-age – action or process e.g. voyage (voyageage)
-acy – condition, quality, or state of being e.g. autumn (autumnacy)
-dom – state of being, condition e.g. father (fatherdom)
-fy – to make or become e.g. modern (modernfy)
-hood – state of being, condition, characteristic of e.g. child (childhood)
-let – a small thing, unit or person e.g. star (starlet)
-ment – result of something e.g. develop (development)
-ship – state or quality of being e.g. friend (friendship)
-tion – state, condition, or action e.g. educa (education)
-ize – to make or become e.g. energize (energize)
-ory – having the quality or character of e.g. victorious (victoryory)
-wise – having the quality or character of e.g. adventurous (adventurewise) Improve Your Vocabulary With Suffixes
Are you looking to expand your English vocabulary and communicate more effectively? One great way to achieve this is by mastering suffixes. Suffixes are important word parts that can greatly enhance your understanding of the English language. By learning and incorporating suffixes into your vocabulary, you’ll be able to decode new words and their meanings with ease.
So, what exactly are suffixes? Suffixes are small word parts attached to the end of a base word. They can change the meaning or function of the base word. For example, by adding the suffix “-able” to the base word “play,” you create the word “playable,” which means capable of being played. By understanding this suffix, you can easily figure out the meanings of similar words like “readable” (capable of being read) or “laughable” (capable of being laughed at).
Here are some common suffixes and their meanings to help you on your vocabulary-building journey:
1. -er/-or: This suffix is used to indicate a person who performs a particular action or is associated with a specific thing. For example, a teacher is someone who teaches, and an actor is someone who acts.
2. -ful: Adding this suffix to a word makes it describe something that is full of or characterized by that particular quality. For instance, “beautiful” means full of beauty, and “helpful” means full of help.
3. -ment: This suffix is used to transform a verb into a noun indicating the action or process of that verb. For instance, “movement” refers to the act of moving, and “enjoyment” refers to the state of enjoying something.
4. -less: When you add this suffix to a word, it means lacking or without that particular quality. For example, “careless” means lacking care, and “endless” means without an end.
5. -ly: This suffix is used to turn an adjective into an adverb. Adverbs describe how an action is done. For example, “quickly” describes how someone is running, and “happily” describes the way someone is feeling.
By familiarizing yourself with these and other common suffixes, you’ll be able to break down unfamiliar words and understand their meanings more easily. Additionally, you’ll be able to form new words based on existing vocabulary with confidence.
To practice using suffixes and expand your vocabulary, try the following exercises:
1. Study word lists: Compile a list of words that share the same suffix. Identify their meanings and use them in sentences to reinforce your understanding.
2. Play word games: Engage in activities like crossword puzzles, word searches, or online vocabulary games that challenge you to identify and comprehend words with specific suffixes.
3. Read extensively: Read books, newspapers, and online articles to expose yourself to a variety of words. Pay attention to the words with suffixes and try to decipher their meanings based on the context.
4. Write regularly: Practice incorporating words with suffixes into your writing. This will help you reinforce your vocabulary and ensure that you can use the words correctly.
Remember, building your vocabulary takes time and practice. Embrace the process and make it a habit to regularly learn and utilize new words with suffixes. By doing so, you’ll gradually enhance your English skills and express yourself with more precision and clarity.
Expanding your lexicon can be a daunting task, but now you’re equipped with the knowledge of prefixes and suffixes to help you out. With a better understandKnowing the basics of these word building tools can greatly increase your word power and help you communicate better in today’s fast moving world. So go ahead, tinker around with some new vocabulary to truly expand your lexicon and make a great impression.
