
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
excitable,
-able able to be portable,
preventable
cardiac,
-ac pertaining to hemophiliac,
maniac
perspicacity,
-acity (-ocity) quality of sagacity,
velocity
blockade,
act, action or
-ade  cavalcade,
process, product
promenade,
passage,
-age action or process pilgrimage,
voyage
workaholic,
-aholic (- one with an
shopaholic,
oholic) obsession for
alcoholic
bacterial,
-al relating to theatrical,
natural
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
neuralgia,
  -algia pain
nostalgia,
relating to, Italian, urban,
-an (-ian)
belonging to African
brilliance,
-ance state or quality of defiance,
annoyance
applicant,
-ant a person who immigrant,
servant
brilliant,
inclined to, tending
    defiant,
to
vigilant
lunar,
of or relating to,
-ar molecular,
being
solar
beggar,
    a person who
burglar, liar
coward,
a person who does
-ard sluggard,
an action
wizard
-arian a person who disciplinarian,
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
vegetarian,
librarian
terrarium,
-arium
a place for aquarium,
(orium)
solarium
literary,
-ary of or relating to military,
budgetary
affectionate,
state or quality of
-ate desolate,
(adj.)
obstinate
makes the word a activate,
    verb (different evaporate,
pronunciation) medicate
creation,
-ation action or process narration,
emancipation
creative,
-ative tending to (adj.) preservative,
talkative
-cide act of killing homicide,
suicide,
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
genocide
bureaucracy,
rule, government,
-cracy aristocracy,
power
theocracy
aristocrat,
someone who has
-crat bureaucrat,
power
technocrat
diminutive (making molecule,
-cule
something small) ridicule,
efficiency,
state, condition or
-cy privacy,
quality
belligerency
bicycle,
-cycle circle, wheel recycle,
tricycle
boredom,
condition of, state,
-dom freedom,
realm
wisdom
orthodox,
-dox belief, praise
paradox
appendectomy,
  -ectomy surgical removal of
hysterectomy
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
called,
-ed past tense hammered,
laughed
nominee,
-ee receiver, performer employee,
devotee
associated engineer,
-eer
with/engaged in volunteer
anemia,
-emia blood condition hypoglycemia,
leukemia
awaken,
makes the word a
-en fasten,
verb
strengthen
absence,
state or condition,
-ence dependence,
action
negligence
clemency,
-ency condition or quality dependency,
efficiency
-ent inclined to competent,
performing/causing correspondent,
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
, or one who
absorbent
performs/causes
bigger, faster,
-er more
happier
flutter, ponder,
    action or process
stutter
a person who does announcer,
   
