Suffixes and Parts of Speech

Suffixes and Parts of Speech
https://www.msu.edu/~defores1/gre/sufx/gre_suffx.htm

Learning something about how suffixes function in the English language can help you improve general reading comprehension; suffixes help you use context and etymological clues to make educated guesses about the meaning of unfamiliar words. Knowledge of parts of speech can be very useful in graduate and professional school entrance exams -- especially the GRE. This list is not exhaustive. Many important uffixes do not appear here (I will update the list from time to time). In addition, the functions I list do not cover all the possibilities for every suffix. I have tried to include those that are more common and/or more likely (in my experience) to appear on the GRE.

Note: The fourth column "Function or Characteristic Usage" indicates the part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) of words with this suffix. Notations with an arrow between two parts of speech (noun ® adjective) indicate that the suffix also functions to alter the part of speech to which a word belongs. An example would be the suffix ish, which may change a noun to an adjective. Thus, the fourth column will contain the following: noun ® adjective. useful information, because it alerts you to the existence of other (perhaps unfamiliar) forms of the word.

Suffix	Meaning	Examples	Function or Characteristic Usage Notes in this column refer to common functions of these suffixes. However, these are generalizations only, and you will find exceptions to many of them.
able, ible	able, can do	capable, agreeable, visible	verb ® adjective†
ade	result of action	blockade, lemonade	verb or noun ® noun
age	act of, state of, collection of	salvage, storage, forage	added to root words (often French) to form a noun
al	relating to	sensual, gradual, manual, natural	verb or noun ® adjective
algia	pain	neuralgia	noun
an, ian	native of, pertaining to	American, Martian, antediluvian	noun ® adjective
ance, ancy	action, process, state	assistance, allowance, defiance	verb ® noun
ant	performing, agent	assistant, servant	verb ® noun
ary, ery, ory	relating to, quality, place where	dictionary, bravery, dormitory, aviary, ordinary	noun or adjective adjective ® noun adjective or noun ® noun
ate	cause, make	liquidate, segregate	noun or adjective ® verb
cian	having a specific skill	magician, optician, physician	noun
cule, ling	very small	molecule, miniscule,	noun or adjective
cy	action, function	advocacy, hesitancy, prophecy, normalcy	noun
dom	quality, realm, office	freedom, kingdom, wisdom, thralldom	noun
ee	one who receives the action	employee, nominee, refugee	noun
en	made of, make	silken, frozen, oaken, wooden, lighten	adjective or verb (ex: widen)
ence, ency	action, state of, quality	difference, conference, urgency	noun
er, or	on who, that which	baker, carpenter, brewer	noun
escent	in the process of	adolescent, obsolescent, convalescent	adjective or noun
ese	a native of	Javanese, Vietnamese	noun or adjective
esis, osis	action, process, condition	genesis, hypnosis, neurosis, osmosis	noun
ess	female	poetess, goddess	noun
et, ette	small one, group	midget, octet, baronet,	noun
fic	making, causing	scientific, specific	adjective
ful	full of	frightful, beautiful, helpful	adjective
fy	make	fortify, simplify	verb
hood	order, quality	neighborhood, motherhood	noun
ic	nature of, like	metallic, heroic, poetic	adjective
ice	condition, state, quality	justice, malice	noun
id, ide	something connected to or belonging to	fluid, fluoride, torrid, canid	noun or adjective
ine	having the nature or characteristic of	feminine, masculine, medicine	adjective or noun
ion, sion, tion	act of, state of, result of	contagion, infection, aversion	noun
ish	origin, nature, resembling	Spanish, foolish,	noun ® adjective (however, often the adjective is used as a noun. ex: "The Spanish" meaning the people of Spain)
ism	system, manner, condition	alcoholism, feminism, heroism, communism	noun
ist	one who, that which	pianist, elitist	noun verb ® noun
ite	nature of, quality of	dynamite, graphite, sulfite, neophyte	noun or adjective verb or adjective ® adjective or noun
ity, ty	state of, quality	captivity, clarity	noun
ive	causing	conclusive, festive, restive, abusive	adjective or nouns derived from adjectives
ize	to make (like)	emphasize, anthropomorphize	verb
less	without	worthless, mindless, guileless	adjective
ly	like	clearly, fearlessly	adverb
ment	act of, result	contentment, amendment	noun verb ® noun
ness	state of	carelessness, uselessness	adjective ® noun
oid	like (often suggests flawed or partial resemblance)	asteroid, tabloid, anthropoid, rhomboid, ovoid	noun or adjective ® noun or adjective that is similar to or has the qualities of the original word
(o)logy	study, science, theory	biology	noun
† an " ®" indicates a transformation from one part of speech to another