In this blog post, you will learn 100 commonly used suffix words, their meanings, and how they change the meaning of root words. Suffixes are essential in English as they help form new words, adjust grammatical roles, and expand vocabulary. Understanding suffixes makes it easier to improve reading, writing, and communication skills. Whether you are a student or a language learner, mastering suffixes will enhance your ability to recognize word patterns and their functions.
Want to learn more words on different topics? Check out our vocabulary section for more!
Noun Suffix Words List
| Suffixes | Meaning | Examples |
| -ness | state of being | heaviness, highness, sickness, dryness, coolness, baldness |
| acy | quality | democracy, accuracy, lunacy, democracy, diplomacy, supremacy, autocracy, immediacy, obstinacy, intricacy, theocracy |
| -ist | person | geologist, protagonist, sexist, scientist, theorist, communist, receptionist, technologist, nutritionist, antifeminist, phlebotomist, editorialist, |
| -al | process of | remedial, denial, personal, trial, criminal, arrival, seasonal, global, magical, national |
| -en | become | sharpen, strengthen, loosen |
| -tion | state of being | position, promotion, ambition, pollution, revolution, affection, caution, option, solution, revolution |
-ise | become | publicize, synthesize, hypnotize, advertise, advise, apprise, arise, chastise, circumcise, comprise, compromise |
| -or | person | creator, ablator, collaborator, inventor, abductor, irritator, franchisor |
| -ty | quality of | extremity, validity, enormity, susceptibility, territoriality, respectability, sentimentality, intentionality, |
| -ment | condition | enchantment, argument, adjustment, achievement, amazement, punishment, payment, |
| -dom | state of being | freedom, stardom, boredom, seldom, wisdom |
| -ence | quality of | ambiance, consequence, absence, convenience, experience, patience |
| -fy | make or become | justify, simplify, magnify, satisfy, personify, diversify, electrify |
| -ate | become | mediate, collaborate, create, deliberate, duplicate, estimate, moderate, private, approximate |
| -ism | belief | judaism, skepticism, escapism, exceptionalism, existentialism, despotism |
| -ship | position held | friendship, hardship, internship, flagship, hardship, township, lordship, kingship, starship, headship, wardship |
| -er | the object that does a specified action | teacher, interpreter, reader, writer, listener, reporter, watcher |
| -ance | state | tolerance, nuisance, importance, acceptance, assistance, appearance, compliance, resistance, attendance, reluctance |
Verb Suffix Words List
| Suffixes | Meanings | Examples |
| -en | become | sharpen, strengthen, loosen, brighten, darken, deepen |
| -fy | Make | Justify, simplify, magnify, satisfy, diversify, intensify, exemplify, indemnify, demystify, personify, speechify, electrify. |
| -ate | become | mediate, collaborate, create, accurate, appropriate, certificate, climate |
| -ise | Become | publicize, synthesize, hypnotize, advertise, advise, apprise, arise, chastise, circumcise, comprise, compromise. |
Adjective Suffix Words List
| Suffix | meaning | Example |
| –ible | ability | flexible, sensible, possible, impossible, horrible, terrible, legible/illegible, flexible, inflexible, accessible, inaccessible, compatible, incompatible, comprehensible, credible, incredible, digestible, feasible, unfeasible, plausible, implausible, credible, incredible, resistible, irresistible, gullible, edible, inedible, |
| –ish | a little | greenish, accomplish, relinquish, extinguish, outlandish, amateurish, impoverish, silverfish, cuttlefish. |
| –able | able to be | suitable, capable, comfortable, valuable, acceptable, remarkable, stable |
| –some | a tendency to | quarrelsome, handsome, gruesome, fearsome, tiresome, foursome, lonesome, liposome, ribosome |
| -en | made of | woolen, golden, wooden, sweeten, harden, flatten, lighten |
| -ful | full of | beautiful, powerful. grateful. colorful. doubtful. unlawful. peaceful. faithful. dreadful. |
| –like | similar to | lifelike, seamanlike, manlike, workmanlike, canelike, nutlike, sylphlike, apelike, trancelike. |
| –less | without | careless, meaningless, harmless, ruthless, countless, restless, careless, needless, reckless, pointless, breathless, powerless, relentless, motionless, worthless, stainless, lifeless, timeless |
| –ous | full of | cerous, comous, cymous, famous, fucous, iodous, joyous, lupous, miaous, mucous, nodous, odious, osmous, parous, pilous |
Adverbs Suffix
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
| –ly | in a manner | quickly, badly, beautifully, boldly, bravely, breathlessly, carefully, certainly, correctly, dangerously, dutifully, eagerly, effortlessly, evenly, eventually |
| –ward | shows direction | forward, downward, backward, westward, eastward, windward, untoward, homeward, leftward. |
| –wise | in a manner of | crabwise, umbrellawise, castlewise, circularwise, flockwise, yokewise, zigzagwise, spirewise, choirwise. |
| –ways | shows direction | sideways, edgeways, fessways, lengthways, sunways, slantways |
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