suffix

examples of nouns

-age
-al
-ance/-ence
-dom
-ee
-er/-or
-hood
-ism
-ist
-ity/-ty
-ment
-ness
-ry
-ship
-sion/-tion/-xion
-able/-ible
-al
-en
-ese
-ful
-i
-ic
-ish
-ive
-ian
-less
-ly
-ous
-y
-ate
-en
-ify

baggage, village, postage

arrival, burial, deferral
reliance, defence, insistence
boredom, freedom, kingdom
employee, payee, trainee
driver, writer, director
brotherhood, childhood, neighbourhood
capitalism, Marxism, socialism (philosophies)
capitalist, Marxist, socialist (followers of philosophies)
brutality, equality, cruelty
amazement, disappointment, parliament
happiness, kindness, usefulness
entry, ministry, robbery
friendship, membership, workmanship
expression, population, complexion
drinkable, portable, flexible
brutal, formal, postal
broken, golden, wooden
Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese
forgetful, helpful, useful
Iraqi, Pakistani, Yemeni
classic, Islamic, poetic
British, childish, Spanish
active, passive, productive
Canadian, Malaysian, Peruvian
homeless, hopeless, useless
daily, monthly, yearly
cautious, famous, nervous
cloudy, rainy, windy
complicate, dominate, irritate
harden, soften, shorten
beautify, clarify, identify
economise, realise, industrialize (-ise is most common
in British English; -ize is most common in American
English)
calmly, easily, quickly
downwards, homeward(s), upwards
anti-clockwise, clockwise, edgewise

-ise/-ize
-ly
-ward(s)
-wise
-ment
-ness
-oid

the results of an action

denoting a state or
condition
resembling

amusement, entertainment, excitement, treatment

kindness, sadness, wilderness
android, ovoid

suffix
-ology
-or
-ose
-ous
-ship
-tude
-ure
-y

examples of nouns
the study of
condition, state, a
person doing an action
having the quality of
characterized by
denoting a condition,
quality, skill or group
in the state of
an action or process, a
collective
full of, denoting a
condition, or a
diminutive

biology, geology, theology

candor, elevator, governor, major, minor, seonsor, terror,
valor
comatose, verbose
adventurous, aqueous, curious, dangerous, generous,
mountainous
companionship, citizenship, fellowship, workmanship,
membership
fortitude, multitude, solitude
exposure, legislature, procedure, scripture
glory, hungry, messy, jealousy, sleepy, victory,

PREFIXES

Prefix

General Meaning

Example

a(n)abacacr(o)aden(o)-

not , without
away

atonality , asexuality , amoral , anarchy

abduction , absolutism , ablution

high, up

Acropolis

aer(o)-

air

agr(o)anan(a)an(o)-

relating to farming

aeronautics , aerodrome , aeroplane ,

aerodynamics
agriculture

out of

anachronism

andr-

man

androgyny , androcentrism , android ,

androgen

anemAngloante-

English or British
before

anthrop(o)-

relating to human beings

ant(i)-

against

aut(o)-

self

bar(o)bathy-

atmosphere
deep
completely, thoroughly; excessively; on;
around; about; used to form transitive verbs

be-

Anglo-Irish relations, anglophile

antebellum
anthropology , anthropocentrism ,
anthropomorphic
antidote , antibody , anticlockwise
autonomy , autobiography , automobile ,
autopilot
Bathyscape , Bathysphere

bi-

two

bi(o)-

life

bibli(o)blast(o)bradybrom(o)bronch(o)cac(o)cardi(o)cent-, centi cephal(o)chrom(o)-,

chromat(o)chron(o)-

relating to books

bicycle , bijection , bilingual , bicameralism

, bisexuality
biology , biography , biosphere ,
biotechnology
bibliophilia , bibliography

slow

bradycardia

relating to breathing

bronchitis

heart
hundred or hundredth

cardiovascular
centenary, centimeter, centipede

time

circum-

around

chronology, chronograph
circumcision, circumnavigation,
circumlocution, circumference

cion(o)cotogether
colpocom-, con-, col-,
with, together
corcontr(a)-, contr(o) against, opposite
cosm(o)counter-

against, opposite

crin(o)cry(o)crypt(o)-

frost , icy cold

hidden

cooperative, cohabit
conference , connotation , context ,
Congress , congregation
contradiction , contraception , controversy
cosmology , cosmopolitan , cosmotheism
counterpoint , counterweight , CounterReformation
cryogenics , cryoelectronics , cryostorage
cryptography , cryptozoology