In English there are many word beginnings (prefixes) and word endings (suffixes) that can be added to a word to change its meaning or its word class. The most common ones are shown here, with examples of how they are used in the process of word formation. Many more are listed in the dictionary.
VERB FORMATION
The endings -ize and -ify can be added to many nouns and adjectives to form verbs, like this:
American | -ize | Americanize |
legal | legalize | |
modern | modernize | |
popular | popularize |
They want to make the factory more modern. They want to modernize the factory.
beauty | -ify | beautify |
false | falsify | |
pure | purify | |
simple | simplify |
These tablets make the water pure. They purify the water.
ADVERB FORMATION
The ending -ly can be added to most adjectives to form adverbs, like this:
easy | -ly | easily |
main | mainly | |
quick | quickly | |
stupid | stupidly |
His behaviour was stupid. He behaved stupidly.
NOUN FORMATION
The endings -er, -ment, and -ation can be added to many verbs to form nouns, like this:
drive | -er | driver |
fasten | fastener | |
open | opener | |
teach | teacher |
John drives a bus. He is a bus
driver.
A can opener is a tool for opening
cans.
amaze | -ment | amazement |
develop | development | |
pay | payment | |
retire | retirement |
Children develop very quickly. Their development is very quick.
admire | -ation | admiration |
associate | association | |
examine | examination | |
organize | organization |
The doctor examined me carefully. He gave me a careful examination.
The endings -ity and -ness can be added to many adjectives to form nouns, like this:
cruel | -ity | cruelty |
odd | oddity | |
pure | purity | |
stupid | stupidity |
Don’t be so cruel. I hate cruelty.
dark | -ness | darkness |
deaf | deafness | |
happy | happiness | |
kind | kindness |
It was very dark. The darkness made it impossible to see.
ADJECTIVE FORMATION
The endings -y, -ic, -ical, -ful, and -less can be added to many nouns to form adjectives like this:
bush | -y | bushy |
dirt | dirty | |
hair | hairy | |
smell | smelly |
There was an awful smell in the room. The room was very smelly.
atom | -ic -ical |
atomic |
biology | biological | |
grammar | grammatical | |
poetry | poetic |
This book contains exercises on grammar. It contains grammatical exercises.
pain | -ful | painful |
hope | hopeful | |
care | careful |
His broken leg caused him a lot of pain. It was very painful.
pain | -less | painless |
hope | hopeless | |
care | careless |
The operation didn’t cause her any pain. It was painless.
The ending -able can be added to many verbs to form adjectives, like this:
wash | -able | washable |
love | lovable | |
debate | debatable | |
break | breakable |
You can wash this coat. It’s washable.
OPPOSITES
The following prefixes can be used in front of many words to produce an opposite meaning. Note, however, that the words formed in this way are not always exact opposites and may have a slightly different meaning.
un- | happy | unhappy |
fortunate | unfortunate | |
wind | unwind | |
block | unblock |
I’m not very happy. In fact I’m very unhappy.
in- im- il- ir- |
efficient | inefficient |
possible | impossible | |
literate | illiterate | |
regular | irregular |
It’s just not possible to do that, it’s impossible.
dis- | agree | disagree |
approve | disapprove | |
honest | dishonest |
I don’t agree with everything you said. I disagree with the last part.
de- | centralize | decentralize |
increase | decrease | |
ascend | descend | |
inflate | deflate |
Increase means to make or become larger in amount or number. Decrease means to make or become smaller in amount or number.
non- | sense | nonsense |
payment | non-payment | |
resident | non-resident | |
conformist | nonconformist |
The hotel serves meals to residents (=people who are staying in the hotel) only. Non-residents are not allowed in.