Suffix | Meaning & Examples

A suffix is one or more letters or syllables added to the end of a root word. For example, when you add the suffix “-ly” to “quiet,” you get “quietly.” Common suffixes include “-ed,” “-ion,” “-ful,” and “-ment.” Suffixes can change a word’s part of speech (e.g., “freedom”), plurality (e.g., “roses”), verb tense (e.g., “worked” or “working”), and more.

Learning about suffixes is extremely helpful for improving vocabulary, spelling, and grammar. The examples and explanations below show how to spell and use a variety of common suffixes. If you want to learn even more about suffixes, follow the links at the end for more suffix examples and a suffixes worksheet.

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker is also a quick and painless way to use suffixes correctly in your writing.

What is a suffix?

A suffix is a letter or group of letters that goes at the end of a word (e.g., the plural “-s” or verb endings like “-ed” and “-ing”). There are two types of suffixes in the English language: inflectional (which don’t change a word’s part of speech) and derivational (which change a word’s part of speech and meaning).

Inflectional suffix

Inflectional suffixes do not change a word’s part of speech. For example, if you add the suffix “-ed” to a verb like “wash,” it becomes past tense, but it’s still a verb. Instead, inflectional suffixes modify words in these ways:

• Make singular nouns into plural nouns
• Conjugate regular verbs into different tenses
• Convert adjectives to comparative adjectives or superlative adjectives

Derivational suffix

When you add a derivational suffix to a root word (e.g., “-ful”), it changes the part of speech. For example, “beauty” is a noun, but “beautiful” is an adjective. Similarly, “happy” is an adjective, but “happiness” is a noun, and “happily” is an adverb.

Common derivational suffix examples

The chart below includes examples of the words you can make with the most common derivational suffixes. For more examples, check out the QuillBot List of Suffixes, which is free to print or download.

Medical terminology suffixes list

Many suffixes are common in medical terminology. The medical terminology suffixes below occur frequently in texts and exams for nursing and allied health courses.

Prefixes and suffixes worksheet

To practice using suffixes (and prefixes) correctly, follow the link to print or download QuillBot’s free Prefixes and Suffixes Worksheet.

Frequently asked questions about suffixes

What is a suffix with steward or host?

A suffix with steward or host is “-ess” (i.e., “stewardess” and “hostess”). The “-ess” suffix means “female.” Other words with the “-ess” suffix include “goddess” and “princess.”

“Stewardess” and “hostess” are appropriate when you know the person is a female, but otherwise, opt for gender-neutral terms, such as “host.” (A neutral term for “stewardess” is “flight attendant.”)

The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you with correct spelling when you’re writing with words that end in the suffix “-ess.”

What is a suffix with Senegal or Sudan?

A suffix with Senegal or Sudan is “-ese” (i.e., “Senegalese” and “Sudanese”), which is also a suffix with Japan and other country names (e.g., “Japanese” and “Vietnamese”).

You can add the “-ese” suffix to a country name to create a different noun for the people or language (e.g., “Whitney speaks Japanese fluently”) or an adjective that describes a noun (e.g., “Japanese architecture” and “Senegalese culture”).

QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you spell words like “Senegalese” and “Sudanese” correctly in your writing.

What are some words that end in the osis suffix?

Some words that end in the osis suffix include the following:

• Hypnosis
• Diagnosis
• Metamorphosis
• Symbiosis
• Halitosis
• Cirrhosis
• Fibrosis
• Osteoporosis
• Prognosis
• Neurosis
• Tuberculosis

Words that end in “-osis” are usually nouns for processes or medical conditions.

Spelling words that end in “-osis” can be tricky because they’re usually long, but the QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you get them right.

What is a suffix in a name?

A suffix in a name is a letter or group of letters after the surname (aka last name) that provides details about someone’s familial relationship (e.g., “Jr.”) or professional qualifications (e.g., “MD”).

Some of the most common name suffixes include the following:

• Jr. (short for “junior”) is for a man who has the same first and middle name as his father (e.g., Cuba Gooding Jr.).
• III (short for “the third”) is for a man who has the same given name as his father and grandfather (e.g., Randolph Severn Parker III)
• MD is an abbreviation for “medical doctor” (e.g., Sanjay Gupta, MD)
• PhD is a suffix for someone who’s earned a doctorate of philosophy (e.g., Mayim Bialik, PhD)

When a name suffix denotes a professional qualification, there’s usually a comma between the surname and the suffix. The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you use name suffixes correctly in your writing.

What are some words with the suffix ment?

Some words with the suffix ment, which often converts a verb into a noun, include the following:

• Amusement
• Agreement
• Commitment
• Development
• Improvement
• Government
• Management
• Movement
• Nourishment
• Settlement

Spelling errors are common with words that end in suffixes because they can be rather long, but QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker instantly finds and fixes spelling errors.