Suffixes

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added at the end of a word which makes a new word

The new word is most often a different word class from the original word. In the table above, the suffix -ful has changed verbs to adjectives, -ment, and -ion have changed verbs to nouns. If you see a word ending in -ment, for example, it is likely to be a noun (e.g. commitment, contentment).

Examples

forget, use

state, govern

complicate, create

-ful

-ment

-ion

forgetful, useful

statement, government

complication, creation

Spelling

Often, the suffix causes a spelling change to the original word. In the table above, the -e ending of complicate and create disappears when the -ion suffix is added.

*beauty, duty + -ful → beautiful, dutiful (-y changes to i)

*heavy, ready + -ness → heaviness, readiness (-y changes to i)

*able, possible + -ity → ability, possibility (-le changes to il)

*permit, omit + -ion → permission, omission (-t changes to ss)