Common Suffixes and Examples

English suffix helps to tell lexical category by deriving new word with affix at a word end, here list common suffixes and examples of noun, adjective, adverb, and verb.

Note Topics:MorphologyThe NounThe ArticleThe Pronoun
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Morphology: Common Suffixes and Examples
Suffix helps very much to distinguish the lexical category of word, it is widely used to derive new words by placing an affix, such as "-tion" or "-ous", just after the stem of a word. For example, if adding suffix "-er" in end of "lead", we create a new word "leader". Then adding "-ship" after "leader", we get another word "leadership".

More or less, each suffix has some meanings in semantics, but its more active role is to identify a word's part of speech. In following sections, we will introduce common suffixes and their examples by lexical category: noun, adjective, adverb, and verb.

1. Noun Suffixes
-abilitymalleability predictability reliability variability
-ageappendage assemblage badinage baggage bandage barrage beverage
-alacquittal appeal appraisal approval arousal arsenal avowal
-anartisan cardigan charlatan crustacean guardian historian hooligan
-anceabeyance abundance acquaintance allegiance alliance allowance ambulance
-antaberrant accountant applicant aspirant assistant attendant clairvoyant
-aryadversary beneficiary boundary capillary commentary corollary documentary
-ateadvocate apostate candidate carbohydrate certificate checkmate climate
-ationabbreviation abnegation acceleration accommodation accumulation accusation adaptation
-cyaccuracy advocacy agency aristocracy ascendancy bankruptcy bureaucracy
-domboredom kingdom stardom
-eeabsentee apogee committee decree devotee employee guarantee
-eerbuccaneer pioneer profiteer volunteer
-enceabstinence adolescence affluence ambience ambivalence audience circumference
-eraccuser adventurer amphitheater announcer antler arbiter archer
-eryartillery battery buffoonery cemetery chicanery debauchery drudgery
-essbusiness competitiveness conciseness congress consciousness cypress distress
-fulfaithful handful
-hoodlikelihood livelihood
-ianacademician beautician civilian custodian dietitian electrician equestrian
-ibilityaccessibility flexibility responsibility sensibility
-ingaccounting bearing blessing boarding brawling breathing carving
-ionabduction ablution abolition abortion abrasion absolution absorption
-ismabsenteeism antagonism aphorism astigmatism atavism cannibalism careerism
-istabolitionist anarchist antagonist anthropologist apologist arsonist atheist
-ityability absurdity acclivity acerbity acidity adversity affinity   More words and examples
-letleaflet pamphlet rivulet skillet
-manclergyman congressman herdsman spokesman statesman stuntman talisman
-mentabandonment accompaniment accomplishment achievement adjustment adornment advancement
-nessaggressiveness airsickness awareness barrenness bitterness brashness briskness
-oradministrator aggressor alligator ambassador ancestor arbitrator author
-ryaccessory allegory ancestry apiary armory artery augury
-shipapprenticeship championship citizenship courtship fellowship leadership ownership
-tyacuity agility alacrity ambiguity amenity amnesty animosity
-ureacupuncture adventure agriculture aperture architecture brochure capture
-wareearthenware glassware hardware tableware
-workframework


2. Hard Noun Suffixes
-archyhierarchy oligarchy
-arianhumanitarian libertarian proletarian vegetarian
-cidepesticide   More words and examples
-crafthandicraft hovercraft spacecraft
-ettecassette coquette etiquette videocassette vignette
-graphkymograph paragraph photograph seismograph telegraph
-headfigurehead
-ialceremonial credential initial marsupial memorial perennial testimonial
-itisarthritis encephalitis hepatitis
-loguecatalogue monologue
-maniamegalomania pyromania
-matecheckmate stalemate
-meterbarometer parameter perimeter thermometer
-ocracyaristocracy plutocracy
-ocrataristocrat
-ologyanthology anthropology archaeology chronology entomology etymology ichthyology


3. Adjective Suffixes
-ableabominable accountable adaptable adorable advisable affordable agreeable   More words and examples
-alabnormal aboriginal abysmal accidental actual actuarial additional
-ancosmopolitan deadpan draconian equestrian gargantuan herculean inhuman
-antabundant adamant arrogant attendant blatant brilliant buoyant
-aryalimentary ancillary anniversary arbitrary auxiliary centenary cometary
-ateabrogate accurate adequate affectionate alternate animate approximate
-edabandoned accelerated accomplished accustomed acquainted acquired advanced
-enbarren beaten brazen evergreen molten outspoken sodden
-entadjacent affluent ambivalent apparent astringent belligerent benevolent
-fulbaleful bashful boastful bountiful brimful careful direful
-foldmanifold
-ianagrarian amphibian antediluvian authoritarian bacchanalian bohemian civilian
-ibleaccessible combustible compatible comprehensible contemptible convertible credible
-icacademic acetic acidic aesthetic allergic altruistic anachronistic
-icalalphabetical analytical apolitical astronomical asymmetrical atypical autobiographical   More words and examples
-ingabiding accelerating accommodating accompanying adjoining aggravating amazing
-ishboorish brownish churlish feverish foolish mawkish outlandish
-iveabortive abrasive abusive adaptive addictive adhesive administrative   More words and examples
-lessboundless breathless careless ceaseless countless dauntless feckless
-likeplatelike threadlike
-lybristly chilly comely courtly deadly elderly ghastly
-mostforemost innermost outermost
-ologicalarchaeological chronological embryological pathological physiological tautological
-ousabstemious acidulous acrimonious adventitious adventurous ambidextrous ambiguous
-prooffireproof foolproof rustproof soundproof waterproof
-someburdensome cumbersome frolicsome gruesome handsome loathsome meddlesome
-ularavuncular circular glandular granular irregular molecular multicellular
-wideworldwide
-worthytrustworthy


4. Adverb Suffixes
-lyabsolutely abundantly accidentally actively actually admittedly adversely
-wiseclockwise counterclockwise likewise


5. Verb Suffixes
-ateabbreviate abdicate abnegate accelerate accentuate acclimate accommodate
-enbedizen betoken brighten broaden careen chasten dampen
-ifyamplify certify clarify classify demystify diversify exemplify
-izeaggrandize apologize authorize bowdlerize categorize characterize colonize