100 Suffix Words List with Meanings and Examples

Suffixes are letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or role in a sentence. They help make one word into many forms, making English easier and more fun to learn. For example, the word act can become action, active, activity, or actor by adding suffixes like -tion, -ive, or -or. Common suffixes like -ly, -less, -ness, and -ous create new words and meanings. Learning suffixes helps English learners grow their vocabulary without needing to memorize many new words. Here’s a simple list of suffixes with examples to get started!

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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

Noun Suffixes Words List and Examples

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.

Verb Suffixes Words List and Their Example Words

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

Adjective Suffixes Words List and Example Words

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