What does suffix mean?
Word: Suffix
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Suffix means a letter or group of letters added after a word to make a new word, such as -ness in kindness or -ly in quickly.
How do you spell suffix?
Syllables: suf - fix
Tricky part: Many students hear only one f sound and write sufix. The word has a double f, the same pair you see in muffin and puffin.
Watch out for: sufix, suffics
Memory tip: Two f's hold hands in this word, the way a suffix holds on to the back of another word.
Suffix in a sentence
Example 1: In the word painter, the suffix -er tells you it names a person who does something.
Example 2: Our English teacher asked us to add a suffix to joy and make two new words.
Example 3: Aman knew that the suffix -less in careless means 'without'.
Fun Fact
The word goes back to a Latin verb meaning 'to fasten underneath', because a suffix is fastened on after the main part of a word.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct letters to form a word:
s_ff_x
a) a, i
b) u, e
c) u, i
d) o, i
Show answer
c) u, i. Say it aloud: the first vowel is the short u of sun and the second is the short i of six.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word suffix as used in the sentence:
Our teacher underlined the suffix in the word spotless and asked what it meant.
a) ending
b) syllable
c) root
d) beginning
Show answer
a) ending. The -less of spotless comes at the end, so a suffix is a kind of ending.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. adjetive 2. prefix 3. suffix 4. syllable
a) a word that describes a noun
b) a word part placed after a word to make a new one
c) a word part placed before a word to change its meaning
d) a unit of sound with one vowel sound in it
Show answer
a) a word that describes a noun. Adjective has a c before the t; suffix, prefix and syllable are spelt correctly.
Mingle-Mangle
Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose the correct word:
The fxsufi -ful turns the noun hope into an adjective.
a) suffix
b) prefix
c) suffer
d) suffice
Show answer
a) suffix. Suffice has a c and an e, suffer an e and an r, and prefix a p and an r, so only suffix uses these six letters.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A suffix can change a word's job. Which pair shows a verb becoming a noun?
a) teach and teacher
b) tall and taller
c) happy and unhappy
d) write and rewrite
Show answer
a) teach and teacher
2. In which of these words is -ment a suffix?
a) moment
b) mental
c) payment
d) mention
Show answer
c) payment
