suffix
gb/sˈʌfɪks/ us/sˈʌfɪks/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
technical
B2
entity
1
ending added to a word
A suffix is letters you put at the end of a word, like -ness or -ed.
Usage pattern:
the suffix [-letters] | a suffix on/to [a word]
Common mistake:
Learners often mix up suffix (end) with prefix (beginning).
Synonyms
ending (More general; not necessarily a grammatical unit.)
|
affix (Broader term that includes prefixes and suffixes.)
Antonyms
prefix (An affix added to the beginning of a word.)
Collocations
add a suffix
|common suffix
|a noun suffix
|a verb suffix
|an adjective suffix
|a plural suffix
|a past-tense suffix
|a diminutive suffix
|the suffix -ness
|the suffix -able
Themes
linguistics
|education
|writing
Examples
- The suffix “-ness” turns many adjectives into nouns, as in “kindness.”
- In English, “-s” is a common suffix for forming plurals.
- She explained how the suffix “-ed” often marks the past tense.
Learner examples
- “Unhappy” has a prefix, but “happiness” has a suffix.
- I added the suffix “-s” to make the word plural.
Noun
C1
entity
2
ending added to a name or label
A suffix can be extra characters at the end of a name or label that give more information.
Usage pattern:
a suffix on/to [something]
Common mistake:
In computing, learners may confuse a file suffix (like .pdf) with the whole file name.
Synonyms
extension (Common in computing for file types (e.g., .jpg).)
|
addition (Very general; not specifically at the end.)
Antonyms
prefix (Something added to the beginning rather than the end.)
Collocations
file suffix
|a name suffix
|a suffix field
|a suffix indicates
|add a suffix to a filename
|use a suffix to distinguish
|a version suffix
|a numeric suffix
|a suffix like “Jr.”
|a suffix like “.pdf”
Themes
computing
|names
|business
Examples
- Please add a numeric suffix to the folder name so we can tell the versions apart.
- The file suffix “.csv” indicates the data is stored as comma-separated values.
- His legal name includes the suffix “Jr.”
Learner examples
- This document has the suffix “.pdf”.
- He uses “III” as a suffix in his name.
Verb
technical
C1
action
3
add an ending to a word
To suffix a word is to add letters to its end.
Usage pattern:
suffix [something] (with [something])
Common mistake:
This verb is much less common than the noun; learners may prefer 'add a suffix' in general writing.
Synonyms
append (General term for adding at the end; not limited to word parts.)
|
add (Very general; does not specify adding at the end.)
Antonyms
prefix (To add something to the beginning instead of the end.)
Collocations
suffix a stem
|suffix a word
|suffix the root
|suffix a form with -ed
|suffixing rules
Themes
linguistics
|education
|writing
Examples
- In this pattern, you suffix the verb with “-ing” to form the present participle.
- Some languages suffix multiple endings to the same word stem.
- The rule suffixes “-s” to most nouns to make them plural.
Learner examples
- We can suffix “-ed” to make the past tense.
Grammar
Dictionary form
suffix
IPA
GB/sˈʌfɪks/
US/sˈʌfɪks/
Syllables & stress
suf - fix (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (suf)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: suffix
- Plural: suffixes
Verb
- Base: suffix
- 3rd Person Singular: suffixes
- Present Participle: suffixing
- Past: suffixed
Expressions
derivational suffix
1/dˈɛɹɪvˈeɪʃənəl sˈʌfɪks/
fixed phrase
technical
suffix that makes a new word
A derivational suffix makes a new word, like “-ness” in “happiness.”
Examples
- “-ness” is a derivational suffix that turns adjectives into nouns.
- Some derivational suffixes change the meaning more than the grammar.
file suffix
1/fˈaɪl sˈʌfɪks/
fixed phrase
ending that shows file type
A file suffix is the ending of a file name, like “.docx”.
Examples
- If you change the file suffix, the computer may not open the file correctly.
- The file suffix “.png” is common for images.
inflectional suffix
1/ɪnflˈɛkʃənəl sˈʌfɪks/
fixed phrase
technical
suffix that shows grammar
An inflectional suffix changes grammar, like “-s” for plurals.
Examples
- In English, “-ed” is an inflectional suffix used in many past-tense forms.
- The teacher asked students to underline the inflectional suffix in each verb.
name suffix
1/nˈeɪm sˈʌfɪks/
fixed phrase
ending in a person’s name
A name suffix is an extra part at the end of a name, like “Jr.”
Examples
- The application form has a separate box for a name suffix.
- He shares his father’s name, but his name suffix is “Jr.”