Word formation Common suffixes and examples Noun suffixes suffix examples of nouns -age baggage, village, postage -al arrival, burial, deferral -ance/-ence reliance, defence, insistence -dom boredom, freedom, kingdom -ee employee, payee, trainee -er/-or driver, writer, director -hood brotherhood, childhood, neighbourhood -ism capitalism, Marxism, socialism (philosophies) -ist capitalist, Marxist, socialist (followers of philosophies) -ity/-ty brutality, equality, cruelty -ment amazement, disappointment, parliament -ness happiness, kindness, usefulness -ry entry, ministry, robbery -ship friendship, membership, workmanship -sion/-tion/-xion expression, population, complexion Adjective suffixes suffix examples of adjectives -able/-ible drinkable, portable, flexible -al brutal, formal, postal -en broken, golden, wooden -ese Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese -ful forgetful, helpful, useful -i Iraqi, Pakistani, Yemeni -ic classic, Islamic, poetic -ish British, childish, Spanish -ive active, passive, productive -ian Canadian, Malaysian, Peruvian -less homeless, hopeless, useless -ly daily, monthly, yearly -ous cautious, famous, nervous -y cloudy, rainy, windy Verb suffixes suffix examples of verbs -ate complicate, dominate, irritate -en harden, soften, shorten -ify beautify, clarify, identify -ise/-ize economise, realise, industrialize (-ise is most common in British English; -ize is most common in American English) Adverb suffixes suffix examples of adverbs -ly calmly, easily, quickly -ward(s) downwards, homeward(s), upwards -wise anti-clockwise, clockwise, edgewise http://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/word-formation/suffixes