an action barber, teacher
eastern,
-ern state or quality of northern,
western
adolescence,
-escence state or process
convalescence
Chinese,
-ese relating to a place Congolese,
Vietnamese
Kafkaesque,
-esque in the style of grotesque,
burlesque 
actress,
-ess female
heiress, lioness
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
funniest,
-est most
hottest, silliest
athletic,
relating to (makes
-etic energetic,
the word an adj.)
poetic
cigarette,
diminutive (makes
-ette diskette,
something smaller)
kitchenette
helpful,
-ful full of thankful,
cheerful
make, cause
amplify,
-fy (makes the word a
falsify, terrify
verb)
monogam,
-gam/gamy marriage, union
polygamy
hexagon,
-gon/gonic angle polygonic,
pentagon
childhood,
state, condition, or
-hood neighborhood,
quality
motherhood
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
celestial,
-ial relating to editorial,
martial
Martian,
-ian relating to utopian,
pediatrician
elephantiasis,
-iasis diseased condition
psoriasis
pediatric,
  -iatric healing practice
psychiatric,
audible,
-ible able to be plausible,
legible
analytic/al,
relating to,
-ic/ical comic/al,
characterized by
organic
relating to, capable agile, docile,
-ile
of volatile
sloppily,
-ily in what manner
steadily, zanily
-ine relating to canine,
feminine,
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
masculine
bedding,
-ing materials frosting,
roofing
dancing,
    action or process
seeing, writing
celebration,
-ion action or process completion,
navigation
ambitious,
having the qualities
-ious cautious,
of, full of
gracious
relating to, apish, brutish,
-ish
characteristic childish
altruism,
-ism state or quality despotism,
heroism
a person, one who artist, linguist,
-ist
does an action pianist
resident of, suburbanite,
-ite follower, product luddite,
of dynamite
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
appendicitis,
inflammation,
-itis tonsillitis,
preoccupation
frontrunneritis
abnormality,
state, condition, or
-ity civility,
quality
necessity
attractive,
inclined to; quality
-ive expensive,
of; that which
repulsive
colonization,
act or process of
-ization fertilization,
making
modernization
antagonize,
cause, treat,
-ize authorize,
become
popularize
fearless,
-less without helpless,
homeless
booklet,
-let version of
droplet, inlet
-like resembling, childlike,
characteristic homelike,
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
lifelike
duckling,
-ling younger or inferior
underling
astrologer,
-loger/logist one who does cardiologist,
chronologer
dialog,
-log speech
monolog,
badly,
-ly in what manner courageously,
happily
movement,
-ment action, result placement,
shipment
kindness,
state or quality
-ness shyness,
(makes a noun)
weakness
humanoid,
-oid resembling tabloid,
hemorrhoid
-ology study of, science of anthropology,
archaeology,
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
biology
carcinoma,
-oma tumor, swelling osteoma,
hematoma
synonym,
-onym name, word antonym,
homonym
myopia,
-opia eye defect nyctalopia,
hyperopia
biopsy,
-opsy examination autopsy,
necropsy
inventor,
-or a person who legislator,
translator
armory,
-ory relating to dormitory,
laboratory
  -osis process, diseased diagnosis,
condition prognosis,
neurosis,
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
psychosis
colostomy,
-ostomy/
surgical lobotomy,
otomy
craniotomy
hazardous,
-ous full of humorous,
wondrous
homeopath,
-path one who engages in naturopath,
psychopath
sympathy,
  -pathy feeling, diseased apathy,
neuropathy
bibliophile,
-phile one who loves audiophile,
pyrophile
acrophobia,
-phobia abnormal fear of claustrophobia
, xenophobia
homophone,
-phone sound telephone,
microphone
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
zoophyte,
  -phyte plant, to grow cryptophyte,
epiphyte
paraplegia,
-plegia paralysis quadriplegia,
hemiplegia
paraplegic,
one who is
  -plegic technoplegic,
paralyzed
quadriplegic
apnea,
  -pnea air, spirit hyperpnea,
orthopnea
arthroscopy,
-scopy/scope visual exam gastroscopy,
microscope
transcript,
-scribe/script to write describe,
manuscript
dissect, insect,
-sect to cut
bisect
-ship state or condition authorship,
of, skill of citizenship,
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
friendship
confusion,
-sion state or quality depression,
tension
cumbersome,
characterized by,
-some quarrelsome,
group of
foursome
philosophy,
wisdom, theosophy,
-sophy/sophic
knowledge anthroposophi
c
depth, length,
-th state or quality
strength
attention,
-tion state or quality caution,
fascination
hysterectomy,
-tome/tomy to cut epitome,
tonsillotome
atrophy,
nourishment,
-trophy hypertrophy,
growth
dystrophy
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
fortitude,
state, condition or
-tude gratitude,
quality
magnitude
ability,
state, condition or
-ty honesty,
quality
loyalty
cellular,
relating to or
-ular circular,
resembling
muscular
arduous,
-uous state or quality of tumultuous,
virtuous
closure,
-ure action, condition
erasure, failure
backward,
-ward specifies direction eastward,
homeward
hardware,
things of the same
-ware software,
type or material
kitchenware
-wise in what manner of clockwise,
direction lengthwise,
 Sample
Suffix Meanings Words and
Definitions
otherwise
made up of,
-y
characterized

The Suffixes can be categorized as follows: 

1. Suffixes of Nouns of English origin 

2. Suffixes of Adjectives of English origin 

3. Suffixes of Verbs of English origin 

4. Suffixes of Adverbs of English origin 

5. Suffixes of Nouns of Latin origin 

6. Suffixes of Adjectives of Latin origin 

7. Suffixes of Verbs of Latin origin 

8. Suffixes of Greek origin 

1. Suffixes of Nouns of English origin: 

i. Denoting the doer: 

Er –Painter, baker 

Ar – beggar 

Or – sailor 

Yer - lawyer 

Ster – spinster, punster, songster 

Ter – daughter, sister 

Ther – father, mother, brother, 

ii. Denoting state, action, condition, being,

etc… 

Dom – freedom, martyrdom, wisdom 

Hood – manhood, childhood, 

Head - godhead 

Lock – wedlock, 

Ledge - knowledge 

Ness – darkness, boldness, goodness, sweetness 

Red – hatred, kindred 

Ship – friendship, hardship, lordship 

Th – health, stealth, growth 

iii. Denoting diminutives: 

El – satchel, kernel, 

Le - girdle, handle 

En – maiden, kitten, chicken 

Ie – dearie, birdie, lassie 

Kin – lambkin, napkin 

Let – leaflet 

Ling – ducking, darling, stripling, weakling 

Ock – hillock, bullock 

2. Suffixes of Adjectives of English origin: 

Ed – having 
Examples: Gifted, talented, wretched, learned 

En – made of 
Examples: Wooden, golden, woolen, earthen 
Ful – full of 
Examples: Hopeful, fruitful, joyful 

