Word Formation

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.