English Suffixes

Suffixes are words that are placed after the root word. The root word is also called as the base word. It thereby forms a derivative. After the suffix is added, the word changes into something else. The new word has a new meaning.

English suffixes of noun

Diminutives

Diminutive means small or tiny. It’s a form to denote smallness. Here’s a list of suffixes when added to the root word forms diminutives. It explains that something is small.

English suffix	Example
ette	kitchenette - *a small kitchen,* novelette - *a short novel.*
ock	hillock (*a small hill).*
let	leaflet, piglet - *a young pig, eyelet - a small hole,* wavelet - *small wave,* booklet, droplet, rivulet - *a small stream.*
ling	duckling - young duck, seedling, darling, stripling, weakling.
kin	napkin, lambkin.
ock	bullock, hillock.
el, le	kernel, girdle, handle, satchel.
ie	birdie, lassie, dearie.
en	oxen, kitten, maiden, chicken.
net	coronet - *a small crown.*

Condition, being, state / action.

English suffix	Example
y	victory, jealousy
al	arrival.
ness	sadness, smoothness, brightness, boldness, darkness, sweetness, goodness.
th	growth, health, stealth, depth, faith, fifth, length, youth.
sion	persuasion, division.
red	hatred, kindred.
hood, head	motherhood, parenthood, adulthood, neighborhood, childhood, manhood, womanhood, godhead.
dom	kingdom, freedom, boredom, stardom, wisdom, freedom, martyrdom.
lock, ledge	acknowledge, knowledge, fledge, wedlock.
ship	starship, wardship, township, hardship, friendship, lordship, hardship.

Agent

English suffix	Example
cian	musician
ter, ther	sister, father, daughter.
ess	princess, goddess, actress.
ster	punster, sister, songster, spinster.
ary	dictionary
ar, er, or, yer	runner, teacher, beggar, baker, painter, sailor, lawyer, doctor.

English suffixes of verbs

English suffix	Example
ize	terrorize, privatize, publicize.
se - to make;	rinse, cleanse.
en - transitive verbs; causative	eaten, gladden, sweeten, deaden, weaken, strengthen.
ate	hyphenate.
er - frequentative, intensive;	glitter, chatter, fritter, glimmer, flutter.

English suffixes of adjectives

English suffix	Example
al	accidental.
ish - somewhat like	boyish, girlish, boorish.
ary	imaginary.
less - without, free from.	shameless, hopeless, fearless, boundless, senseless.
able	manageable, taxable.
y - quality of	easy, healthy, wealthy, slimy, windy, needy, dirty, greedy, thirsty.
ward - inclining to	forward, backward, wayward.
some - quality of	gladsome, quarrelsome, meddlesome, wholesome.
ful - full of	forgetful, sorrowful, joyful, fruitful, hopeful.
en - made of	golden, wooden, woolen, earthen,
ed	talented, gifted, learned, wretched.
ly - like	brotherly, godly, manly.

English suffixes of adverb

English suffix	Example
wise - mode, manner;	otherwise, likewise.
ward, wards - turning to;	backwards, upwards, homewards.
long	sidelong, headlong.
ly - like;	helpfully, wisely, boldly.
way, ways	always, anyways, straight a way.
er - agent;	driver
hood - condition / rank;	boyhood
en, ful, ish, less, some, ly, y, ward, - adj & adverb endings	hopeful, golden, helpless, oldish, lonesome, manly, mighty, homeward.
ling, kin - diminutives;	yearling, lambkin.
ship, ness, th - abstract nouns;	friendship, truth, loveliness.