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Table of Contents
Suffixes, like prefixes, cannot stand on their own. Suffixes are letters, not words, which means they do not make up a word themselves. Instead, they add onto or create a new word from an original one.
See the fact file below for more information on Suffixes or alternatively, you can download our 30-page Suffixes worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
Inflectional and Derivative Suffixes
- Suffixes are added to words to modify their grammatical meaning. These are known as inflectional suffixes. Occasionally, this change is modest, with the word maintaining its fundamental meaning and word class (part of speech) while adhering to the grammatical conventions needed by the sentence structure.
- These are known as derivational suffixes. More frequently, adding a suffix creates a term that belongs to an entirely other class and has a similar meaning to the original root word.
Inflectional Suffixes
- When a word’s spelling is altered to reflect the grammatical structure of a phrase, this is referred to as inflection. This is frequently achieved by ending a root word with a particular suffix.
- These inflectional suffixes are solely employed to change a word’s grammatical meaning; they do not affect a word’s primary meaning or convert it to another part of speech.
- For instance, the suffix “s” is added to most nouns to denote their plural nature (i.e., the presence of more than one), as in boys and girls. The terms “boy” and “girl” have the same fundamental meanings and have been inflected to indicate that the speaker is talking about more than that.
- It is possible to employ inflectional suffixes with nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. The inflectional suffixes used with these parts of speech are all listed below, along with examples of each.
Noun Inflectional Suffixes
“-s”
- Most nouns are changed from singular to plural.
- An example would be pizza.
“-es”
- Creates the plural form for nouns that end in the letters “ss,” “z,” “x,” “sh,” “ch,” or “tch,” which produce the sibilant sounds (/s/, /z/, //, or /).
- Examples: box to boxes
“-en”
- It changes the singular form of a few irregular nouns* to the plural.
- Example: ox to oxen
Inflectional Suffixes of Verbs
“-s”
- Constructs most verbs in the third-person singular.
- Example: listen to listens
“-es”
- Creates the third-person singular form of verbs that finish in a consonant + O or a sibilant sound (/s/, /z/, //, or //), as well as verbs that end in “ss,” “z,” “x,” “sh,” “ch,” or “tch.”
- Example: approaches
“-ed”
- It changes most verbs to their simple past tense and past participle.
- Example: jump to jumped
“-en”
- It creates the past tense of a few unusual verbs.
- Example: be to been
“-ing”
- It creates the gerund and the present participle of verbs.
- Example: dribble to dribbling
Adjective and Adverb Inflection Suffixes
“-er”
- It helps several adjectives and adverbs form the comparative degree.
- Example: happy-happier
“-est”
- It constructs various adjectives and adverbs to the superlative degree.
- Example: pretty to prettiest
Derivational Suffixes
- In contrast to inflectional suffixes, derivational suffixes give the word they produce a new but related meaning. Derivational suffixes frequently form words that are part of entirely separate parts of speech (or word class). Class-altering suffixes are occasionally used to describe suffixes that change the word class.
- For instance, adding the suffix -ous turns the noun “pore” into the adjective “porous,” which means “having pores.”
- Too many to enumerate here and the many derivational suffixes employed in English. We’ll focus on those that come up most frequently in daily writing and speaking. It’s crucial to remember that many words in contemporary English include suffixes derived from Latin, Old English, or other foreign languages. We’ll mainly concentrate on instances of roots that can stand alone as words for simplicity (with a few notable exceptions).
Suffixes that Form Nouns
- Adjectives and verbs are the two categories to which derived suffixes that produce nouns are most frequently attached. However, several noun prefixes also retain class, creating new nouns from existing nouns. We’ll examine some of these later.
“-age”
- An object or place is employed for such an action; an action, procedure, or outcome.
- Joins verbs; this is frequently a class-maintaining suffix, as we’ll see later.
- Example: haul to haulage
“-al”
- A procedure or action.
- Complements verbs
- Example: deny to denial
“-ance”
- A procedure, circumstance, state, or attribute.
- It joins with verbs. Most adjectives with an “ant” ending
- Example: fragrant to fragrance
“-dom”
- A situation or circumstance.
- Joins adjectives (which is more frequently a class-maintaining suffix, as we’ll see later.)
- Example: boredom
“-ence”
- A procedure, circumstance, state, or attribute.
- Connects to most adjectives and verbs with the suffix “ent”
- Example: absent to absence
“-er”
- person, item, or ability to do a particular activity.
- Complements verbs
- Example: teach to teacher
Formation of Nouns From Other Nouns
- As we’ve already discussed, several suffixes are attached to existing nouns to produce new nouns with new meanings. These suffixes are referred to be class-maintaining suffixes since the words continue to be nouns. Here are some of the most typical: (We have looked at some of these; depending on the root word to which the suffix attaches, they can either be class maintaining or class altering.)
