A suffix is a word part added to the end of a base word. A suffix changes the meaning and sometimes the part of speech of the word to which it is added. Read each sentence below.
Example
“What a marvel!” thought Hilda.
“I just had a marvelous idea.”
“I’ll treat my sister marvelously and then ask to borrow her dress.”
What part of speech is marvel in sentence 1? What parts of speech are marvelous in sentence 2 and marvelously in sentence 3?
Study the six common suffixes in the chart below. Knowing these suffixes can help you analyze the meanings of unknown words.
Suffix Example with Meaning
| Suffix | Meaning & Part of Speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ly | like; in the manner of (adverb) | really |
| –ize | become; cause to become (verb) | vocalize |
| -or | a person or thing that does (noun) | actor |
| -ous | having or full of (adjective) | glorious |
| -ion | act or result of (noun) | invention |
| -able | capable of being (adjective) | manageable |
Adverb Suffixes
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ly | in a manner | quickly |
| –ward | shows direction | forward |
| -ways | shows direction | sideways |
| -wise | in terms of | clockwise |
| -fold | in that many parts | threefold |
| -long | for this length of time | Daylong |
Common English Suffixes
Suffix
-er
-or
-ful
-able
-less
Examples
Dancer, Singer, Teacher, Player, Printer
Visitor, Author, Editor, Governor, Educator
Successful, Powerful, Truthful, Graceful
Wearable, Foldable, Breakable, Acceptable
Flawless, Priceless, Toothless, Careless
A. Write a definition for each underlined word. Use the base word in parentheses and the chart of suffixes for help.
- The cook fell asleep and burned the food severely. (severe) _______________________________________________________________________________
- Climbing the steep face of the mountain was quite hazardous. (hazard) _______________________________________________________________________________
- The narrator told the story with great skills. (narrate) _______________________________________________________________________________
- The letter was crudely written. (crude) _______________________________________________________________________________
- Mildred’s story was quite believable. (believe) _______________________________________________________________________________
- We called the exterminator to rid the house of termites. (exterminate) _______________________________________________________________________________
- The judge was quick to obtain a conviction. (convict) _______________________________________________________________________________
- We had a measurable amount of rain. (measure) _______________________________________________________________________________
- John’s mother is always trying to civilize him. (civil) _______________________________________________________________________________
B. The suffixes -ion and -or form nouns when added to verbs. Using these suffixes, form nouns from the underlined verbs to complete the sentences below. Write the sentences.
| 10. Stamps that are collected form a __________. |
| 11. A person who collects stamps is a ___________. |
| 12. A person who exhibits stamps is an ___________. |
| 13. Stamps are exhibited in an ___________. |
C. Add -ly and -ize to the base words below to form adverbs and verbs.
| civil | ______________ | ______________ |
| final | ______________ | ______________ |
| ideal | ______________ | ______________ |
| local | ______________ | ______________ |
| real | ______________ | ______________ |