Suffixes in English – Types, List and Easy Examples

A suffix in English is a group of letters placed at the end of a word that changes its meaning or function. Unlike prefixes, suffixes can turn a word into a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb depending on the ending.

In this post, you will learn different types of suffixes, see easy lists with meanings, and check practical examples that make grammar learning smooth. This helps in everyday study, reading, and schoolwork.

What Is a Suffix in English?

A suffix in English is a group of letters added to the end of a word that changes its meaning or its role in a sentence. Unlike prefixes, which appear at the beginning, suffixes work at the end to create new forms such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, or adverbs. For example, teach → teacher, happy → happiness, and quick → quickly all use suffixes to change how the base word is used.

Types of Suffixes in English

Suffixes are grouped by how they change a base word into a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. Learning the main types helps you see patterns and understand how endings affect meaning.

Noun Suffixes (-ness, -ment, -er, -ion, etc.)

These endings turn words into nouns that name people, states, or things.

• -ness → kindness, happiness, sadness
• -ment → movement, achievement, enjoyment
• -er / -or → teacher, singer, actor, doctor
• -ion / -tion / -sion → creation, decision, permission
• -ity / -ty → clarity, honesty, safety
• -hood → childhood, neighborhood, brotherhood
• -ship → friendship, leadership, partnership

Verb Suffixes (-ize, -en, -ify, etc.)

These endings form verbs that show action or process.

• -ize → realize, modernize, organize
• -en → strengthen, shorten, widen
• -ify → beautify, simplify, clarify
• -ate → activate, separate, dominate

Adjective Suffixes (-ful, -less, -ous, -able, etc.)

These endings create adjectives that describe qualities or conditions.

• -ful → hopeful, careful, beautiful
• -less → hopeless, fearless, careless
• -ous / -ious → dangerous, curious, famous
• -able / -ible → readable, visible, possible
• -al → natural, personal, seasonal
• -ic → poetic, historic, athletic
• -y → sunny, rainy, messy

Adverb Suffixes (-ly, -ward, -wise, etc.)

These endings turn words into adverbs that describe how, when, or where something happens.

• -ly → quickly, slowly, happily
• -ward / -wards → forward, backwards, homeward
• -wise → clockwise, otherwise, lengthwise

Easy Suffixes List with Meanings

Suffixes often appear in school texts and daily reading, so knowing their meanings helps you work out new words quickly. By learning common suffixes, you can turn verbs into nouns, adjectives into adverbs, and build a wider vocabulary step by step.

100 Examples of Suffixes Every Learner Should Know

Suffixes are word endings that change meaning, tense, or part of speech. They make new words or slightly adjust forms. By learning the most common suffixes, learners can quickly understand how English words grow and change. Below is a large list of 100 suffixes with simple examples.

• -age → marriage, baggage, village
• -al → arrival, refusal, denial
• -ance / -ence → performance, difference, existence
• -ant / -ent → assistant, student, president
• -ary → library, dictionary, secretary
• -dom → freedom, kingdom, boredom
• -ee → employee, trainee, referee
• -eer → engineer, volunteer, mountaineer
• -er / -or → teacher, actor, singer
• -hood → childhood, neighborhood, brotherhood
• -ics → physics, economics, linguistics
• -ion / -tion / -sion → creation, decision, permission
• -ism → realism, capitalism, tourism
• -ist → artist, scientist, pianist
• -ity / -ty → honesty, clarity, safety
• -ment → enjoyment, movement, achievement
• -ness → kindness, sadness, darkness
• -ship → friendship, leadership, partnership
• -th → length, width, growth
• -ure → pressure, closure, measure
• -ate → activate, separate, dominate
• -en → strengthen, shorten, widen
• -ify → beautify, simplify, classify
• -ise / -ize → realize, modernize, organize
• -able / -ible → readable, possible, visible
• -ed → tired, excited, bored
• -en → wooden, golden, broken
• -ern → eastern, western, northern
• -esque → picturesque, grotesque, statuesque
• -ful → hopeful, careful, beautiful
• -ic / -ical → poetic, historical, musical
• -ish → foolish, childish, selfish
• -ive → active, creative, attractive
• -less → hopeless, fearless, careless
• -like → childlike, ladylike, lifelike
• -ly → friendly, lovely, ugly
• -ous / -ious / -eous → dangerous, curious, precious
• -some → handsome, troublesome, tiresome
• -ward / -wards → forward, backward, homewards
• -wise → clockwise, lengthwise, otherwise
• -y → sunny, rainy, messy
• -ly → quickly, slowly, happily
• -cracy → democracy, bureaucracy, aristocracy
• -crat → democrat, aristocrat, bureaucrat
• -ology → biology, psychology, technology
• -phone → microphone, telephone, saxophone
• -graph → autograph, paragraph, telegraph
• -phobia → arachnophobia, claustrophobia, xenophobia
• -phile → bibliophile, audiophile, technophile
• -scope → microscope, telescope, periscope
• -meter → thermometer, speedometer, odometer
• -logy → geology, mythology, astrology
• -acy → accuracy, democracy, literacy
• -escence → adolescence, fluorescence, obsolescence
• -ette → cigarette, kitchenette, statuette
• -ling → duckling, underling, sibling
• -let → booklet, bracelet, piglet
• -ousness → joyousness, wondrousness, nervousness
• -ial → social, official, partial
• -iality → speciality, impartiality, eventuality
• -icity → publicity, simplicity, elasticity
• -shipness → craftsmanship, statesmanship, relationship
• -wardly → forwardly, outwardly, inwardly
• -ancy → expectancy, pregnancy, vacancy
• -ennial → centennial, millennial, biennial
• -escence → effervescence, luminescence, convalescence
• -ibility → flexibility, credibility, visibility
• -ology → anthropology, theology, zoology
• -archy → monarchy, anarchy, oligarchy
• -ician → musician, technician, physician
• -hoodship → guardianship, lordship, membership
• -escence → iridescence, acquiescence, evanescence
• -nomy → astronomy, economy, autonomy
• -pathy → sympathy, empathy, telepathy
• -philia → hemophilia, pedophilia, technophilia
• -tude → altitude, solitude, attitude
• -escence → reminiscence, coalescence, quintessence
• -ana → Americana, Shakespeareana, Victoriana
• -arium → aquarium, planetarium, terrarium
• -oid → asteroid, android, opioid
• -ory → territory, category, laboratory
• -ster → youngster, prankster, gangster
• -kin → napkin, pumpkin, lambkin
• -ine → medicine, discipline, famine
• -aryness → unnecessary, missionary, visionary
• -urely → securely, maturely, obscurely
• -ancyship → stewardship, dealership, trusteeship

Suffix Examples in Sentences

Examples help you see how suffixes work in real writing.

• She felt great happiness after the exam.
• The teacher explained the topic clearly.
• He will organize the event next week.
• The glass is not breakable at all.
• They walked slowly along the road.
• Childhood is a special period in life.
• The company plans to modernize its services.
• His words were very meaningful and kind.
• The soldiers marched forward into the field.
• That book was full of adventure and surprise.

How to Learn Suffixes Easily?

Start with the most common suffixes like -ness, -er, and -ly. Practice by writing word groups and turning them into sentences. For example, take “happy” and add -ness to make happiness. Compare pairs like hopeful and hopeless to see how meaning changes. With practice, suffixes become natural to use.

Conclusion

Suffixes in English grammar give words flexibility and power. They create new nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs from simple roots. By learning common suffixes and practicing them in writing and speech, you can expand your vocabulary and understand grammar with ease.

FAQs about Suffixes in English

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