Ish – somewhat like 

Examples: Boorish, reddish, girlish 

Less – free from 

Examples: Fearless, shameless, hopeless,
senseless, boundless 

Ly – like 
Examples: Manly, godly, sprightly 

Some – with the quality of 

Examples: Wholesome, meddlesome, gladsome,
quarrelsome 

Y – with the quality of 

Examples: Wealthy, healthy, windy, slimy, greedy,
needy, thirsty, dirty 

3. Suffixes of Verbs of English origin: 

En – causative, forming transitive verbs 

Examples: Weaken, sweeten, gladden, deaden,
strengthen etc… 
Se – to make 
Examples: Rinse, cleanse 

Er – intensive 
Examples: Chatter, glitter, glimmer, fritter, flutter 

4. Suffixes of Adverbs of English origin: 

Ly – like 
Examples: Boldly, wisely 

Long – towards 
Examples: Headlong, sidelong 

Ward – turning to 

Examples: Homeward, backward, upwards 

Way – to wards 
Examples: Straight a way, anyway, always 

Wise – manner 
Examples: Likewise, otherwise 

5. Suffixes of Nouns of Latin origin: 

i. Denoting chiefly the agents or doer of a thing 

Ain – chieftain 

An –artisan 

En – citizen 

On – surgeon 

Ar – scholar 

Er – preacher 

Eer – engineer 

Ier – financier 

Ary – missionary 

Ate – advocate 

Ee – trustee 

Ey – attorney 

Y – Deputy 
Or –emperor 

Our –saviour 

Eur –Amateur 

Er – interpreter 

ii. Denoting state, action or the result of an

action 

Age – bondage, marriage, breakage, leakage 

Ance – abundance, brilliance, assistance,

excellence, innocence 

Cy – fancy, accuracy, lunacy, bankruptcy 

Ion – action, option, union 

Ice – service, cowardice 

Ise – exercise 

Ment – improvement, judgment, punishment 

Mony – parsimony, matrimony, testimony 

Tude – attitude, altitude, magnitude, servitude,
fortitude 

Ty – cruelty, frailty, credulity 

Ure – pleasure, forfeiture, verdure 

Y – Misery, victory 

iii. Denoting Diminutives: 

Cule (ule, cel, sel, el, le) – animalcule,

globule, parcel, damsel, chapel, circle 

Et – owlet, lancet, trumpet 

Ette – cigarette, coquette 

iv. Denoting places: 

Ary (ery, ry) – dispensary, library, nunnery,

treasury 

Ter (tre) – cloister, theatre 

6.Suffixes of Adjectives of Latin origin 

Al – national, regal, mortal, fatal 

An –human 

Ane- humane, mundane 

Ar – regular, familiar 

Ary – customary, contrary, necessary, ordinary,

honorary 

Ate – fortunate, temperate, obstinate 

Ble – feeble, Laughable 

Able- Laughable 

Ible – sensible 
Esque – picturesque, grotesque 

Id – humid, vivid, lucid 

Ile – servile, fragile, juvenile 

Ine – feminine, canine, feline, divine 

Ive – active, attentive, sportive 

Lent – corpulent, indolent, turbulent, virulent 

Ose – verbose, 

Ous – dangerous, onerous, copious 

7. Suffixes of Verbs of Latin origin 

Ate – assassinate, captivate, exterminate 

Esce – acquiesce, effervesce 

Fy – simplify, purify, fortify, sanctify, terrify 

Ish – publish, nourish, punish, banish 

8. Suffixes of Greek origin : 

Ic – angelic, cynic, phonemic, phonetic, 

Ique – unique 

Ist – artist, chemist 

Isk – asterisk, obelisk 

Ism – patriotism, despotism, enthusiasm 

Asm - enthusiasm 

Ize – civilize, sympathize, criticize etc… 

Sis – crisis, analysis, heresy, poesy 

Sy - heresy, poesy 

E – Catastrophe 
Y – Monarchy, philosophy 

There are few more Suffixes of French origin : 

Ee – This suffix is added to nouns to denote the

person who takes a passive share in an action. 
Examples :Employee, payee, legatee, trustee,
referee 

Or, ar, er, eer, ier – denoting a person who

performs a certain act or function 
Examples: Emperor, scholar, officer, engineer,
gondolier 

Ist – denoting a person who follows a

certain trade or pursuit 
Examples: Chemist, theosophist, artist, nihilist 

Ism – forming abstract noun 

Example: Patriotism 

Ize or ise – forming verbs from nouns and

adjectives 
Examples: Crystallize, moralize, baptize 

The Etymology of innumerable words is in another

page.