[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/ful/)

[dictionaries](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [English](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/) / [F](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/f/) / ful

# ful

suffix fragment (-ful); not a word on its own

«ful» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. «-ful» is an ending added to a word to make an adjective meaning «full of» or «having»: careful, hopeful, colourful, helpful. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#m1)
2. «-ful» added to a container noun makes a noun for an amount: a spoonful, a handful, a cupful. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#m2)
3. As a separate word «ful» is not English; it is a fragment, a spelling mistake for «full», or part of a broken word. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#m3)

### In the lessons

In spelling lessons, pupils learn that the suffix has only one «l»: «beautiful», not «beautifull», even though «full» has two. When added to a word ending in «y», the y changes to i: beauty → beautiful, pity → pitiful. In maths and cooking, «a spoonful» and «a cupful» are amounts. Phrases: careful, wonderful, thankful, mouthful.

### Examples

- Be careful when you cross the road. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#x1)
- Add two spoonfuls of sugar. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#x2)
- She was hopeful about the test. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#x3)
- The garden was full of colourful flowers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#x4)
- Spell «helpful» with one «l» at the end. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#x5)
- He grabbed a handful of sweets. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#x6)
- How thank-ful-ly he looked at the man who had brought it! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/#x7)

### Note

Not a word by itself; write «full» when you mean the word. The suffix «-ful» always has one «l». Plural of «spoonful» is «spoonfuls» (not «spoonsful»). Opposite suffix is often «-less»: careful / careless, hopeful / hopeless.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «ful» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/ful/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«ful» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/ful.html) on Mova free.