1. Exotically
2. Instinctively
3. Engrossingly
4. Masterfully
5. Endlessly
6. Allegorically
7. Unexpectedly
8. Intriguingly
9. Elementally
10. Blissfully Learning English is a complex endeavor, and for non-native English speakers, it can feel overwhelming. One of the best ways to increase your English vocabulary is by learning about suffixes. A suffix is a letter or a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or form. By learning just a few basic suffixes you can improve your English language skills in a variety of ways.
To start, let’s look at the suffix -ful. This suffix can turn a noun into an adjective which describes something full of that noun. For example, if you add -ful to the noun ‘hope’, you can form the adjective ‘hopeful’. This means to be full of hope. Another example is ‘care’, which becomes ‘careful’ meaning full of care. By understanding and using this suffix, you can add many new words to your English vocabulary.
Another common suffix is -ly. This suffix can turn an adjective into an adverb. For example, if you add -ly to the adjective ‘quick’, you can form the adverb ‘quickly’. This means with quickness. Another example is ‘loud’, which becomes ‘loudly’, meaning with loudness. By understanding and using this suffix, you can more accurately talk about how something is done.
A third useful suffix to know is -ment. This suffix is usually added to a verb or an adjective, and it changes the word into a noun. For example, if you add -ment to the verb ‘accept’, you can create the noun ‘acceptance’. This means the act of accepting something. Another example is ‘agile’, which becomes ‘agility’, meaning the ability to be agile. Again, by understanding and using this suffix, you can enrich your English language vocabulary.
Finally, let’s look at the suffix -able. This suffix is usually added to a verb to form an adjective. It is used to indicate that something is able to be done. For example, if you add -able to the verb ‘write’, you can form the adjective ‘writable’. This means that something can be written on. Another example is ‘talk’, which becomes ‘talkable’, meaning able to be talked about. By understanding and using this suffix, you can more accurately express yourself in English.
By learning and understanding these four basic suffixes, you can easily increase your English language vocabulary. Learning suffixes can also help you in the long run as you work to further improve your English language skills. So start practicing and see how quickly you can add new words to your English vocabulary!
Now that you’re armed with the knowledge of how to tap into suffixes to enrich your vocabulary, you’re ready to take on any word smarts challenge that comes your way. Whether you’re studying for a Math test or writing an essay, know that using suffixes where you can will make communicating your ideas easier and more meaningful—and in the long run, let you say and understand more with less. With that, go forth and suffix your way to a richer vocabulary!