Prefix and Suffix

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

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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