-ance: performance, enhance, pronounce
-acy: accuracy, competency, equality
-age: wreckage, passage, filtration
-al: dismissal, refusal, congeal
-ally: nationally, traditionally, characteristically
-ance: defiance, reliance, forbearance
-ary: explanatory, reactionary, commemorative
-ence: audience, apprenticeship, variance
-er: teacher, dancer, inventor
-ful: beautiful, dreadful, remorseful
-hood: childhood, neighborhood, priesthood
-ing: funding, hearing, leasing
-ition: information, conversation, relation
-ize: analyze, recognize, memorize
-ium:odium, museum, aquarium
-ment: assessment, management, ornament
-ty: charity, security, royalty
-ive: creative, corrective, inventive
-ure: closure, conjure, feature Improve Your Vocabulary With Suffixes
As non-native English speakers, one of the most effective ways to enhance our language skills is to expand our vocabulary. A fantastic tool in achieving this is by understanding and utilizing suffixes. Suffixes are word parts that are added to the end of base words to create new words. By familiarizing ourselves with common suffixes, we can unlock a whole world of vocabulary at our fingertips.
To begin our journey of mastering suffixes, let’s explore some of the most commonly used ones:
1. -ful: Adding this suffix to a word means “full of.” For example, “beautiful” means full of beauty, “careful” means full of care or caution, and “grateful” means full of gratitude. By incorporating -ful into our vocabulary, we can express ourselves more precisely and with greater depth.
2. -less: This suffix implies the absence or lack of something. For instance, “hopeless” means lacking hope, “endless” means without an end, and “careless” means without care. By understanding and using -less, we can effectively describe various situations or emotions.
3. -tion/-sion: These suffixes are used to form nouns and often denote an action or state. For example, “education” refers to the act of educating someone, ”discussion” represents the process of discussing a topic, and “decision” signifies making a choice. By mastering words with -tion and -sion, we can accurately express a variety of concepts and ideas.
4. -er/-or: These suffixes are added to verbs and create nouns denoting a person or thing that performs a specific action. For instance, ”teacher” describes someone who teaches, “actor” refers to someone who acts or performs, and “writer” represents someone who writes. Understanding -er and -or allows us to identify the roles of people or objects in a sentence.
5. -able/-ible: These suffixes transform verbs into adjectives and mean “capable of” or “worthy of.” For instance, “comfortable” means capable of providing comfort, “flexible” means capable of bending easily, and “visible” means capable of being seen. By incorporating -able and -ible into our vocabulary, we can describe characteristics or qualities more effectively.
Now that we have explored some essential suffixes, it’s time to put our knowledge into practice. Start by identifying suffixes in the texts you read or conversations you have. Make note of unfamiliar words and try incorporating them into your own conversations and writing. Gradually, you will gain confidence in using these suffixes naturally.
Furthermore, online resources, such as vocabulary-building websites and apps, can provide useful exercises and games to help reinforce your understanding of suffixes. Practice regularly, and you will soon notice a significant improvement in your vocabulary.
Remember, learning suffixes is an ongoing process. The more you expose yourself to the English language, the more suffixes you will encounter. Embrace this opportunity to enhance your language skills and express yourself more precisely.
So, let’s take our vocabulary to new heights by mastering the world of suffixes. Start incorporating them into your daily conversations and writing, and watch as your English language skills flourish. Happy learning!
Explore the limits of your knowledge with suffixes! No matter how much you already know, there are always more word endings, and thus more words, to be discovered. Embrace the new and expand your word bank with these essential suffixes!
