Grammar: Suffix

Like the prefix, a suffix is a handy little group of letters — a bound morpheme which occurs after a base, a.k.a. a free morpheme. It enables you to create alternative meanings from existing words. ‘Cause English doesn’t have enough words, lol. Actually I do love the precision of English, the richness of it.

In contemplating the suffix, you will find that a particular word retains its base meaning and adding a suffix allows you to fine-tune it to be more specific.

Consider bag and baggage. Bag is quite general and could call up images of a grocery sack, a lunch bag, a purse, or a bratty old woman. Baggage, well, that sounds like luggage or an overly full carload of kids.

Music can make you think of the store where you can buy a CD, downloading tunes, album covers, sheet music, instruments, a song you particularly like (or dislike). Now add -ian to create a musician. And that suffix automatically narrows down the possibilities. It could, of course, be any musician from rock ‘n roll to symphony, jazz to country, but it is specially a person who plays an instrument.

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The Difference Between a Root Word and a Base Word

A root word and a base word can both accept suffixes (or prefixes or affixes) but only base words are consistently standalone words, e.g., cycle, kitchen, box, etc., can become bicycle, kitchenware, boxcar.

Root words come from the Latin or Greek and cannot always stand alone as a word in English, e.g., aud, which is all about hearing and is combined with words like auditorium, audio, audience, and audition. Or struct is combined into words such as instructor, destruction, structural, or obstruction.

Of course there are root words that can stand alone, such as act, which can become actor, action, react, activity, etc. Don can become
don to give/grant donor, condone, pardon, etc.

Source: What

Root	Base
Parts of words which contain meaning, usually stemming from Latin and Greek. They often cannot stand alone as words.	The main part of a word once prefixes and suffixes have been stripped away. They can always stand alone.
Aud – hearing. It does not make sense on its own, but linked with other letters it does: audible. Most words have Greek and Latin roots. E.g., “The origin of audible is from the late Latin audibilis, from audire meaning hear.”	happy impress kind loud necessary quick

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Exploring Later . . .

You may want to look into “Morpheme & Allomorph” or “Prefixes“.

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Grammar Explanations is . . .

. . . an evolving list of the structural rules and principles that determines where words are placed in phrases or sentences as well as how the language is spoken. Sometimes I run across an example that helps explain better or another “also known as”. Heck, there’s always a better way to explain it, so if it makes quicker and/or better sense, I would appreciate suggestions and comments from anyone on an area of grammar with which you struggle or on which you can contribute more understanding.

