A suffix is a word's grammatical ending. If we recognize suffixes, it will help us with grammar and meaning. Many English words have no suffixes. Suffixes are usually unstressed.
1. Types of suffix
There're two types of suffix: (1) derivational and (2) inflectional.
1.1. Derevational suffix
The "derivational" suffix tells us what type of word it is (for example, noun or adjective). For example, -or (in actor) indicates a noun (= someone who does the verb's action).
1.2. Inflectional suffix
The "inflectional" suffix tells us something about the word's grammatical behaviour. For example, -s indicates that a noun is plural. "Derivational" suffixes go before "inflectional" suffixes.
Ex: actor + s.
Inflectional suffixes relate to : -ed form, -er / -est, -ing form, and -s form.
2. Most important derivational suffixes
It's best to look up "derivational" suffixes in a dictionary. Let's see the most important ones below.
2.1. Nouns (people)
| -er, -or | actor, driver, manager, writer |
| -ee | absentee, employee, payee, trainee |
| -ess | actress, lioness, princess, waitress |
2.2. Nouns (abstract)
| -ness | darkness, happiness, goodness, greatness |
| -ity | ability, electricity, quality, sanity |
| -al | approval, arrival, denial, refusal |
| -((a)t)ion | intention, invitation, persuasion, reaction |
| -ment | advertisement, improvement, development, judgement |
| -hood | boyhood, childhood, sisterhood, widowhood |
2.3. Nouns or adjectives
| -ist | Buddhist, pianist, realist, typist |
| -(i)an | human, Indian, Korean, Vitorian |
| -ese | Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese |
2.4. Adjectives
| -able | understandable, consumable, enjoyable, readable |
| -al | central, final, general, national |
| -ent | different, excellent, present, recent |
| -ible | accessible, apprehensible, compatible, eligible |
| -ive | active, attractive, expensive, massive |
| -ous | anxious, famous, serious, various |
| -ful | awful, beautiful, useful, wonderful |
| -less | careless, useless, homeless |
2.5. Verbs
| -ise*, ize | emphasize, itemize, modernize, realize |
| -ate | alienate, activate, captivate, deviate, liquidate |
| -en | deaden, lengthen, soften, widen |
| -ify | beautify, notify, simplify, terrify |
2.6. Adverbs
| -ly | easily, happily, generally, naturally, quickly |
| -ward or wards | homeword(s), downward(s), upward(s) |
3. Suffixes and stress
The general rule is: suffixes do not have stress, and do not change the stress of the word or stem they are added to:
(1) at'tract → at'tractive
(2) 'happy → 'happiness
(3) 'write → 'writer
But there're many exceptions. Two important exceptions are -'ation, where stress changes to the first syllable of the suffix, and -ity, where the stress changes to the last syllable before the suffix:
(1) in'vite → invi'tation
(2) e'lectric → elec'tricity
Other examples of shifting stress are:
(1) 'photograph → photo'graphic
(2) 'telephone → te'lephonist
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