Common Vocabulary Suffixes
Part of the Vocabulary For Dummies Cheat Sheet
When you’re stretching your vocabulary, pay attention to the endings of new words (their suffixes) for clues to their meaning. The following table lists common suffixes and their meanings:
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| able/ible | capable or worthy of, fit for; tending to, causing, given to, or liable to | commendable, edible, impressionable |
| d/ed | indicates past tense of a verb | baffled, flummoxed, wasted |
| ence/ance | quality or state; an action or process | clearance, reference, remembrance |
| ing | indicates the present-perfect tense of a verb (such verbs are called gerunds) | admiring, discussing, perplexing |
| ion | act, result of an act, or state or condition | integration, obsession, possession |
| ment | an action, process, or act of a specified kind | bereavement, merriment, movement |
| s/es | indicates the plural form of a noun | analyses, arguments, results |
