What is a Suffix?

To start with, just what is a suffix?

A suffix is a string of letters at the end of a root word, changing or adding to its meaning. They’re one of the two main types of affixes and prefixes, which are groups of letters at the front of a word that modifies its meaning.

In English, suffixes can also show if a word is a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb.

What are some examples of suffixes?

Now that we’ve answered the question of ‘what is a suffix?’, we should see them in action. Some common examples of suffixes include -able, -al, er, est, ful, and ible. All of these can be attached to the end of a root word to change it somehow.

Below, we’ve included examples of suffixes across several different word classes. Because there are so many different suffixes, teaching suffixes in groups or groups of words with one suffix will make it easier for kids to learn them. In addition, as you introduce some of these suffixes, you could encourage your learners to try attaching them or applying them to different words.

1. Common verb suffixes

Verbs are typically defined as ‘action words’ that show action or a state of being and can often be recognized by their position in a sentence. Common verb suffixes are therefore used to describe an action that happens in the past, present, or future.

2. 
   Common adverb suffixes

Adverbs have a similar name to verbs but a different function: they describe how an action is carried out. Adverbs can change or add detail to a verb, adjective, or whole clause. The common adverb suffixes below can be used to suggest how several actions occur, for example, quickly or slowly.

3. 
   Common adjective suffixes

An adjective is also known as a describing word. Adjectives are a necessary form of expression in descriptive writing. They provide vital details that help a reader visualize and comprehend a subject. Common adjective suffixes, therefore, show more detail for the reader.

4. 
   Common noun suffixes

A noun is a naming word for things, animals, people, places, and feelings. Nouns are also the building blocks for most sentences. Knowing various nouns allows people to communicate their ideas better and more precisely. Here are some commonly used noun suffixes and what they mean.

What are suffix spelling rules?

Hopefully, looking at those examples has given you a better idea of ‘what is a suffix?’. If you are teaching pupils how to add suffixes to words in the classroom, there are also a few spelling rules to help your little ones perfect their new vocabulary.

For example, adding a suffix to some words can change the spelling of the new term. Children will be taught the rules attached to certain suffixes. For example, when using the suffix -er, the spelling changes according to the root word.

Here’s a breakdown of just some of the essential rules to keep in mind when your learners are adding suffixes to the ends of root words:

• If a word has a short vowel sound and only one consonant, we often double up the last letter before adding a suffix. For instance, ‘fit’ becomes ‘fitter’ when we add the -er suffix and ‘drip’ becomes ‘dripping’ once the -ing suffix is attached.
• Another fundamental rule is that if a word ends in two consonants, then we often add the suffix as is. So, for example, we can stick ‘er’ to the end of ‘walk’ to form ‘walker’ since the root word has two consonants at the end.
• If a word ends in a consonant followed by a ‘y’, then we tend to get rid of the ‘y’ and add an ‘I’ to the end before attaching the suffix. So, for instance, the words ‘happy’ and ‘silly’ become ‘happier’ and ‘sillier’ when we attach -er.
• Another essential rule is that when a word ends with a silent ‘e,’ we often drop the ‘e’ when adding a suffix. For instance, ‘have’ becomes ‘having.’

Of course, there are lots of tricky exceptions that don’t fit these rules, and children might start to notice these when some words don’t sound quite right when suffixes are attached according to these rules. So it’s important to make kids aware of these exceptions and support them in memorizing them.