NOUN SUFFIXES
Suffix
Meaning
a
plural
Examples
date, criteria, memoranda
ade
action, process
blockage, escapade, parade, promenade
ade
product or thing
lemonade, marmalade
ae
plural (feminine)
alumnae, formulae, larvae, algae
age
action, process
marriage, voyage, pilgrimage
ance
state, quality of
annoyance, resistance, repentance
ancy
state, quality of
buoyancy, vacancy, vagrancy, truancy
ant
one who
servant, immigrant, assistant, merchant
ar
one who
beggar, liar
ard
one who
drunkard, steward, wizard, coward
arian
one who
librarian, humanitarian, libertarian
arium
place for
aquarium, planetarium, solarium
ary
place for
library, mortuary, sanctuary, infirmary
ation
state, quality of
desperation, inspiration, starvation
ation
action, process
emancipation, narration, computation
cle
small
corpuscle, particle, icicle, cubicle
cule
small
miniscule, molecule
crat
person of power
democrat, autocrat
cy
state, quality of
accuracy, bankruptcy, conspiracy
cy
action, process of
truancy, vagrancy, piracy, diplomacy
dom
state, quality of
freedom, martyrdom, wisdom, boredom
ectomy
surgical, removal of
tonsillectomy, appendectomy
ee
ence
object of action
state, quality of
payee, lessee, employee
violence, absence, abstinence, reticence
ency
state, quality of
frequency, clemency, expediency
enne
female
comedienne, equestrienne
ent
one who
superintendent, regent, resident
er
one who
teacher, shipper, painter, seller
er
action, process
murder, thunder, waiver, plunder
ery, ry
trade, occupation
surgery, sorcery, dentistry, archery
ery
establishment
bakery, fishery, grocery, nunnery
ery, ry
goods, products
pottery, jewelry, cutlery
ery, ry
state, quality of
bravery, savagery, butchery, forgery
ess
one who (female)
waitress, actress, countess, hostess
et
small
midget, sonnet, bassinet, cygnet
ette
small (female)
dinette, majorette, cigarette
eur
one who
chauffeur, connoisseur, masseur
eur
state, quality of
hauteur, grandeur
hood, fy
state, quality of
childhood, falsehood, beautify, solidify
i
plural
alumni, foci
ics
a system
physics, economics, statistics, politics
ier, yet
one who
cashier, gondolier, financier, lawyer
ide
chemical
fluoride, bromide, peroxide, compound
ina
female
czarina, ballerina
ine
basic substance
iodine, chlorine, quinine, caffeine
ine
female
heroine, Pauline, Josephine
ing
material
bedding, roofing, frosting, stuffing
ion
state, quality of
champion, companion, ambition, suspicion
ish
ism
near, like
state, quality of
pinkish, sevenish
baptism, heroism, racism, despotism
ism
doctrine of
capitalism, socialism, hedonism
ist
one who practices
biologist, capitalist, socialist
ite
mineral, rock
granite, anthracite, bauxite
itis
inflammation of
laryngitis, arthritis, bronchitis
ity, ty
state, quality of
necessity, civility, felicity, parity
ization
state, quality of
civilization, standardization, organization
kin
small
lambkin, napkin, manikin, munchkin
let
small
rivulet, starlet, leaflet, islet, owlet
ling
small
duckling, yearling, suckling
man
one who works with
mailman, doorman, cameraman
mat
automatic machine
Laundromat, vendomat
ment
action, process
embezzlement, development, government
ment
state, quality of
amusement, predicament, amazement
ment
product, thing
instrument, ornament, fragment
mony
product, thing
testimony, ceremony, alimony, matrimony
ness
state, quality of
happiness, darkness, kindness
ol
alcohols
methanol, glycol, ethanol
ology
study of
biology, psychology, theology
or
one who
actor, donor, doctor, auditor
or
state, quality of
error, stupor, candor, pallor fervor
orium
place for
auditorium, emporium
ory
place for
laboratory, conservatory, purgatory
ose
sugars
sucrose, dextrose, glucose
osis
phobia