“-age”
- a gathering or collection; a lot or mass.
- a standing, connection, or relationship.
- a circumstance or situation.
- a location of habitation.
- a measurement or rate.
- For example, front-frontage
“-(e)ry”
- If the previous vowel sound is or becomes unstressed, the e is often omitted.
- a collection, class, group, or grouping of objects.
- a situation or circumstance.
- the distinctive traits, deeds, or conduct.
- an activity or profession.
- For example, prude to prudery.
“-ist”
- one who creates, exercises, performs, runs, or is otherwise associated with a particular object or activity.
- one who clings to a particular philosophy, system, or guiding principles.
- one who focuses on a particular academic discipline.
- Example: Calvinism to Calvinist
“-dom”
- a condition, quality, or state.
- a particular area of authority.
- a specific place or rank.
- Example: fan to fandom
“-(o)logy”
- The suffix “logy” (or “ology” when specific consonant sounds are present) is another often-used ending to create nouns. It means “a branch or field of knowledge, research, theory, or study.”
- Astrology, geology, and psychology, for example.
Suffixes That Form Verbs
- Verb-creating derivative suffixes attach adjectives and nouns.
“-en”
- to bring about or induce becoming.
- to bring about.
- Attaches to nouns and adjectives
- Example: black to blacken
“-ify”
- To bring about or cause to occur.
- Adjectives Affixed to nouns
- Example: ample to amplify
“ate”
- “Ate,” which means “to act on, cause to become or be modified, or furnish with,” is another typical ending that results in the creation of verbs. However, it is much more likely to appear in verbs that derive from the past participles of Latin verbs, even though it can occasionally attach to preexisting nouns or adjectives. Even many terms that appear to be directly derived from nouns or adjectives have Latin roots. For instance:
- Constructed from adjectives and nouns: caffeine to caffeinate
- Abbreviate is a verb derived from the Latin abbreviatus.
Adjective-Forming Suffixes
- Adjective-producing derivative suffixes often join nouns. Less frequently, they connect to verbs.
“-able”
- Possibility, capacity, suitability.
- Complements verbs
- Example: debate to debatable
“-al”·
- Attached to nouns
- Examples: artifice, artificial
“-en”
- Composed of or similar to Nouns
- Example: ash to ashen
“-ible”
- Possibility, capacity, suitability.
- Complements verbs
- Example: access to accessible
“-y”
- Being filled with, consisting of, or having the quality of.
- inclined to, inclined to do.
- Joins with nouns and verbs
- Example: class to classy
Suffixes that Form Adverbs
“-ly”
- is by far the most prevalent and well-known suffix that joins adjectives to form adverbs.
- However, “ways/ wisdom” and “ward” are two more derivational suffixes used to create adverbs.
“-ly”
- in a specific or predetermined way.
- then.
- Attaches to nouns and adjectives ( units of time)
- Example: sudden to suddenly
“-ways/ -wise.”
- (Except for the root side, which nearly invariably becomes sideways, the word “wise” is far more prevalent, particularly in American English)
- in a specific way, location, or direction.
- Regarding or about (sometimes hyphenated)
- Adds nouns and adjectives to text
- Example: clock to clockwise
“-ward”
- At a particular location or angle.
- Joins nouns, adjectives, and adverbs
- Example: back to backward
Suffixes Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Suffixes across 30 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching about Suffixes which are affixes at the end of a word that can help you better understand or deduce the word’s meaning.
Complete List of Included Worksheets
- Suffixes Facts
- Suffix-ed!
- Circle Suffix
- Word Expanding
- Suffix Spin
- Suf-fixing the Sentence
- Suf-fixing the Sentence II
- Suf-fixing a Story
- Multiple Affixes
- More Suffix Rules
- Application
- Picture Story Suffix
Frequently Asked Questions
What are suffixes?
Suffixes are clusters of letters with distinct semantic meanings known as morphemes that are appended to the end of root words to alter their meaning.
What are inflectional suffixes?
When a word’s spelling is altered to reflect the grammatical structure of a phrase, this is referred to as inflection. This is frequently achieved by ending a root word with a particular suffix.
Give an example of inflectional suffixes.
For instance, the suffix “s” is added to most nouns to denote their plural nature (i.e., the presence of more than one), as in boys and girls. The terms “boy” and “girl,” which have the same fundamental meanings, have been inflected to indicate that the speaker is referring to more than one.
What are derivational suffixes?
These are known as derivational suffixes. More frequently than not, adding a suffix creates a term that belongs to an entirely other class and has a similar meaning to the original root word.
Give an example of derivational suffixes.
For instance, adding the suffix -ous to the noun “pore” transforms it into the adjective “porous,” which means “having pores.”
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