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Suffix
Definition: A letter or group of letters that is put or attached after a word to change or refine its meaning. They may be adjectives, adverbs, nouns, or verbs. The opposite of a prefix. Affix is a general term for infix, prefix, and suffix. POST CONTENTS Three types of suffixes: Causative Derivational Augmentative Diminutive Suffix Noun Suffix Inflectional Suffix Exceptions Include Words Ending in . . . A.k.a. postfix, ending
Types of Suffixes
Causative	Definition: A type of verb tense attached to intransitive verbs to make them transitive. They also attach to transitive verbs to indicate another object. See also causative verb. Credit to: Crystal
Return to top or post contents	Intransitive Verb Transitive Verb Corn grows. Grow corn. He grew a pair of mustaches. The dinner bell rang. He rang the bell. He dined with us. We dined him. The box stood on the floor. He stood the box on the floor. Credit to: Jesperson
Derivational
Definition: Adding the suffix creates a new meaning for the word, the new word derives from its base word.
Ending Base Word Altered Word Ending Base Word Altered Word -able -ible approach eat approachable edible -ish elf elfish -al adjective adjectival -ism real realism -ary diction dictionary -ist alarm xenobiology alarmist xenobiologist -ate hyphen hyphenate -less back smoke backless smokeless -ation adore adoration -ly pure purely -ce two twice -ment govern treat government treatment -cian music musician -ness good goodness -ee employ employee -ology sediment sedimentology -er read reader -or advice advisor -ess butcher butcheress -ship relation relationship -fy -ify beauty beautify -sion persuade persuasion -ful beauty beautiful -th bread breadth -hood brother neighbor brotherhood neighborhood -tion realize realization -ic myth mythical -ways side sideways -ive create creative -wise length lengthwise -ise -ize real realize -y easy jealous easy jealousy Return to top or post contents
Augmentative Suffix	Definition: A word or affix that indicates a greater intensity or size. It can also imply awkwardness or unattractiveness.
Return to top or post contents	Root Word Suffix Final Word child fool -ish childish foolish bride mom -zilla bridezilla momzilla
Diminutive Suffix	Definition: Adding a suffix to a root/base word to indicate smallness, either actual or imputed in token of affection, scorn, etc.
Return to top or post contents	Diminutive-forming Suffix Base Word New Noun -et pig piglet -ette cigar dine disk kitchen cigarette dinette diskette kitchenette -ie boot Debra bootie Debbie -kin lamb lambkin -ling duck goose duckling gosling -y dog Bob doggy Bobby
Noun Suffix	Definition: Adding a suffix to a root/base word that makes the new word a noun. Credit to: Commonly
Return to top or post contents	Noun-forming Suffix Base Word New Noun -ant account assist defend (de is the prefix) odor accountant assistant defendant deodorant -ee address employ interview lease refer refuge retire train trust addressee employee interviewee lessee referee refugee retiree trainee trustee -ent preside reside president resident -er buy dance supervise teach work write buyer dancer supervisor teacher worker writer -ism criticize human journal vegetarian criticism humanism journalism vegetarianism -ist art fem journal piano violin artist feminist journalist pianist violinist -ment develop enjoy govern improve manage development enjoyment government improvement management -ness forgive good happy kind forgiveness goodness happiness kindness -or act advise supervise actor advisor supervisor -sion discuss excur discussion excursion -tion communicate inform populate quest communication information population question -ship citizen friend leader member citizenship friendship leadership membership -ity able curious secure similar ability curiosity security similarity
Inflectional
Definition: Changes the word from singular to plural or present tense to past tense, AND the basic meaning of the word does not change.
Third Person Singular Present	Rule: Uses an -s to create verb agreement
Return to top or post contents	like he likes run she runs
Past Tense & Past Participle	Rule: Adds an -ed or a -t to create a past tense form.
Return to top or post contents	boat boated spend spent paint she has painted open he has opened
Plural	Rule: Uses an -s for a regular plural.
Return to top or post contents	truck trucks run runs
Irregular Plural	Rule: Words that end in -s, keep the -s and adds -es
Return to top or post contents	brass brasses glass glasses
	Rule: An irregular plural uses -en
	backwoodsman backwoodsmen snowman snowmen ox oxen
Comparative / Superlative	Rule: To compare is to add -er, to be better, the very best is to add -est
Return to top or post contents	Root Word Comparative Superalative good better best red redder reddest big bigger biggest princely princelier princeliest
Continuous / Progressive	Rule: Adds an -ing
Return to top or post contents	speed speeding race racing
Negative	Definition: Attaches a negative meaning to the word or word-stem preceding it. A.k.a. pejorative
Return to top or post contents	-n’t could couldn’t -ard dull slug dullard sluggard -aster philosophy philosophaster -er stone stoner -ite Shia Shiite -nik peace peacenik -rel wast wastrel
Suffix Exceptions Include Words Ending in . . .
c	Rule: Words ending in c usually have a k inserted when adding a termination beginning with e, i, or y so that c will not be pronounced like an s.
Return to top or post contents	arc arced arcked bivouac bivouacked colic colicky frolic frolicked havoc havocking mimic mimicking picnic picnicker panic panicky politic politicking shellac shellacked traffic trafficker
ce or ge	Rule: Words ending in ce or ge keep the e before suffixes beginning with a, o, or u, so that the c or g is not pronounced with a hard sound.
Return to top or post contents	advantage advantageous change changeable enforce enforceable peace peaceable
	Exceptions include:
	advise advisor mortgage mortgagor pledge pledgor
e	Rule: Words ending in a silent e generally drop the e before a suffix beginning with a vowel.
Return to top or post contents	age aging blue bluing bluish cringe cringing force forcible line linage route routing sale salable true truism
	Exceptions include:
	enforceable hoeing mileage shoeing toeing
	Rule: Keep the e in certain words to distinguish them from others.
	dyeing vs. dying singeing vs. singing tingeing vs. tinging
	Rule: Derivatives formed from proper names keep the e and add -an
	Coleridgean European Nietzschean Shakespearean
	Rule: Words ending in a silent e generally keep the e before a suffix beginning with a consonant.
	awe awesome hate hateful move movement polite politeness
	Exceptions include:
	Many words ending in silent e immediately preceded by another vowel . . . except e . . . drop the e when forming derivatives.
	due duly argue argument abridge abridgment acknowledge acknowledgment awe awful judge judgment nurse nursling whole wholly wise wisdom
ie	Rule: Words ending in ie generally drop the e and change the i to y when adding an -ing.
Return to top or post contents	die dying vie vying
y	Rule: Words ending in y preceded by a vowel generally keep the y before any suffix.
Return to top or post contents	annoy annoyance buy buying enjoy enjoyment
	Exceptions include:
	day daily gay gaily lay laid pay paid say said saith slay slain
consonant	Rule: Double the final consonant before a suffix beginning with a vowel IF the emphasis is on the last syllable
Return to top or post contents	allot allotted bag baggage control controller corral corralled forget forgettable occur occurrence prefer preferred run running
	Rule: Do NOT double the final consonant before a suffix beginning with a vowel IF the word is accented anywhere but on the last syllable
	benefit benefited bias biased cancel cancelled cancellation combat combated kidnap kidnaper repeal repealed tranquil tranquilize transfer transferee
	Exceptions include:
	cobweb cobwebbed diagram diagrammatic diagramed handicap handicapped humbug humbugged monogram monogrammed outfit outfitted outfitter zigzag zigzagged
-able -ible	Rule: There are no hard-and-fast rules for these two endings; memorize ’em or look ’em up.
Return to top or post contents	advise advisable combust combustible comprehend comprehensible defense defensible define definable depend dependable digest digestible repair repairable reverse reversible
-ance -ancy -ant	Rule: Words ending with: c sounding like a k g has a hard sound
Return to top or post contents	extravagance extravagant signify significance significant
-ence -ency -ent	Rule: Words ending with: s sound that is -sede preceded by a c g having the sound of j
Return to top or post contents	benefice beneficence coalesce colaescence indigent indigence negligent negligence
-cede -ceed -sede	Rule: In English, three words end in -ceed; one word ends in -sede.
Return to top or post contents	-ede -ceed -sede accede exceed supersede antecede proceed concede succeed
-ise -ize	Rule: American English uses -ise. A few centuries back, when scholars were trying to regularize spelling, the rule was to use -ize if the original word was Greek or Latin while -ise was used if the word was originally French.
	advertise demise improvise advise despise incise apprise devise merchandise chastise disguise premise circumcise enterprise reprise comprise excise revise compromise exercise supervise exorcise surmise franchise surprise