s, es
‘s
abnormal disaster
fear of
plural
possession
fibrosis, tuberculosis
claustrophobia, aquaphobia, arachnophobia
pens, books, boxes, parentheses
john’s, dog’s
ship
skill, art of
showmanship, horsemanship, penmanship
ship
state, quality of
friendship, hardship, citizenship
sion
state, quality of
tension, compulsion
th
state, quality of
strength, warmth, filth, depth, length
tion
state, quality of
attention, caution, fascination
trix
female
aviatrix, executrix
tude
state, quality of
gratitude, fortitude, beatitude
ty
state, quality of
loyalty, honesty, unity, amnesty
ure
action, process
censure, failure, exposure, enclosure
wright
one who works with
playwright, shipwright, wheelwright
ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES
Suffix
Meaning
acious
inclined to
Examples
loquacious, audacious, fallacious
al
relating to
natural, maternal, suicidal, royal
an
relating to
urban, veteran, American, Alaskan
ant
inclined to
vigilant, defiant, buoyant, pleasant
ary
relating to
honorary, military, literary, ordinary
ate
state, quality of
fortunate, desperate, passionate
ative
inclined to
talkative, demonstrative, pejorative
ble
inclined to
gullible, durable, perishable
en
relating to
golden, wooden, ashen, earthen
ent
inclined to
competent, different, excellent
er
more (comparative)
smaller, crazier, smarter, fatter
ern
direction
southern, northern, eastern
ese
esque
state, quality of
relating to
Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese
statuesque, picturesque, Romanesque
est
most (superlative)
smallest, fastest, smartest, fattest
etic
relating to
dietetic, diabetic, frenetic, fanatic
ful
full of
thoughtful, careful, fearful, painful
ial
relating to
commercial, remedial, filial
ian
relating to
physician, Christian, barbarian
ic
relating to
comic, public, historic
ical
relating to
comical, economical, rhetorical
id
state, quality of
candid, rigid, splendid, lucid
ile
state, quality of
virile, agile, volatile, fragile, docile
ine
relating to
feminine, bovine, feline, marine
ious
state, quality of
gracious, religious, ambitious
ish
relating to
childish, whitish, fiftyish, Scottish
ive
inclined to
active, negative, passive, affirmative
less
without
thoughtless, tireless, careless, ageless
like
resembling
homelike, lifelike, boylife, childlike
ly
resembling
fatherly, motherly, scholarly
ly
every
daily, weekly, monthly, yearly
most
most
westernmost, utmost, innermost
oid
resembling
humanoid, paranoid, asteroid
ose
full of
verbose, morose, comatose, bellicose
ous
full of
joyous, nervous, virtuous, wondrous
some
inclined to
meddlesome, awesome, tiresome
th, eth
numbers
fiftieth, fifth, sixteenth
ular
relating to
granular, circular, popular, cellular
ulent
und
full of
state, quality of
turbulent, corpulent, fraudulent
rotound, fecund, jocund, moribund
uous
state, quality of
tempestuous, sensuous, contemptuous
ward
direction
forward, backward, upward, eastward
y
state, quality
fruity, funny, sunny
VERB SUFFIXES
Suffix
Meaning
ade
action, process
Examples
blockade, parade, promenade
age
action, process
ravage, pillage
ate
to make
activate, fascinate, liberate, annihilate
ble
repeated action
stumble, squabble, mumble, fumble
d, ed
past tense
talked, baked, raised, walked
en
past action
taken, proven, stolen, eaten
en
to make
strengthen, fasten, frighten, weaken
er
action, process
discover, conquer, deliver, murder
fy
to make
satisfy, falsify, terrify, beautify
ing
continuous action
singing, talking, eating, jumping
ish
action, process
finish, nourish, flourish, punish
ize
to make
standardize, popularize, burglarize
s, es
form, 3rd person
runs, finishes
ure
action, process
censure, endure, procure, inure