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# suffix

noun (a suffix, suffixes)

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

## Everyday

1. A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to make a new word or change how it is used, like -ful in «hopeful», -ness in «kindness» or -ed in «jumped». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#m1)
2. In maths and computing, a suffix can be letters or a number added to the end of a name or code. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#m2)

### In the lessons

In English grammar and spelling lessons (and SATs), suffixes are key: -s and -es make plurals, -ed and -ing change verb tense, -er and -est compare, and -ful, -less, -ness, -ment, -ly, -tion make new words. Spelling rules apply: double the consonant (run → running), drop the e (hope → hoping), change y to i (happy → happiness). Phrases: add a suffix, the suffix -ly, root word and suffix.

### Examples

- Add the suffix -ful to «help» to make «helpful». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#x1)
- «-ly» is a suffix that turns «quick» into «quickly». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#x2)
- The suffix -less means «without», as in «homeless». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#x3)
- Underline the suffix in «enjoyment». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#x4)
- Adding -ing to «swim» doubles the m. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#x5)
- The suffix -er can mean «a person who does it», as in «teacher». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#x6)
- When you add the suffix -ness to «happy», y changes to i. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#x7)
- Some words have two suffixes, like «care-ful-ly». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/suffix/#x8)

### Note

Countable: a suffix, suffixes (add -es after x). Pronounced «SUF-ix». A suffix goes at the END; a prefix goes at the START (un- in «unhappy»). The word you add it to is the root or base word. A suffix can change the word class: «kind» (adjective) → «kindness» (noun).

## On Mova

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