A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word. It can change the job of the word. Care becomes careful, careless, or carefully. The ending tells you whether the new word is a noun, an adjective, an adverb, or a verb.
Start with the first thirty rows. Those are the endings primary children meet in composition. Cover the last column and ask your child to say the new meaning, then check. The later rows are for upper primary and beyond.
| Number | Type of Suffix | Main Purpose | Examples |
| 1–30 | Noun-forming | Turn words into nouns | -ness, -ment, -tion, -er, -ist |
| 31–70 | Adjective-forming | Turn words into adjectives | -ful, -less, -able, -ous, -ive |
| 71–80 | Adverb-forming | Turn words into adverbs | -ly, -ward, -wise |
| 81–90 | Verb-forming | Turn words into verbs | -ify, -ize, -ate |
| 91–100 | Diminutive & Others | Show smallness, gender, or specific roles | -let, -ette, -ling, -ess, -phile |
| No. | Suffix | Meaning | Example Word | Meaning of Example |
| 1 | -ful | full of | beautiful | full of beauty |
| 2 | -less | without | careless | without care |
| 3 | -ness | state or quality of | kindness | state of being kind |
| 4 | -ly | in a certain way | quickly | in a quick way |
| 5 | -able | able to be | readable | able to be read |
| 6 | -ible | able to be | visible | able to be seen |
| 7 | -ment | action or result | enjoyment | result of enjoying |
| 8 | -tion | action or state | education | action of educating |
| 9 | -sion | action or state | discussion | action of discussing |
| 10 | -er | person who does something | teacher | person who teaches |
| 11 | -or | person who does something | actor | person who acts |
| 12 | -ist | person who does/believes in | pianist | person who plays the piano |
| 13 | -ian | person from / expert in | musician | person skilled in music |
| 14 | -ship | state, quality, or skill | friendship | state of being friends |
| 15 | -hood | state or period of time | childhood | period of being a child |
| 16 | -dom | state or condition | freedom | state of being free |
| 17 | -age | collection, action, or result | baggage | collection of bags |
| 18 | -ance | state or quality | importance | state of being important |
| 19 | -ence | state or quality | difference | state of being different |
| 20 | -ity | state or quality | ability | state of being able |
| 21 | -ty | state or quality | safety | state of being safe |
| 22 | -al | relating to | personal | relating to a person |
| 23 | -ic | relating to | historic | relating to history |
| 24 | -ical | relating to | magical | relating to magic |
| 25 | -ous | full of | dangerous | full of danger |
| 26 | -ious | full of | curious | full of curiosity |
| 27 | -ive | tending to / having the quality of | creative | tending to create |
| 28 | -ative | tending to | talkative | tending to talk a lot |
| 29 | -y | full of / like | sunny | full of sun |
| 30 | -ish | somewhat like / rather | childish | somewhat like a child |
| 31 | -like | similar to | childlike | similar to a child |
| 32 | -ward | in the direction of | forward | in the front direction |
| 33 | -wise | in the manner of | clockwise | in the direction of a clock |
| 34 | -en | made of / become | wooden | made of wood |
| 35 | -ify | make or become | simplify | make simple |
| 36 | -ize | make or become | modernize | make modern |
| 37 | -ise | make or become (British spelling) | organise | make organised |
| 38 | -ate | cause to be / act on | activate | cause to become active |
| 39 | -some | tending to / causing | troublesome | causing trouble |
| 40 | -proof | resistant to | waterproof | resistant to water |
| 41 | -free | without | sugar-free | without sugar |
| 42 | -most | most / furthest | uppermost | highest / most upper |
| 43 | -fold | multiplied by | twofold | multiplied by two |
| 44 | -let | small | booklet | small book |
| 45 | -ette | small / female | kitchenette | small kitchen |
| 46 | -ling | small / young | duckling | young duck |
| 47 | -kin | small | lambkin | small lamb |
| 48 | -ster | person who | youngster | young person |
| 49 | -eer | person who | engineer | person who works with engines |
| 50 | -ess | female | actress | female actor |
| 51 | -ette | female / small | usherette | female usher |
| 52 | -ine | female | heroine | female hero |
| 53 | -trix | female (old-fashioned) | executrix | female executor |
| 54 | -hood | group or state | brotherhood | state of being brothers |
| 55 | -ship | skill or status | leadership | state of being a leader |
| 56 | -ment | result or means | development | result of developing |
| 57 | -tion | action or process | celebration | action of celebrating |
| 58 | -sion | action or state | expansion | action of expanding |
| 59 | -ure | action or result | failure | result of failing |
| 60 | -age | action or result | marriage | action of marrying |
| 61 | -ance | action or state | appearance | state of appearing |
| 62 | -ence | action or state | existence | state of existing |
| 63 | -ity | state or quality | creativity | state of being creative |
| 64 | -ty | state or quality | loyalty | state of being loyal |
| 65 | -ness | state or quality | happiness | state of being happy |
| 66 | -dom | state or realm | kingdom | realm ruled by a king |
| 67 | -cy | state or quality | accuracy | state of being accurate |
| 68 | -acy | state or quality | privacy | state of being private |
| 69 | -ory | place for / relating to | laboratory | place for experiments |
| 70 | -ary | relating to / place for | dictionary | book relating to words |
| 71 | -ery | place for / art of | bakery | place for baking |
| 72 | -ry | place for / collection of | jewellery | collection of jewels |
| 73 | -let | small version | piglet | small pig |
| 74 | -ette | small version | cigarette | small cigar |
| 75 | -ling | young or small | gosling | young goose |
| 76 | -kin | small | manikin | small man (model) |
| 77 | -ock | small | hillock | small hill |
| 78 | -ule | small | capsule | small container |
| 79 | -cule | small | molecule | very small particle |
| 80 | -ette | female | suffragette | female supporter of voting rights |
| 81 | -ess | female | waitress | female waiter |
| 82 | -ine | female | ballerina | female ballet dancer |
| 83 | -trix | female | aviatrix | female aviator (old term) |
| 84 | -ster | person who | trickster | person who tricks others |
| 85 | -eer | person who | mountaineer | person who climbs mountains |
| 86 | -ist | person who | scientist | person who studies science |
| 87 | -ian | person from / expert | historian | expert in history |
| 88 | -or | person who | inventor | person who invents |
| 89 | -er | person who | painter | person who paints |
| 90 | -ant | person who | assistant | person who assists |
| 91 | -ent | person who | student | person who studies |
| 92 | -ee | person who receives action | employee | person who is employed |
| 93 | -ar | person who | liar | person who lies |
| 94 | -ary | person who | missionary | person who does missionary work |
| 95 | -eer | person who | auctioneer | person who conducts auctions |
| 96 | -ster | person who | gangster | member of a gang |
| 97 | -ling | person who | underling | person of lower rank |
| 98 | -ite | follower of | socialite | person who is part of high society |
| 99 | -phile | lover of | bibliophile | lover of books |
| 100 | -phobe | hater or fearer of | xenophobe | person who fears foreigners |
Practice Time:
