Most prefixes suffixes change the meaning of the word they are attached to.
Spelling rules can vary and make things a little confusing, but I’ve included spelling rules on other pages within this site to help eliminate any confusion.
The majority of prefixes and suffixes come to English via the Latin and Greek languages, but I’m sure there are many other languages represented as well.
What’s interesting to note is just how common prefixes suffixes are. Look at any newspaper article and take a paragraph or two and underline just the prefixes.
Next, do the same for the words that have suffixes. Finally circle the words that have both prefixes suffixes. You’ll probably find as many words with an underline as without… which simply shows just how common they are and how often they are used.
Prefixes Suffixes Meanings Use
a, an
ab
able, ible
ac
acer, acr
ad
age
al
ambi
an, ian
ance, ancy, ence, ency
ant, ent, er, or, eer, ier,
ante
anthropo
anti
aqua
ar, ary, ory
arch
aud
auto
bene
bibl
bio
brev
cede, ceed
chron
cide
circum
cis
clar
co, con, com
cogni
counter, contra
cred
crypt
cycl
de
dent
derm
dia
dic, dict
dis
dom
dox
duc, duct
dyna
dys
ee
ego
en
epi
ese
eu
ex
extra
fort
frater
fy
gamy
gen
geo
graph, gram
gress
gyn
hetero
homo, homeo
hydr
hyper
hypo
ic, ical
il, im, in, ir
inter
intra
ion, sion, tion
ish
ism
ist
junct
less
logy
macro
magn
mal
man
mater
mega
ment
meter, metr
micro
mis
mis, miso
mit, miss
morph
mort
multi
nav
neb
non
nym
omni
ortho
pan
para
pater
path
ped, pod
pel
per
peri
phil
phobia
phon
photo
poly
pon, pos
port
post
pot
pre
pseudo
psych
pyr
re
rupt
scrib, script
scop
se
sect
semi
simil
soph
spect
sub
super
syn, sym
tech
tele
ten
tend
terra
therm
tort
trans
tudo
ultra
un
under
viv
voc
vor
without, not
away (from)
capable of
characteristic of
sour, bitter
to, toward
state of
relating to
both
belonging to
act of, state of
one who acts
before
man, mankind
against, opposed
water
relating to
chief, principle
hear
self
well, good
book
life
short
go, move
time
killing
around
cut
clear
together, with
know
against, opposite
believe
secret, hidden
circle
from, away
tooth
skin
through, apart
say
apart, from, out,
state, domain of
praise, belief
lead
power
hard, ill, with difficulty
person who is
I, self
to make, become
on, outer
relating to
well, good
out, from
beyond, outside
strong
brother
to make
marriage
race, origin, kind
earth
write
go, move
woman
other, different
same, like, similar
water
excessive, over, above,
under, below, beneath
of, like
in, into, on, within, not,
between
within
state of, condition of
like
doctrine, practice of
person who
join
without
study of
large
large, great
bad
hand
mother
big
state of being
measure
small
wrong, ill
hatred
send
form, shape
death
many
ship, sail
hazy, cloudy
not
name
all
straight, right
all
beside
father
feeling, suffering
foot
push, drive
through, completely
around
love, like
fear
sound
light
many
place
carry
after
strength, ability
before
false
mind, soul
fire
back, again
break
write
see, look
away, from
cut
half
like
wise
see, look
under
over, above
with, together
art, skill
far
hold
stretch
earth
heat
twist
across
quality, state, result
beyond, excessively
not, opposing, reverse
below, beneath
life
call, voice
eat greedily
atypical
absent, abstract
portable, edible
cardiac
acerbity, acrid
adhere
marriage
annual
ambivalent
suburban, Canadian
assistance, dependence
farmer, sailor, auctioneer
anteroom, antebellum
anthropoid
antipathy, antisocial
aquatic
similar, imaginary
archenemy
auditory, auditorium
automatic
beneficial
Bible
autobiography
brevity
proceed, recede
chronological
pesticide, homicide
circumference
excise
clarity
cooperate, conspiracy
recognize
counteract, contrary
credential, credible
cryptic
cyclical
depart
dentist
dermatitis
diagonal
dictate, dictation
distract
kingdom
orthodox
aqueduct, conduct
dynamic
dyslexia
employee, trainee
egoist
shorten
epigram
journalese, Portugese
euphemism, euphoria
exhale, exit
extracurricular
fortress, forte
fraternity
fortify
monogamy
Genesis
geography
graphology
progress
gynophobia, gyn
ecology
heterogeneous
homogeneous
hydroplane
hyperfunction
hypodermic
manic, numerical
illegal, infiltrate
interfere, intercede
intrastate
tension
childish
plagiarism
dentist
conjunction
careless
biology
macroeconomics
magnify
malpractice, maladjusted
manicure
maternity
megaphone
improvement
thermometer, speedometer
microscope
misinform
misanthrope
transmit, missile
amorphous
mortality
multitude
naval, navigate
nebulous
nonadjustable
pseudonym
pandemonium
orthopedics
pandemonium
parallel
paternal
apathy
pedal, podiatrist
propel
perforate
perimeter
philanthropy
claustrophobia
phonics
photostat
polygamy
opponent, position
porter, protable
postpone
potential
preamble
pseudoscience
psychology
pyromania
return, redo
rupture
transcribe, scripture
telescope
seclude, segregate
dissect
semiprivate
similar
sophomore
spectator
submarine
supersonic, supervisor
synchronize, symphony
technology
telephone
tenacity, tendon
extend
terrier, terrace
thermal
distort, contort
transport
servitude
ultramodern
unlawful
underground
vivacious
vocal, vocation
voracious
Suffixes
Most suffixes can change or add to the meaning of a word, but what about proper spelling?
Spelling rules and the changes required to add a suffix can sometimes be a little confusing… until now, that is.
It’s a fact, suffixes do change words but the way in which they are added often cause spelling problems for those whose native language isn’t English.
Yes, even native speakers of English find these rules and changes of spelling a little challenging sometimes, but what follows is meant to help make things a little more clear.
Let’s start with some suffixes spelling rules. Be glad that most of the time the spelling of the word and the suffix simply stays the same.
Suffixes Spelling Rules
RULE: 1 – When a word ends with a consonant and the suffix begins with a consonant, simply add the consonant with no spelling changes.
enjoyment = enjoy + ment
commitment = commit + ment
doubtful = doubt + ful
RULE: 2 – For most one syllable words ending in a single consonant you need to double the last letter when you add a suffix.
run + ing = running
sun + y = sunny
fun + y = funny
*** When the word ends with more than one consonant, the last letter is NOT doubled.
jump + ing = jumping
sing + ing = singing
RULE: 3 – For words with more than one syllable and end with the letter “L” you must double the “L” when adding suffixes.
travel + ing = travelling
cancel + ed = cancelled
RULE: 4 – For words stressed on the last syllable and ending with a single consonant, you need to double the last letter.
prefer + ing = preferring
begin + er = beginner
*** For words where the stress isn’t on the last syllable, then you do NOT need to double the last letter.
benefit + ed = benefited
offer + ing = offering
***OTHER SPELLING RULES- “Y” to “I” and the silent “E”
When a word ends in a consonant plus “Y” then the “Y” is changed to “I” when you add the suffix. When adding the suffix ‘ing’ to a word ending in “Y” — you keep the “Y.”
lonely + ness = loneliness
happy + ness = happiness
copy + ing = copying
Silent “E” words end with a consonant and an “E.” Words like love, like, and hope… you drop the “E” when you add the suffix.
noise + y = noisy
simple + y = simply