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Grammar Explanations by exploring its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Word Confusions, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Suffix

Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.

“Commonly Used Noun Suffixes.” ABC Education. 3 Feb 2021. Web. 30 Jan 2023. <https://www.abc.net.au/education/learn-english/commonly-used-noun-suffixes/13117528>.

Crystal, David. Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language. Cambridge University Press, 2003. 93.

Jesperson, Otto. Essentials of English Grammar. Abingdon: Routledge, 2006. 117.

Merriam-Webster: suffix (<http://i.word.com/dictionary/suffix>)

Skillin, Marjorie E., Robert M. Gay, and other authorities. Words into Type. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1974. Third edition. Print. 470-473.

More Sites on Suffixes

“English Language Roots: Quick Chart.” PrefixSuffix.com. n.d. Web. n.d. <http://www.prefixsuffix.com/rootchart.php>.

“English Language Roots: Search Engine.” PrefixSuffix.com. n.d. Web. n.d. <http://www.prefixsuffix.com/rootsearch.php>. Lists and explains the more common suffixes to root words and is a small part of their 2,000 word root database.

Merriam-Webster: diminutive

“Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes.” Thoughtful Learning. n.d. Web. n.d. <http://www.thoughtfullearning.com/inquireHSbook/pg166>.

“What is the Difference Between Base Words and Root Words?” Literacy. PLD. n.d. Accessed 30 Oct 2023. <https://support.pld-literacy.org/en-au/article/what-is-the-difference-between-base-words-and-root-words-bo9j3q/>.

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Revised as of 18 Oct 2024
By: Kathy Davie