How to Use Suffixes (Explanation, Examples & Worksheet)

how to use suffixes (explanation, examples & worksheet)

Suffixes are built into the way we use words in English. So, regardless of familiarity with the technical term, we all use suffixes when we communicate (in English, at least). How are suffixes defined in the dictionary? The OED defines the term ‘suffix’ as:

Grammar. A verbal element attached to the end of a word to form an entirely new word (e.g. short, short-age, short-en, short-er, short-est, short-ish, short-ly, short-ness) or as an inflectional formative (e.g. ox, ox-en).

Unfortunately, “inflectional formative” means nothing to me, and, if you Google it (inflectional formative), you get this: a morpheme (a meaningful linguistic unit) that modifies a word to express grammatical information like tense, number, or gender, without changing the word’s core meaning or part of speech.

suffixes vs. prefixes

To fully understand suffixes, it helps to distinguish them from their counterparts, prefixes. Both are types of affixes—letters or groups of letters added to a base word (or “root”) to change its meaning or function. The difference is simple: suffixes are added to the end of a word, while prefixes are added to the beginning. The term prefix comes from the Latin praefigere, meaning “to fix in front.”

the two main types of suffixes

Linguists divide suffixes into two main categories: inflectional and derivational. While the names sound academic, the distinction is straightforward and essential for understanding how suffixes work.

• Inflectional suffixes are grammatical. They don’t create a new word but rather change its form to fit a sentence. They signal things like tense (walked), number (dogs), or comparison (faster). There is a small, finite set of only eight inflectional suffixes in English.
• Derivational suffixes are used to derive new words from existing ones. Unlike inflectional suffixes, they often change the word’s core meaning or, most commonly, its part of speech (or word class). For example, adding -ness to the adjective happy creates the noun happiness. There are hundreds of derivational suffixes.

how inflectional suffixes work

You use inflectional suffixes every day without thinking about it. They are the fundamental building blocks of grammar that allow our sentences to make sense. Here’s a breakdown of how they apply to different parts of speech.

For Nouns: Suffixes show number and possession.

• Plural (-s, -es): The most common suffix, -s, makes a noun plural. The variant -es is used for nouns ending in -s, -x, -z, -ch, or -sh. (box → boxes)
• Possessive (-‘s, -‘): The suffix -‘s shows that a noun owns something. For plural nouns already ending in -s, just an apostrophe is added. (the dog’s bone, the students’ rooms)

For Verbs: Suffixes show tense and person.

• Third-Person Singular Present (-s, -es): This suffix is added to a verb when the subject is he, she, or it. (She walks)
• Past Tense (-ed, -d): For regular verbs, -ed forms the simple past tense. (He talked)
• Present Participle (-ing): This suffix is used to form continuous tenses. (They are walking)

For Adjectives: Suffixes show comparison.

• Comparative (-er): This suffix is used to compare two things. (This box is larger than that one.)
• Superlative (-est): This suffix is used to compare three or more things and show which is the most extreme. (This is the largest box of all.)

exploring derivational suffixes

Derivational suffixes are the powerhouse of vocabulary expansion. By learning them, you can often understand the meaning and function of a new word just by looking at its ending. They work by changing a root word into a different part of speech.

suffixes that create nouns

These suffixes are often added to verbs or adjectives to turn them into nouns, which represent people, things, ideas, or states of being.

suffixes that create adjectives

These suffixes turn nouns and verbs into adjectives, which are words that describe nouns.

suffixes that create verbs

These suffixes are often added to nouns and adjectives to turn them into verbs, or action words.

suffixes that create adverbs

While there are several types of adverbs, the most common ones are formed by adding a suffix to an adjective. The resulting adverb describes how an action is performed.

• -ly, -ily: The most common adverbial suffix, -ly transforms an adjective into an adverb. (quick → quickly, careful → carefully, happy → happily)

common spelling rules for suffixes

Adding a suffix isn’t always as simple as just attaching it to the end. There are a few key spelling rules to keep in mind, especially when the base word ends in -e, -y, or a consonant.

1. Dropping the Final ‘e’
When a base word ends in a silent ‘e’ and the suffix begins with a vowel (like -ing, -able, -ation), you generally drop the ‘e’.

• hope + -ing → hoping
• create + -ive → creative
• sense + -ible → sensible

However, if the suffix begins with a consonant (like -ment, -ful, -ness), the ‘e’ is usually kept. (state + -ment → statement)

2. Doubling the Final Consonant
For short, one-syllable words ending in a single consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern, you must double the final consonant before adding a suffix that starts with a vowel.

• run + -ing → running
• stop + -ed → stopped
• big + -est → biggest

This rule prevents confusion with words that have a silent ‘e’ (e.g., `hoping` vs. `hopping`).

3. Changing Final ‘y’ to ‘i’
When a base word ends in a consonant followed by a ‘y’, you change the ‘y’ to an ‘i’ before adding most suffixes.

• happy + -ness → happiness
• carry + -ed → carried
• beauty + -ful → beautiful

The main exception is when adding the suffix ‘-ing’, where the ‘y’ is kept. (cry + -ing → crying)

worksheet: test your suffix knowledge

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.

1. The new building is the (tall) ______ in the entire city.

a) taller
b) tallest
c) tallness

2. Her (happy) ______ was evident to everyone in the room.

a) happyly
b) happyness
c) happiness

3. He is known for his (create) ______ solutions to complex problems.

a) creative
b) creation
c) createment

4. The situation is completely (hope) ______. There’s nothing we can do.

a) hopeful
b) hopeless
c) hopeable

5. To (strength) ______ the team, they hired two new experienced players.

a) strengther
b) strengthen
c) strengthize

6. He approached the sleeping lion (careful) ______.

a) carely
b) carefully
c) careness

7. The politician’s speech was not very (convince) ______.

a) convincing
b) convincement
c) convinceful

8. This chemical can (liquid) ______ solid materials in seconds.

a) liquify
b) liquate
c) liquidize

—
Answer Key: 1-b, 2-c, 3-a, 4-b, 5-b, 6-b, 7-a, 8-a

faqs

sources