Anda di halaman 1dari 2

Building Vocabulary: Common Suffixes

Author/Creation: Andrew Davis, November 2010.


Summary: Lists and defines common suffixes.
Learning Objectives: To list common suffixes and their definitions. To expand vocabulary. To
increase reading comprehension.

Suffixesprovidebasicstructureandmeaningtowords.Theyarecalledsuffixesbecauseoftheir
placementattheendofwords.Forexample,phobiaisthesuffixforxenophobia.

TheyarecommonlyderivedfromGreekandLatinsuffixes.Forexample,thesuffixphobiaisderived
fromtheGreeksuffixphobosmeaningfearing.Learningandrecognizingthesecommonsuffixescan
helpyoudeciphermeaning.Ifyouwereunfamiliarwiththewordxenophobiabutknewthesuffix
phobia,youcouldthengathersomesortofmeaningfromthesuffixmeaning,fear.

Inmanycases,knowingthesuffixwillbeenoughtohelpyoudecipherthemeaningofawordina
sentence;inothercases,youllwanttousethedictionarytounderstandthewordfully.Ineither
instance,thisgivesapartialunderstandingofthemorecompletedefinition:Xenophobiaafearand
hatredofstrangersorforeigners(MerriamWebstersCollegiateDictionary,2007,p.1190).

Providedbelowisalistofcommonsuffixesthatyoucanremembertohelpexpandyourvocabularyand
increaseyourreadingcomprehension.

Suffix(partofspeechformed)
Meaning
Example
able(adjectives)
capableof
portable,legible
agog,agogue(nouns)
leader
demagogue,pedagogue

age(nouns)
sum,total
average,mileage
al(nouns,adjectives)
pertainingto
manical,logical
cide(nouns)
killing
patricide,infanticide,herbicide.
cidal(adjectives)

suicide,suicidal

dom(nouns)
state,rank,thatwhichbelongs freedom,wisedom
to
fy(verbs)
tomake
magnify,petrify
ant,ent(nouns,adjectives)
fullof
eloquent,verdant
ia(nouns)
act,state
amnesia,mania,democracy,
y(nouns,adjectives)

anarchy,juicy

Email at tutor@uhv.edu

University West, room 129

(361) 570-4288

Suffix
ic,tic,ical,ac(adjectives)

ics(nouns)

Meaning
havingtodowith

thingshavingtodowith

Example
anthropomorphic,dramatic,
biblical,cardiac
optics,physics

ism(nouns)

ist(nouns,adjectives)

ize,ise(verbs)
ite(nouns)

logy(noun)

mony(noun)

thebeliefin,practice,doctrine

onewhobelievesin

tomake
oneconnectedwith,adherent,
descendent
scienceorbranchof
knowledge
aresultingthing,condition,or
state
resembling,likeshaped
onewhotakespartin
exaggeratedfear

pacifism,terrorism,socialism,
communism
pacifist,terrorist,socialist,
communist
harmonize,revolutionize
meteorite,cosmopolite

biology,geology,etymology,
cardiology
patrimony,ceremony

oid(adjectives,nouns)
asteroid,spheroid
or,er(nouns)
doctor,actor,teacher,driver
phobia(nouns)
agoraphobia,claustrophobia,
phobic(adjectives)
hydrophobic,photophobia,
sis(nouns)
act,state,conditionof
analysis,synthesis
ward(adjectives,adverbs)
inthedirectionof
forward,homeward

Animportantthingtonoteaboutsuffixesisthattheydeterminethattheclassofthewordstheyare
attachedto.Forexample,ifyouaddthesuffixendingizetothenounharmony,yougetharmonize,
whichisaverb.Asuffixthatchangestheclassofthewordiscalledaderivationalsuffix.

Justnoticingasuffixlikeiseorizeallowsyoutodecifiersomeofthemeaning.Forexample,youare
abletodeteminethatthesuffixizeaddedtothewordharmonycreatesaverbthatmeanstomake
harmony.

Nowthatyourefamiliarwithcommonsuffixes,werecommendthatyoucontinuebyreadingthe
AcademicCenterhandoutsBuildingVocabulary:CommonRootWordsandBuildingVocabulary:
CommonPrefixes.

Also,thehandoutsandUnderstandingDictionaryEntriesandUsingtheDictionary:WordOriginswill
helpyouinbuildingyourvocabularybyshowingyouhowtouseadictionaryandhowtouseawords
origintodevelopabasicunderstandingofaword.

Email at tutor@uhv.edu

University West, room 129

(361) 570-4288

Anda mungkin juga menyukai