Common Suffixes
Suffixes are added to the ending of an existing word in order to create a new word with a different meaning.
Below is a list of the most used suffixes in English. But remember Prefixes are added to the beginning of the word.
| SUFFIX | DEFINITION | EXAMPLE |
| -able, -ible | can be done | enjoyable, sensible, likable |
| -ence, -ance | act/ condition of | persistence, excellence, assistance, importance |
| -agog, -agogue | leader | demagogue, pedagogue |
| -ian, -an | one having a certain skill/ | electrician, magician, |
| relating to/ belonging to | American, suburban | |
| -cide | kill(ing) | patricide, infanticide, herbicide. suicide |
| -dom | condition of | boredom, freedom, |
| state | kingdom | |
| -ectomy | cutting | appendectomy, splenectomy |
| ed | past tense | jumped, helped |
| -en | made of/ to | wooden, |
| make | dampen, tighten | |
| er | person connected with/ comparative degree |
teacher, writer, baker, bigger, colder, taller |
| -est | superlative degree | biggest, coldest, tallest |
| -ess | feminine | actress, lioness |
| -ful | full of | beautiful, painful |
| -ia, -y | act, state | amnesia, mania, democracy, anarchy |
| -ic, -tic, -ical, -ac | having to do with | anthropomorphic, dramatic, biblical, cardiac |
| -ics | things having to do with | optics, physics |
| -ion, –ation | act of/ state of/ result of | attention, vision, invitation |
| –sion, -tion | ||
| -ing | action/ process | helping, skipping, running, seeing, thinking |
| -isk, -iscus | small | asterisk–a little star |
| -ism | the belief in | pacifism, terrorism, socialism, communism |
| -ist | one who believes in | pacifist, terrorist, socialist, communist |
| -ity | state of/ quality | prosperity, |
| of | equality | |
| -al, -ial | related to/ characterized | colonial, biennial, dental, |
| by | betrayal | |
| -ion, -ation, -sion, -tion | act of/ state of/ result of | tension, attention, elevation, union |
| -ish | relating to/ characteristic of | childish, foolish |
| -ent, -ant | an action/ condition | student, contestant, immigrant |
| -ent, -ant | causing a specific action | obedient, absorbent, abundant, elegant |
| -hood | the state/ the condition/ the quality | boyhood, likelihood |
| -ist | one who does a specific action | artist, tourist |
| -ite | one connected with | meteorite, polite, cosmopolite |
| -less | without | careless, helpless |
| -logy | study field of | biology, geology, etymology, cardiology |
| -ly | characteristic of | badly, friendly, quickly |
| -ment | act/ process | enjoyment, replacement |
| -ness | condition/ state of | darkness, fairness |
| -oid | resembling, like-shaped | asteroid, spheroid |
| -or, -er | one who takes part in | doctor, actor, teacher, driver |
| -phobia | exaggerated fear | photophobia, claustrophobia, agoraphobia |
| -sis | act, state, condition of | analysis |
| -s,-es | plural, more than one | hats, pigs, boxes, wishes |
| -ship | condition of/ skill | championship, friendship, hardship, leadership |
| -y | characterized by/ like | cloudy, fishy |
| -ous, | full of/ characterized by | adventurous, nervous, mysterious, courteous |
| -ious, | ||
| -eous | ||
| -ive, | inclined/ tending toward an action | festive, talkative, active, sensitive |
| -itive, | ||
| -ative | ||
| -ic | relating to/ characterized | energetic, historic |
| by | ||
| -ize | to make/ to cause to | fertilize, criticize, |
| become | apologize | |
| -fy, -ify | to make | satisfy, magnify |
| -age | result of an action/ | manage, drainage, |
| collection | acreage | |
| -some | characterized by a specified quality, condition, or action | awesome, lonesome |
| -cide | kill | germicide, pesticide |
| -ery | relating to/ quality/ place where | imagery, pottery, bakery |
| -ary | relating to/ place where/ one who | dictionary, infirmary cautionary, dietary, missionary |
| -ium | chemical element | helium, |
| group | aquarium | |
| -tude | condition/ | altitude, |
| state/ quality of | gratitude |
Spelling Rules
Spelling Rule- Before You Start: Part-A
Spelling Rule- 1: Syllables
Spelling Rule- 2 : English Words Never end with
Spelling Rule- 3 : “Y” acts as a consonant as well as a vowel
Spelling Rule- 4 : Two sounds of “C”
Spelling Rule- 5 : Two sounds of “G”
Spelling Rule- 6 : Magic-E/Silent-E
Spelling Rule- 7 : Drop the “e” rule
Spelling Rule-8: The 1:1:1 doubling-up rule
Spelling Rule-9: A E O U at the end of the Syllable
Spelling Rule-10: The Rabbit rule
Spelling Rule- Before You Start: Part-A
Spelling Rule- 11: The FLOSS/FLSZ rule
Spelling Rule- 12 : Use of C or K to pronounce K
Spelling Rule- 13: Use of /CH/ & /TCH/
Spelling Rule- 14: Use of /Cial/ & /Tial/
Spelling Rule-15: Two vowel’s sounds
Spelling Rule- 16 : Short Vowel Sounds
Spelling Rule- 17 : Long Vowel Sounds
Spelling Rule-18: Vowels in Short Words
Spelling Rule-19: Long Vowels’ Rules and Patterns
Spelling Rule-20: W is the Boss