Common Suffixes

A suffix is a group of letters placed after the root of a word. For example, the
word flavorless consists of the root word "flavor" combined with the suffix "-
less" [which means "without"]; the word "flavorless" means "having no flavor."

Some Common Suffixes:
SUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLES
-able able to, having the quality of capable, comfortable, flammable, payable,
portable, presentable, taxable
-acy state or quality lunacy, privacy
-age action or process, rank, fee, place drainage, orphanage, leverage, marriage,
mileage, peerage, postage, spillage, suffrage,
village, voyage, wreckage
-al relating to annual, arrival, comical, disposal, educational,
historical, refusal , regional, rehearsal, reversal,
social, tidal
-an related to Lutheran, Ohioan
-ance state or quality of, denoting an
action
allegiance, appearance, perseverance,
maintenance, utterance
-ant being arrogant, deodorant, expectant, important,
miscreant, propellant
-ary like, connected with adversary, budgetary, dictionary, dignitary,
honorary, library, primary
-ate denoting a group or status, or
forming an adjective
electorate, duplicate, mandate, separate
-ation denoting an action or an instance of exploration, hesitation, plantation
-cide to kill homocide, insecticide
-ence state or quality of, denoting an
action
impertinence, reference, reminiscence
-ent being or state, occurance of an
action
coefficient, convenient, dissident, student
-er comparative, a person performing
an action
bigger, foreigner, philosopher, smaller, stronger, voter
-esque reminiscent of arabesque, grotesque, picturesque, statuesque
-est superlative strongest, tiniest, widest
-ful full of beautiful, grateful, hopeful, peaceful, sorrowful,
watchful, wishful
-fy producing, transforming or causing deify, horrify, speechify
-graph written autograph, paragraph, photograph, seismograph
-ian forming an adjective antediluvian, Christian, guardian, historian, Russian
-ible capable of being audible, edible, potable, reversible, terrible
-ic relating to aquatic, chronic, fantastic, Islamic, lyric, mechanic,
scenic, tactic



-ier denoting an occupation or interest cashier, glazier
-ile tending to fragile, futile, juvenile, percentile, senile
-ily forming an adverb angrily, eerily, happily, lazily
-ing denoting an action, a material, or a
gerund
acting, eating, padding, showing
-ish having the characteristics of,
somewhat
boyish, peckish, selfish, Spanish
-ism a belief or practice activism, baptism, hypnotism, racism
-ist one that does Buddhist, cellist, dentist, feminist, florist,
scientist
-itis an inflammatory disease arthritis, laryngitis, tonsillitis
-ive tending to, having the nature of active, cooperative, corrosive, sensitive,
supportive
-ize to make or become, to treat in a
manner
demonize, fossilize, pasteurize, carbonize
-less without, not affected by clueless, endless, fearless, flavorless, friendless,
sleepless, tireless
-ly forming an adjective clearly, closely, hourly
-ment the results of an action amusement, entertainment, excitement, treatment
-ness denoting a state or condition kindness, sadness, wilderness
-oid resembling android, ovoid
-ology the study of biology, geology, theology
-or condition, state, a person doing an
action
candor, elevator, governor, major, minor,
seonsor, terror, valor
-ose having the quality of comatose, verbose
-ous characterized by adventurous, aqueous, curious, dangerous,
generous, mountainous
-ship denoting a condition, quality, skill
or group
companionship, citizenship, fellowship,
workmanship, membership
-tude in the state of fortitude, multitude, solitude
-ure an action or process, a collective exposure, legislature, procedure, scripture
-y full of, denoting a condition, or a
diminutive
glory, hungry, messy, jealousy, sleepy, victory,