• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Class Notes

  • Home
  • Class 1-5
  • Class 6
  • Class 7
  • Class 8
  • Class 9
  • Class 10
  • Class 11
  • Class 12
  • NCERT Solutions
Home » English » Grammar » Prefix and Suffix

Prefix and Suffix

Last Updated on February 16, 2023 By Mrs Shilpi Nagpal

Contents

  • 1 Prefix
  • 2
  • 3 Suffix
    • 3.1 Types of Suffix
    • 3.2 Rules  for Adding Suffix
    • 3.3 Summary of Rules
  • 4

Prefix

A syllable or a word part added to the beginning of the word is called as prefix. They never change the part of speech. A prefix has a meaning, but it is not a word.

Examples of prefix : dis, un, re, co, bi, be  pre, non, im, dis, mis, sub, super, anti, over 

un + happy unhappy
re+ do redo
co+ exist coexist
re + pay repay
pre + mature premature
im + possible impossible
non+ fiction non-fiction
dis + agree disagree
re + build rebuild
pre + view preview
mis + understand misunderstand
re + cycle recycle
bi + annual biannual
re + write rewrite
un+ tidy untidy
dis + honest dishonest
mis + behave misbehave
non + sense nonsense
dis + advantage disadvantage
re + appear reappear
in + active inactive
mis + lead mislead
sub + continent subcontinent
dis + continue discontinue
re + fresh refresh
in + visible invisible
sub + way subway
mis+ conduct misconduct
in+ capable incapable
auto + pilot autopilot
dis + agree disagree
in + complete incomplete
sub + merge submerge
dis + obedient disobedient
sub + title subtitle
re + place replace
in + formal informal
il + legal illegal
super + market supermarket
dis + obey disobey
auto + graph autograph
inter + view interview
inter + state interstate
re + fill refill
in + appropriate inappropriate
il + logical illogical
auto + biography autobiography
super + man superman
in + adequate inadequate
re + move remove
un + fair unfair
anti + freeze antifreeze
im + portant important
pro + active proactive
sub + marine submarine
inter + face interface
re + use reuse
pre + school preschool
anti + virus antivirus
semi+ final semifinal
post+ graduate postgraduate
anti + clockwise anticlockwise
tri+ cycle  tricycle
ex + president ex-president
ultra + sound ultrasound
self + respect self-respect
co+ worker co-worker
re+ lay relay
anti + social antisocial
in + visible invisible
pre + history prehistory
pro + active proactive
in + direct indirect
over + cook  overcook
 un + pack  unpack
 anti + bacterial  antibacterial


Suffix

A suffix is a word part that is placed at the end of a base word. A suffix often transforms a word into a new part of speech. Common suffixes include ed, ing, est, es, ish, er, able, s, ful, less, ly, ment, ness, or, tion, al, y, ty, ous, eous, ive etc.

Types of Suffix

(a) Consonant Suffix : ly, ness, ful, ment, less, er, ance, ing, est, ed, 

(b) Vowel Suffix : es, ing, ed, ish, age, ly, less, ship, ment, ful, s 

jump + ing jumping
happy + est happiest
act + ive active
use + age usage
Soft + ly softly
clean + ed cleaned
punish + ment punishment
run + er runner
color + ful colourful
shiny + er shinier
excite + able excitable
fear + less fearless
happen + ed happened
slow + ly slowly
big + est biggest
leaf + es leaves
hop + ing hopping
swim + ing swimming
baby + ish babyish
art + ist artist
peace + ful peaceful
pain + ful painful
state + ment statement
job + less jobless
replace + ment replacement
quite+ ly quietly
fresh + ness freshness
head + less headless
bold + ness boldness
member + ship membership
accident + al accidental
argue + ment argument
secure + ity security
Intern + ship Internship
clock + wise clockwise
Music +al musical
brave + ly bravely
punish + ment punishment
self + less selfless
shy + ness shyness
thank + ful thankful
bold + ness boldness
pain + ful painful
end + less endless
talk + ed talked
ripe +n ripen
employ + ment employment
involve + ment involvement
drive +r driver
try + ied tried
press + ed pressed
hot + est hottest
bore + ing boring

Rules  for Adding Suffix

(1) Add a consonant suffix directly to the base word.

Mouth + ful = mouthful

Teach + er = teacher

Pitch + er =pitcher

(2) If the base word ends in two consonants, just add the vowel suffix.

jump + ing = jumping

(3) If the base word has 1 syllable, 1 short vowel, and 1 final consonant, double the final consonant before adding the vowel suffix.

or 

When a word ends in a short vowel sound and a single consonant, you double the last letter. 

Win + ing = winning

Run + er = runner

Fat + er = fatter

Flip + er = flipper

Shop + ed shopped 

Swim + ing = swimming

(4) If the base word ends in a Silent E, drop the E before adding the vowel suffix.

Smile + ed = smiled

Drive + ing = driving

Hope + ing = hoping

Make + er = maker

Adore + able = adorable

Use + er = user

(5) If the base word ends in single y, change the y to i before adding suffix.

