Suffixes are the endings of words. They change the type of word. This lesson shows you how to use suffixes correctly and how they affect the parts of speech. You can find the tests at the bottom of the page.
Suffixes are at the end of words. These are some examples:
- ing
- ed
- tion
The suffix can often show the type of word. For example, “ed” is used for past tense verbs. The following is a list of all the major suffixes for each type of word.
NOUNS
Here are some of the most common noun suffixes.
tion/sion
solution, pollution, collision, conclusion
ity
productivity, capacity, personality
ment
payment, treatment, punishment
ness
happiness, loneliness, laziness
Often “ness” suffixes are added to adjectives that end in “y”.
This makes them a noun.
happy — happiness
crazy — craziness
er/or/ist
The people or things that do a verb can be created by adding
ER, OR, or IST. ER is the most common of the three.
Teach — teacher
Print — printer
doctor, operator
pianist, biologist, scientist
hood
parenthood, fatherhood, neighbourhood
ship
friendship, partnership, relationship
nce
patience, distance, reliance
dom
freedom, kingdom, boredom
ADJECTIVES
Adjective suffixes often are used to create words that show nouns displaying the quality of something. For example, Heroic is an adjective that shows someone has the qualities of a hero.
Adjectives are words that modify nouns. Therefore, they are found before nouns, or often after the verb HAVE.
Here are some examples of suffixes that form adjectives:
ing (describes things and their qualities)
exciting, boring, interesting
ed (describes feelings)
excited, bored, interested
ive
creative, abusive, persuasive
ic
futuristic, heroic, public
al
global, final, traditional
able
breakable, affordable, possible
y
sticky, shiny, healthy
ous
glamorous, fabulous, glorious
ful (full of)
harmful, hateful, successful, beautiful
less (without)
pointless, endless, homeless
ish
selfish, foolish, childish
VERBS
ed
Regular verbs end in “ed” in the past and past participle forms.
played, jumped
en
broken, taken, forgotten
“En” is common for past participles.
gotten, written,
ize
symbolize, materialize, realize
ate
create, skate, donate
ify
solidify, qualify, quantify
ADVERBS
Most adverbs in English are created by adding LY to the adjective.
Suffixes Tests
Suffixes Test
Suffixes Test 2