Suffix List

Suffix List

What can a suffix list offer as far as vocabulary building goes?

A whole lot, actually.

First off, by studying the following list, you can learn how suffixes can and do change the meaning of words.

In fact, included are the meaning and a common usage or two of English language suffixes below.

I recommend you print out the suffix list and spend some time learning them.

There aren’t that many, however, they are important and you will certainly help your test scores by knowing them.

  Suffix       Meaning             Usage

 

able, ible
capable of
(adjective suffix)
portable – able to be carried
legible – able to be read
ac, ic
like, pertaining to
cardiac – pertaining to heart
aquatic – pertaining to water
acious, icious
full of
audacious – full of daring,
avaricious – full of greed
al
pertaining to
maniacal – insane
portal – doorway
logical – pertaining to logic
ant, ent
full of
eloquent – pertaining to fluid, effective speech.
verdant – green
ary
like, connected with
dictionary – book connected with words
honorary – connected with honor
ate
to make
(verb suffix)
consecrate – to make holy
mitigate – make less severe
ation
that which is
(noun suffix)
irritation – that which is irritated
cy
state of being
(noun suffix)
democracy – ruled by people
obstinacy – obstinate state, stubbornness
eer, er, or
person who
(noun suffix)
mountaineer – person who climbs mountains
teacher – one who teaches
advisor – person who advises
escent
becoming
(adjective suffix)
evanescent – tending to vanish
pubescent – arriving at puberty
fic
making, doing
(adjective suffix)
fantastic – arousing great wonder
terrific – arousing great fear
fy
to make (verb suffix)
magnify – to enlarge
petrify – turn to stone
iferous
producing, bearing
(adjective suffix)
pestiferous – carrying disease
vociferous – having a loud voice
il, ile
pertaining to, capable of
(adjective suffix)
civil – polite
docile – easily taught or led
ism
doctrine, belief
(noun suffix)
monotheism – belief in one God
socialism – kind of governance
ist
dealer, doer
(noun suffix)
realist – one who is realistic
dentist – deals with teeth
ity
state of being
(noun suffix)
sagacity – state of being wise
ive
like (adjective suffix)
quantitative – concerned with number or volume
ize, ise
to make
(verb suffix)
harmonize – make harmonious
revolutionize – make revolutionary
oid
resembling, like
(adjective suffix)
ovoid – like an egg
anthropoid – resembling a human
ose
full of
(adjective suffix)
verbose – full of words
osis
condition (noun suffix)
psychosis – diseased mental condition
hypnosis – induced sleep
ous
full of (adjective suffix)
nauseous – full of nausea
ludicrous – foolish
tude
state of (noun suffix)
fortitude – state of strength
certitude – state of certainty

 Click on suffix list and you’ll be taken to a page with suffix spelling rules in my sister site.

For
FREE advanced grammar exercises, check out my sister site at Advanced English Grammar.

Click on Latin and Greek to go to a page full of Latin and Greek root words