Silly + ness = silliness

Fly + ies = flies

Happy + ness = happiness

Lonely + ness = loneliness

Beauty + ful = beautiful

Baby + s = babies

Army + s = armies

Duty + ful = dutiful

Carry + ed = carried

Deny + ied = denied

Rely + iable = reliable

Beauty + ful = beautiful

Angry + ily = angrily

(6) When a word has more than one syllable and ends with the letter “l” you will double the “l” when adding the suffix.

Cancel + ed = cancelled

Control + ed = controlled

Propel + er = propeller

Compel + ing = compelling

Fulfil + ment = fulfillment

(7) When the word ends in the letters “ce” or “ge,” you will keep the final “e” if the suffix begins with the letters “a” or “o.”

Advantage + ous = advantageous

Change + able = changeable

Courage + ous = courageous

Service + able = serviceable

Notice + able = noticeable

(8) You will also keep the “e” at the end of the word if it ends in “ee” or “ye.”

Agree + ing = agreeing

Decree + ing = decreeing

Eye + ing = eyeing

Foresee + ing = foreseeing

See + ing = seeing

(9) When the word ends with “y” and has a vowel before it you keep the “y.”

Boy + s = boys

Enjoy + ed = enjoyed

Play + ing = playing

Buy + er = buyer

Joy + ful = joyful

(10) keep the “y” is if the suffix starts with the letter “i.” You cannot have two i’s in a row.

Worry + ing = worrying

Copy + ing = copying

Carry + ing = carrying

Supply + ing = supplying

Marry + ing = marrying

(11) When a word ends in “ie,” change the ending to a “y” when you add the suffix -ing.

Die + ing = dying

Tie + ing = tying

Untie + ing = untying

Lie + ing = lying

Suffixes can show if a word is a noun, an adjective, an adverb or a verb.

(12) Words ending in vowels  – no change with vowel suffixes.

echo – echoed
henna – hennaed
mascara – mascaraed
radio – radioed
ski – skied
taxi – taxied
video – videoed

Noun suffixes: age, al, ance, ant, ate, ee, ence, ent, er, or, ar, ese, ess, hood, ice, ism, ist, ment, ness, sion, tain, tion, ure

Suffixes that form adjectives: able, al, er, est, ette, let, ful, fully, ible, ic, ical, ish, ive, less, ous, some, worthy

Suffixes that form adverbs: ly, wards, ways, wide, wise

Suffixes that create a verb form: ate, ed, en, ing, ise, ize, yze

Summary of Rules

Rule Examples
(1) Change the y to i before vowel suffixes (except -ing) carry + ed =  carried

happy + er = happier

supply + ed = supplied

marry – married

rely – reliable,

(2) Change the y to i before consonant suffixes beauty + ful = beautiful

happy + ness = happiness

lonely – loneliness

empty – emptiness

necessary = necessarily

(3) Changing ie to y die + ing = dying

tie + ing = tying

lie + ing = lying

(4) y remains if the word ends in a vowel + y employ – employer

buy – buyer

joy – joyful

enjoy – enjoying

(5) Words ending in silent ‘e’  + vowel suffix have – having

make – making

love – lovable

move – movable

(6) words ending in ‘ce’ or ‘ge’ keep the ‘e’ before -ous and -able Advantage + ous = advantageous

Change + able = changeable

Courage + ous = courageous

Service + able = serviceable

Notice + able = noticeable

(7) keep the ‘e’ with consonant  suffixes care+ ful = careful

hope + ful =hopeful

peace + ful = peaceful

use + ful =useful

waste + ful =wasteful

(8) Keep the ‘e’ when the word ends in ee or ye  agree – agreeing

eye- eyeing

see – seeing

(9) Keep the ‘e’ before -ly accurate+ ly = accurately

 like + ly = likely,

love+ ly = lovely,

definite + ly = definitely

home + ly = homely

(10) Words of 1 syllable ending in 1 vowel+ 1 consonant – double the last letter before a vowel suffix shop – shopped

pot-potter

fat-fatter

slip-slipped

(11) Words of more than 1 syllable ending in 1 vowel + 1 consonant when the stress is on the last syllable double up the last letter. occur- occurred

begin – beginning

commit – committed

forget – forgettable

(12) Words of more than 1 syllable ending in 1 vowel + L always double up the L before a vowel suffix travel-travelled 

cancel-cancelling

model-modelling

marvel – marvellous

expel – expelled

Share with Friends

Filed Under: English, Grammar

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Laxmidhar behera says

    November 4, 2022 at 1:36 pm

    The best

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Essay on Holi for Kids and Students
  • Jalebis – Class 8 English, Chapter 8 Notes
  • The Open Window – Class 8 English, Chapter 7 Notes
  • The Fight – Class 8 English, Chapter 6 Notes
  • Princess September – Class 8 English, Chapter 5 Notes
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2016 - 2023 · Disclaimer · Privacy Policy · About Us · Contact Us