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Expanding Your Vocabulary with the Power of Suffixes

It can be hard to find the right words that you need to express yourself and articulate your thoughts. But when you expand your lexicon by learning the power of suffixes, you can create words that convey exactly what you’re trying to say. Because of all the variations they offer, suffixes can help you form words that connote a specific meaning or feeling.

Take, for example, the suffix “-ness”. When you attach it to a word, it typically changes the word to an abstract noun that describes the qualities of the original word. For example, when you add “-ness” to “happy”, you get “happiness”. Or if you add it to “soft”, you get “softness”.

The suffix “-ly” can change an adjective into an adverb. So if you add “-ly” to the word “quick”, you get “quickly”. Or if you add it to “strict”, you get “strictly”.

The suffix “-ment” is another helpful one. When you attach it to a verb, it typically changes the verb into a noun that describes the action or result of the original verb. For example, “judge” plus “-ment” give you “judgment”, and “change” plus “-ment” give you “change”.

Suffixes aren’t just for creating nouns and adverbs. For instance, the suffix “-ist” can change a noun into a noun that indicates a person involved in a profession or activity. For example, adding “-ist” to “artist” gives you “artist”, and adding it to “geologist” gives you “geologist”.

By becoming familiar with these suffixes and how they can be used to create meaningful words, you can exponentially expand your vocabulary and give your communications a powerful boost. Experiment with adding suffixes to words you already know, and soon you’ll find yourself speaking and writing with a much broader array of words. As a non-English speaker, improving your vocabulary is an important step in becoming proficient in the language. One great way to increase your English vocabulary is by learning how suffixes can be used to create new words.

A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word root. They can change the meaning, tense, or form of the original word. For example, adding “-er” to the word “teach” makes it “teacher” and adding “-able” to the word “understand” makes it “understandable.”

By understanding how to recognize and use common suffixes, you can learn hundreds of new words quickly. Here are a few of the most popular suffixes and their meanings:

-able: Something that can be done, allowed, or affected.

-ful: Full of something; having a lot of a certain quality.

-ment: An action or process.

-less: Without; something that does not have a certain quality.

-ly: In a certain manner; in a certain way.

-ize: To make or become something; to do something in a particular way.

To practice using these suffixes, try forming new words out of basic English words. For example, adding the suffix “-ment” to the word “judge” makes the word “judgment.” Or, adding “-ize” to the word “organ” makes “organize.”

You can also challenge yourself by creating an entire sentence using words you have formed with suffixes. For example, “The teacher organized an eventful lesson.”

Learning English can be overwhelming at first, but with the right resources and tools, it can become an easier process. By practicing suffixes, you can expand your vocabulary quickly and accurately.

By uncovering the knowledge of suffixes, you have the key to unlocking a powerful vocabulary. With the right understanding and practice, you can master the suffixes and expand your lexicon to levels you never thought imaginable!