This is an incomplete list of SUFFIXES in English. Note that this list includes only derivational suffixes (which form new words, often of a different part of speech) and suffixes which serve to mark the part of speech. It does not include the inflectional suffixes which only produce new forms of a word without changing the part of speech, eg -s for the plural of nouns. Suffix Part of speech Meaning Examples Effect on word stress -able adj capable, can do usable, notable, comfortable Neutral -ably adv notably, fashionably Neutral -ad noun group triad, monad -ade noun lemonade, accolade, blockade Stressed suffix -age noun forming a noun marriage, mileage, garage Neutral -agogy noun leading pedagogy, demagogy Stressed suffix -al adj aspect of nominal, focal, (compare -ality) Neutral -al noun abstract noun refusal, appraisal Neutral -ality noun property (aspect, behaviour, condition) of proportionality, sexuality (see -al and -ity) Stressed suffix -an adj urban Neutral
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This is an incomplete list of SUFFIXES in English. Note that this list includes only derivational suffixes (which form new words, often of a different part of speech) and suffixes which serve to mark the part of speech. It does not include the inflectional suffixes which only produce new forms of a word without changing the part of speech, eg -s for the plural of nouns.
Suffix Part of speech Meaning Examples Effect on word stress
-able adj capable, can do usable, notable, comfortable Neutral
-ize/-ise verb to cause, to be, to become materialize/materialise, idolize/idolise Neutral
-izzle used for hip hop slang Americizzle
-kinesis
noun movement (ability thereof) telekinesis
-less adj lack of homeless, useless, careless Neutral
-let noun diminutive, or denoting a relation to some part of the body ringlet, hamlet, anklet Neutral
-like adj having the qualities of childlike Neutral
-ling noun smaller, younger, cuter or weaker version of the noun root OR sharing an identity or quality of the noun root (e.g. as a follower) darling, duckling, earthling, sapling Neutral
-ly adj -like, having the attributes of stately, monthly Neutral
-ly adv -like, having the attributes of quickly Neutral
-man noun person fireman, statesman Neutral
-mancy noun divination by crystallomancy, bibliomancy, necromancy Neutral
-mania noun an irrational but irresistible motive for a belief or action kleptomania, megalomania, mythomania Stressed suffix
-ment noun abstract noun movement, amazement, government Neutral
-phone noun, adj sound, audio; speaker of a language telephone, homophone; Anglophone Neutral
-phyte noun plant, used in botany to create terms which categorise plants based on their life-history, growth-form or ecological preferences therophyte, halophyte
-polis noun referring to city or big area Metropolis, Indianapolis
-scope noun from Greek skopos, view; instrument for viewing and observing spaces microscope, telescope, kaleidoscope, periscope
-script noun written
manuscript, transcript
-ship noun abstract noun, state of being friendship, relationship, dictatorship Neutral
-sion noun noun that has been altered from a process decision, illusion Stress on previous syllable
-some adj tiresome, awesome, fulsome Stress on previous syllable
-stan noun land, country Afghanistan
-ster noun person youngster, gangster Neutral
-t adj burnt, spoilt Neutral
-th, -eth adj ordinal number tenth, millionth, twentieth
-th noun forming a noun
growth, health, depth, strength
-tion noun noun that has been altered from a process evaporation, introduction Stress on previous syllable
-tom, -tome noun part or segment dermatome
-tropism noun to turn phototropism
-ty noun certainty, loyalty Neutral
-uary noun sanctuary, mortuary
-ulent adj turbulent, fraudulent
-uous adj tempestuous, unctuous, sensuous Neutral
-ure noun failure, exposure, temperature Neutral
-us
noun inflammation ulcus
-ville noun city, town from French Nashville
-vore, -vorous noun / adj to devour carnivore, herbivore
-ward or -wards adj, adv direction southward, inward, upward Neutral
-ware noun software hardware, software, freeware
-ways adj sideways, longways Neutral
-wise adj direction clockwise, lengthwise Neutral
-wright noun person who makes playwright, wheelwright, shipwright
-y adj having the quality of, inclined to
runny, messy, chewy Neutral
The following prefixes may appear as parts of words in the English language.
Alongside a few "native" English prefixes (such as under- or with-), we find many which acted as prefixes in other languages (mainly Greek, Latin or French) and which English has adopted in already-compounded forms (such as deci- or pyro-).
A prefix may or may not operate productively: one can readily form new coinages with multi-, but might not meaningfully succeed in doing so with twi-. Most Greco-Latin prefixes serve to form new words (classical compounds) in technical jargon.
Note that while some of the following morphemes always function as prefixes (co- or syn-, for example, others simple exemplify linguistic roots that generally or commonly occur first in compound words, like sperm- (compare Leptospermum) or even stand alone as definite words in their own right (under-, Anglo-).
Prefix Meaning Examples
a(n)- not, without atonality, asexuality, amoral, anarchy, anonymous
ab- away abduction, absolutism, ablution
acr(o)- high, up, hill Acropolis, acrobatics
ad- near, at adrenal
aden(o)- gland adenectomy
aer(o)- air aeronautics, aerodrome, aeroplane, aerodynamics