ANALYZING WORDS
ANALYZING WORDS
Common Suffixes
Common Suffixes
Learning how to use suffixes to determine word meanings
will help you expand your vocabulary and better
understand the material that you read.
What are they?
A suffix is a word part attached to the end of a base word
or root. Knowing the meanings of common suffixes can
help you figure out the meanings of whole words. It can
also help you identify a word’s part of speech.
Examples
Practice
SUFFIX
-ics
-let
-ent
WORD
SOURCE
MEANING
SUFFIX
NOUN
MEANING
-ics
science, art,
study of
small one
-let
-ical
ADJECTIVE
-ate
-ent
-ical
-ize
-ate
-ate
VERB
-ify
-ize
-ate
-ify, -efy
-efy
-ly
VERB
-ward
-ly
-ward
-wise
-wise
WHOLE WORDS
physics, graphics, economics
droplet, ringlet, booklet
inclined to
of or relating
to
having,
characterized
absorbent, excellent
historical, biological
treat as
act on
make similar,
make into
idolize, patronize
irrigate, resuscitate
liquefy, magnify
passionate, desperate
in what way
happily, morbidly
in direction of inward, forward
manner,
otherwise, lengthwise
direction