Important Suffixes You Should Know

Suffix Function and Meaning Examples:

-able, -ible adjective-forming; laudable, flexible , capable of, worthy of
-acy, -cy noun-forming; state, quality literacy, bankruptcy
-age noun-forming; action breakage, blockage
al adjective-forming; state, quality communal, supplemental
-an, -ian noun-forming; one who artisan, librarian
-ance, -ence noun-forming; action, state, quality performance, adherence
-ancy, -ency noun-forming; state, quality buoyancy, fluency
-ant, -ent noun-forming; one who deodorant, antecedent
-ant, -ent, -ient adjective forming; indicating compliant, dependent, lenient
-ar, -ary adjective-forming; related to solar, imaginary
-ate verb-forming; cause to be percolate, graduate
-ation noun-forming; action hibernation, strangulation
-dom noun-forming; place, condition kingdom, freedom
-en adjective-forming; made of flaxen, wooden
-en verb-forming; cause to be cheapen, dampen
-er, -or noun-forming; one who painter, sailor
-fold adverb-forming; divided or multiplied by threefold, hundredfold
-ful adjective-forming; full of joyful, playful
-ful noun-forming; amount cupful, bucketful
-fy, -ify verb-forming; cause to be liquefy, justify
-ia noun-forming; disease inertia, anemia
-iatry noun-forming; medical treatment psychiatry, podiatry
-ic adjective-forming; having the qualities of futuristic, academic
-ician noun-forming; one who physician, mortician
-ics noun-forming; science of athletics, physics
-ion noun-forming; action completion, dilution
-ish adjective-forming; having the quality of foolish, boyish
-ism noun-forming; doctrine pacifism, jingoism
-ist noun-forming; person who jurist, polemicist
-ity, -ty noun-forming; state, quality reality, cruelty
-ive, -ative,-itive, adjective-forming; having the quality of supportive, talkative, definitive
ize verb-forming; cause to be demonize, dramatize
-less without careless, hopeless
-ly adverb-forming; in the manner of loudly, suddenly
-ment noun-forming; action argument, statement
-ness noun-forming; state, quality kindness, abruptness
-ous, -eous, adjective-forming; having the quality of porous, gaseous, jocose,
-ose, -ious bilious
-ship noun-forming; condition scholarship, friendship
-ure noun-forming; action, condition erasure, portraiture
-ward adverb-forming; in the direction of forward, windward
-wise adverb-forming; in the manner of otherwise, clockwise
-y adjective-forming; having the quality of chilly, crazy
-y noun-forming; state, condition jealousy, custody