Common Suffixes
The endings that turn nouns into verbs, verbs into adjectives, and everything into more points.
A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical role. Unlike prefixes — which usually change meaning — suffixes usually change part of speech. Adding -TION turns the verb ‘create’ into the noun ‘creation’; adding -LY turns the adjective ‘quick’ into the adverb ‘quickly’.
This reference groups the most common suffixes by function: noun-forming, verb-forming, adjective-forming, adverb-forming and diminutive. Each entry lists meaning, examples and any spelling quirks.
Noun-forming suffixes
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -TION / -SION | state or action | creation, decision, tension |
| -MENT | state or result | government, agreement, argument |
| -NESS | quality | happiness, kindness, darkness |
| -ITY / -TY | quality | reality, safety, ability |
| -ER / -OR | person who… | teacher, actor, editor |
| -IST | person who… | artist, scientist, novelist |
| -ISM | belief or system | capitalism, buddhism, criticism |
| -HOOD | condition | childhood, neighbourhood |
| -SHIP | state or skill | friendship, leadership, ownership |
| -DOM | domain / state | kingdom, freedom, wisdom |
| -AGE | collection / action | storage, marriage, baggage |
Verb-forming suffixes
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -ATE | cause to | activate, motivate, animate |
| -IFY / -FY | make | simplify, purify, magnify |
| -ISE / -IZE | make (BrE / AmE) | realise/realize, criticise/criticize |
| -EN | make | shorten, lengthen, blacken |
Adjective-forming suffixes
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -FUL | full of | helpful, careful, joyful |
| -LESS | without | hopeless, careless, useless |
| -OUS | full of | famous, dangerous, humorous |
| -AL | relating to | national, cultural, personal |
| -IC | relating to | poetic, magnetic, historic |
| -IVE | having quality of | active, creative, positive |
| -ABLE / -IBLE | capable of | readable, visible, edible |
| -ISH | like / somewhat | childish, greenish, foolish |
| -LIKE | resembling | childlike, warlike, lifelike |
| -Y | characterised by | sunny, dusty, sleepy |
Adverb-forming suffix
One suffix does most of the work: -LY.
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -LY | in the manner of | quickly, slowly, carefully |
Diminutive suffixes
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -LET | small | booklet, piglet, droplet |
| -ETTE | small (Fr.) | cigarette, kitchenette |
| -Y / -IE | small / affectionate | doggy, birdie, granny |
Spelling quirks
- Drop the silent -E before a vowel-starting suffix: HOPE + -ING = HOPING (not HOPEING).
- Double the final consonant on a stressed short syllable: RUN + -ING = RUNNING; STOP + -ED = STOPPED.
- Change -Y to -IE before -S, -ED, -EST: HAPPY → HAPPIER, HAPPIEST; but keep -Y before -ING: STUDY + -ING = STUDYING.
Suffixes in word games
Suffixes are the easiest bingo builders in Scrabble. -ING, -ED, -ERS, -TION and -MENT all attach to hundreds of common verbs. If your rack shows a bingo stem plus one of these, you often have a 60+ point play.
Summary
- ✓Suffixes change a word's part of speech, unlike prefixes which change meaning.
- ✓-TION, -MENT and -NESS build most abstract nouns.
- ✓-LY builds almost every adverb.
- ✓Spot -ING, -ED, -TION or -MENT on your rack — you likely have a bingo.
Frequently asked questions
Which suffix appears in the most words?
-S (plural / third-person verb) technically wins. Among content-changing suffixes, -LY and -ING are the most productive.
Why does English have both -ISE and -IZE?
British English generally uses -ISE (colonise); American English uses -IZE (colonize). The Oxford English Dictionary actually prefers -IZE.
Is -ABLE or -IBLE correct?
Both are valid; the choice depends on origin. -IBLE follows a Latin root (visible, edible); -ABLE is newer and used with most English roots (readable, likeable).
Can you stack suffixes?
Yes: HOPE → HOPE-FUL → HOPE-FUL-LY → HOPE-FUL-NESS. Stacks of 3+ suffixes are common in academic English.
References & further reading
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary — general English word validity and definitions.
- Collins English Dictionary — source lexicon for SOWPODS / Collins Scrabble Words.
- Wiktionary — collaborative dictionary with usage notes and etymologies.
- Moby Project (Wikipedia) — background on the ENABLE word list used by our tool.
- See Content Standards for the full list of dictionary sources and how content is reviewed.
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Scrabble Strategy Guide
A complete Scrabble strategy guide for intermediate and advanced players: rack balance, bingo hunting, board vision, endgame counting and defensive plays.
Letter Frequency in English
How often each letter appears in English — with data from newspapers, novels and Scrabble tile distributions — and why it matters for word games and cryptography.