Rules for Adding Suffixes to Root
words
|
*Notes
– not all suffixes can be used with all root
words
- not a complete list of all
suffixes
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Suffix begins with a vowel
-able/ible;
-ance/ence; -ed; -en;
-er; -est; -ist; -ion
-ise/ize; -ity; -ive
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Suffix begins with a
consonant
-ful; -less; -ly; -ment;
-ness; -tion
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-ing
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-y
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Root word ends in a consonant + “y”
eg. - rely funny fancy
try mercy marry
merry noisy
ordinary
apply
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Change “y”
to “i”, then + “suffix”
tried reliable
funnier fanciest
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Change “y”
to “i”, then + “suffix”
merciless
merriment noisily
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+ ”ing”
relying marrying
trying
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|
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Root word ends in a vowel + “y”
eg.- play toy key employ
enjoy obey
portray
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+ “suffix”
player
keyed employable
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+ “suffix”
toyless enjoyment
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+ ”ing”
obeying
enjoying playing
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|
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Root word ends in silent “e”
eg. - inflate remove decorate hope
appreciate bare excite
encourage
reduce taste race
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remove “e”,
then + “suffix”
inflatable appreciative remover
decoration
racist
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+ “suffix”
hopeful
barely excitement reduction
tasteless
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remove “e”,
then + “ing”
encouraging hoping
decorating
reducing
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remove “e”,
then + “y”
tasty
|
|
Root word ends in
2 consonants
eg. - reach perform possess
jump bright collect
help soft test
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+ “suffix”
performance possessive tester collectable soften
brightest reached
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+ “suffix”
helpful
softness
brightly
helpless
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+ ”ing”
reaching jumping
performing
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+ ”y”
jumpy
testy
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Root word
ends in a short vowel sound + consonant
eg. shop
pin flat
rim
rot sad run
bad fat hot
sun mud
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double last letter, then +
“suffix”
shopped hotter/hottest
flatten runner
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+ “suffix”
badly rimless sadness
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double last letter, then
+ ”ing”
pinning running
rotting
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double last letter, then
+ ”y”
fatty runny
sunny
muddy
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|
Root word
ends in a long vowel sound + consonant
eg. keep fair
clean cream cheap boast
soap seam
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+ “suffix”
cheapen
fairer/fairest
cleaner
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+ “suffix”
boastful
seamless fairly
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+ ”ing”
keeping cleaning
boasting
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+ ”y”
soapy creamy
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