| 释义 |
Suffixes
A suffix is a letter or group of letters added at the end of a word which makes a new word.
words | suffix | new words | forget, use | -ful | forgetful, useful | state, govern | -ment | statement, government | complicate, create | -ion | complication, creation |
The new word is most often a different word class from the original word. In the table above, the suffix -ful has changed verbs to adjectives, -ment, and -ion have changed verbs to nouns. If you see a word ending in -ment, for example, it is likely to be a noun (e.g. commitment, contentment).
Suffixes: spelling
Often, the suffix causes a spelling change to the original word. In the table above, the -e ending of complicate and create disappears when the -ion suffix is added. Other examples of spelling changes include:
beauty, duty+ -ful → beautiful, dutiful (-y changes to i)
heavy, ready+ -ness → heaviness, readiness (-y changes to i)
able, possible + -ity → ability, possibility (-le changes to il)
permit, omit+ -ion → permission, omission (-t changes to ss)
A good learner’s dictionary will give you information on the correct spelling of words with suffixes.
See also:
Spelling
Common suffixes and examples
Noun suffixes
suffix | examples of nouns | -age | baggage, village, postage | -al | arrival, burial, deferral | -ance/-ence | reliance, defence, insistence | -dom | boredom, freedom, kingdom | -ee | employee, payee, trainee | -er/-or | driver, writer, director | -hood | brotherhood, childhood, neighbourhood | -ism | capitalism, Marxism, socialism (philosophies) | -ist | capitalist, Marxist, socialist (followers of philosophies) | -ity/-ty | brutality, equality, cruelty | -ment | amazement, disappointment, parliament | -ness | happiness, kindness, usefulness | -ry | entry, ministry, robbery | -ship | friendship, membership, workmanship | -sion/-tion/-xion | expression, population, complexion |
Adjective suffixes
suffix | examples of adjectives | -able/-ible | drinkable, portable, flexible | -al | brutal, formal, postal | -en | broken, golden, wooden | -ese | Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese | -ful | forgetful, helpful, useful | -i | Iraqi, Pakistani, Yemeni | -ic | classic, Islamic, poetic | -ish | British, childish, Spanish | -ive | active, passive, productive | -ian | Canadian, Malaysian, Peruvian | -less | homeless, hopeless, useless | -ly | daily, monthly, yearly | -ous | cautious, famous, nervous | -y | cloudy, rainy, windy |
Verb suffixes
suffix | examples of verbs | -ate | complicate, dominate, irritate | -en | harden, soften, shorten | -ify | beautify, clarify, identify | -ise/-ize | economise, realise, industrialize (-ise is most common in British English; -ize is most common in American English) |
Adverb suffixes
suffix | examples of adverbs | -ly | calmly, easily, quickly | -ward(s) | downwards, homeward(s), upwards | -wise | anti-clockwise, clockwise, edgewise |
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