⭕️ Essential Suffixes ⭕️
Markus Burns
Suffixes can't stand alone as their own words, but they can significantly change a word's meaning. They can also change the grammatical form of a word. For instance, the word friend is a noun. But when the suffix -ly is added to it, it becomes and adjective: friendly. There are fewer common suffixes than there are common prefixes, and learning common suffixes will help you figure out more complex vocabulary words.
The word suffix derives from the ancient Latin sub, meaning subordinately and figere, meaning to fix. It entered English in the late 18th century from the modern Latin suffixum.
Some common suffixes are:
-ful: full of
example: sorrowful
-al: relating to
example: presidential
-ion: act or process
example: maturation
Memorize the following 8 suffixes to expand your vocabulary.
ABLE - capable of. E.g.: a) speakable - capable of being spoken; b) perishable - likely to spoil or decay;
ATION - action or process. E.g.: a) exploration - act of exploring or investigating; b) hesitation - act of pausing or delaying.
IOUS - characterized by. E.g.: a) ambitious - having a strong desire to succeed; b) victorious - having achieved a victory.
ISM - doctrine or religion. E.g.: a) conservatism - doctrine of traditional practices; b) monotheism - religious belief in a single deity.
IST - practioner. E.g.: a) novelist - writer of novels; b) scientist - practioner of science.
LESS - without. E.g.: a) flawless - without any imperfections; b) regardless - without concern for the situation.
NESS - state or quality. E.g.: a) happiness - state of being happy; b) wilderness - uninhabited and uncultivated region.
OUS - resembling. E.g.: a) dangerous - involving possible harm; b) instantaneous - happening in a single moment.
Vocabulary Building Study Materials will help you:
- Master unfamiliar words by learning roots, prefixes, and suffixes ;
- Learn strategies to improve your vocabulary ;
- Identify unfamiliar words based on context ;
- Use words with greater precision ;
- Employ vocabulary essential for professional and personal settings .