Suffixes are added to the ends of words to change their grammatical form:
- beauty (noun) – beautiful (adjective)
- quick (adjective) – quickly (adverb)
- maintain (verb) – maintenance (noun)
Today we’re going to look at 10 suffixes with 5 example words each!
-ABLE / -IBLE Suffix
Turns a word into an adjective meaning something can be done:
- reliable – She’s a very reliable employee – you can count on her to get the job done right.
- flexible – Gymnasts are very flexible.
- portable – A guitar is a much more portable instrument than a piano.
- audible – His voice was so quiet, it was barely audible.
- edible – Careful – I’m not sure if those berries are edible or if they’re poisonous.
-AL Suffix
Turns words into adjectives meaning “related to that area.”
- emotional – The reunion of the brothers after 25 years apart was quite emotional.
- financial – They got themselves into financial trouble after spending more than they earned for months.
- cultural – The international festival will celebrate cultural traditions from around the world.
- environmental – We have to consider the environmental impact of building a power plant on the river.
- global – The global economy suffered with the COVID-19 shutdowns.
-LY Suffix
Turns adjectives into adverbs, showing us the way something was done.
- carefully – The doctor carefully removed the bandage from the wound.
- suddenly – He suddenly quit his job without warning.
- quickly – I quickly jumped back when I saw the snake in the garden.
- incredibly – He’s incredibly intelligent; he was doing college-level classes when he was just 12 years old.
- anonymously – A tip about the crime was submitted anonymously to the police.
-ER / -OR Suffix
Turn verbs into nouns, meaning a person/thing that does the action.
- singer – A famous singer will perform at the arena this weekend.
- actor – The actor has starred in a number of action movies.
- baker – I ordered this birthday cake from a local baker.
- detector – He used a metal detector to search for the missing wedding ring on the beach.
- wrapper – Please throw your candy wrappers in the garbage.
-IST Suffix
Other professions have the suffix -ist:
- biologist – The marine biologist is studying the migration of whales.
- pianist – There was a talented pianist at the wedding.
- journalist – The journalist carefully investigated the political scandal.
- artist – That museum houses the work of many famous artists.
- dentist – The dentist extracted the broken tooth.
-ISH Suffix
Turns words into adjectives, meaning something has that quality.
- foolish – He made the foolish decision to cheat on his wife of 30 years.
- selfish – The selfish boy refused to share.
- reddish – What’s that reddish mark on your arm – is it a rash?
- childish – My sister whines about everything, and I’m so sick of her childish behavior.
- hellish – The country’s population has been living in hellish conditions ever since war broke out in the area.
-IZE Suffix
Turns words into verbs:
- apologize – I want to apologize for my rude comments the other day.
- stabilize – After the surgery, she used a brace to help stabilize her knee.
- prioritize – This year I’m going to prioritize my health by eating better and joining a gym.
- customize – You can customize this T-shirt by uploading your own design to be printed on it.
- emphasize – The teacher emphasized that anyone who arrived late for the exam would not be allowed to take it.
-MENT Suffix
Forms nouns:
- treatment – Antibiotics are the recommended treatment for an ear infection.
- assessment – The consultant made some suggestions based on her assessment of our company’s work environment.
- adjustment – We need to make a small adjustment to the schedule – the first session will start at 8:45, not 8:30.
- endorsement – A popular celebrity has provided his endorsement of our product.
- improvement – When I stopped smoking, I saw a noticeable improvement in my health.
-OUS Suffix
Turns nouns into adjectives:
- ambitious – He’s an ambitious entrepreneur who hopes to build a huge company.
- dangerous – Riding a motorcycle without a helmet is very dangerous.
- mysterious – I’ve heard some mysterious sounds coming from that supposedly abandoned house.
- cautious – Be cautious when it comes to social media posts asking for donations – some of them could be fake.
- torturous – That topic is so boring; having to sit through a 3-hour lecture will be torturous.
-TION / -SION Suffix
Form nouns:
- promotion – After her promotion, she was responsible for a team of six employees.
- competition – My son won first place in the karate competition.
- confession – The police pressured the man to make a full confession of the crime.
- decision – I’ve been accepted into three top universities and I’m not sure where to go – it’s a tough decision.
- comprehension – Listening to English every day can rapidly improve your comprehension.
Now you know 10 common suffixes in English! If you’d like to continue improving your English grammar and vocabulary, check out my courses:
