Common Suffixes in English

Front

What is a suffix?

Back

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to form a new word or change its grammatical function.

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What does the suffix '-er' do?

Back

The suffix '-er' can turn a verb into a noun, like 'read' to 'reader', or indicate someone who performs an action, like 'dancer'.

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What does the suffix '-able' mean?

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The suffix '-able' means capable of being, as in 'readable'.

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What does the suffix '-less' mean?

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The suffix '-less' means without, as in 'colorless' or 'thoughtless'.

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What happens to words ending in 'y' when a suffix is added?

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The 'y' may change to 'i', as in 'beauty' to 'beautiful'.

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What does the suffix '-acy' mean?

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The suffix '-acy' means state or quality, as in 'privacy' or 'delicacy'.

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What does the suffix '-al' mean?

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The suffix '-al' means act or process of, as in 'refusal' or 'recital'.

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What does the suffix '-ance' or '-ence' mean?

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The suffixes '-ance' or '-ence' mean state or quality of, as in 'maintenance' or 'eminence'.

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What does the suffix '-dom' mean?

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The suffix '-dom' means place or state of being, as in 'freedom' or 'kingdom'.

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What does the suffix '-ism' mean?

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The suffix '-ism' means doctrine or belief, as in 'communism' or 'narcissism'.