List of Suffixes: 50+ Most Common Suffixes in English

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In English, suffixes play an important role in forming new words and changing their meanings or grammatical functions. Understanding common suffixes helps English learners expand vocabulary and recognize word patterns more easily. This ESL-friendly guide introduces common noun, adjective, verb, and adverb suffixes with clear meanings and examples.

Suffix Definition

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to form a new word or to change its meaning or grammatical function.
For example, adding -ness to the adjective happy creates the noun happiness.

List of Noun Suffixes

Learn a useful list of noun suffixes with meanings and examples.

-al

• Meaning: condition or quality
• Examples: dismissal, proposal, arrival, approval, denial, refusal

-ance / -ence

• Meaning: action, state, or quality
• Examples: acceptance, attendance, reference, preference, insurance, existence

-ation / -tion

• Meaning: action or resulting state
• Examples: declaration, celebration, information, education, combination

-sion

• Meaning: state or condition
• Examples: revision, division, profession, depression, confusion, decision, impression

-ure

• Meaning: action or result
• Examples: failure, pressure, departure, enclosure

-age

• Meaning: action, state, or process
• Examples: postage, package, baggage, marriage, breakage

-ery

• Meaning: place, activity, or condition
• Examples: bakery, creamery, machinery, brewery

-eer

• Meaning: person engaged in an activity
• Examples: engineer, volunteer, auctioneer, mountaineer

-er / -or

• Meaning: person who performs an action
• Examples: teacher, dancer, translator, conductor

-ist

• Meaning: person who practices or believes in something
• Examples: artist, dentist, scientist, violinist

-ity

• Meaning: state or condition
• Examples: equality, probability, mobility, reality

-ment

• Meaning: result or process
• Examples: development, movement, agreement

-ness

• Meaning: state or quality
• Examples: kindness, darkness, happiness, usefulness

-ship

• Meaning: position, status, or relationship
• Examples: friendship, leadership, membership, scholarship

-th

• Meaning: state or quality
• Examples: width, depth, truth, strength

-hood

• Meaning: state, condition, or quality
• Examples: childhood, neighborhood, motherhood

List of Adjective Suffixes

-able / -ible

• Meaning: capable of being
• Examples: adaptable, predictable, preventable, credible

-al

• Meaning: relating to
• Examples: natural, criminal, theatrical, regional, personal

-ary

• Meaning: relating to
• Examples: dietary, military, honorary, customary

-ful

• Meaning: full of
• Examples: beautiful, helpful, successful, grateful

-less

• Meaning: without
• Examples: fearless, homeless, powerless

-ous

• Meaning: full of or having qualities of
• Examples: dangerous, famous, nervous, delicious

-ive

• Meaning: quality or nature of
• Examples: creative, expensive, active, effective

-ic

• Meaning: relating to
• Examples: scientific, historic, energetic, basic

List of Verb Suffixes

-ed

• Meaning: past tense
• Examples: worked, called, finished

-en

• Meaning: to become or make
• Examples: shorten, brighten, strengthen, soften

-ing

• Meaning: present participle
• Examples: running, writing, driving

-ise / -ize

• Meaning: to make or become
• Examples: realise, apologise, memorise, civilise

-ify / -fy

• Meaning: to make
• Examples: simplify, clarify, identify, classify

-ate

• Meaning: to make or cause
• Examples: create, activate, decorate, translate

List of Adverb Suffixes

-ly

• Meaning: manner
• Examples: quickly, honestly, carefully

-ward

• Meaning: direction
• Examples: forward, backward, afterward

-wise

• Meaning: in relation to
• Examples: clockwise, otherwise, likewise