Glossary · Word parts and vocabulary
What is a suffix?
Definition
A suffix is a part attached after a base that changes its meaning, its grammar or both, such as -ful in helpful or -ed in jumped.
Suffixes come in two kinds. Inflectional suffixes change grammar without changing the word's job: -s, -es, -ed, -ing, -er, -est. Derivational suffixes make a new word, often of a new part of speech: -ful turns help into an adjective, -ness turns kind into a noun.
Suffixes cause more spelling trouble than prefixes, because they can change the base. Vowel suffixes trigger the doubling rule (running), the drop-e rule (hoping) and the change y to i rule (happier).
Suffixes also shift stress and vowel sounds in longer words. Compare photograph and photography. Students who know the parts can follow the shift; students who don't find these words hard to read.
In a lesson
Write careful, careless and carefully. The student boxes care in each and names the suffixes. Then ask what -less means, and what careless means.
Examples
Each word with its spelling units, one per sound.
- carefulc·are·f·u·l
- carelessc·are·l·e·ss
- carefullyc·are·f·u·ll·y
- kindnessk·i·n·d·n·e·ss
Words come from our lexicon, checked against a pronouncing dictionary. Words a student sees in our assessments are left out.
Why does this matter for the record?
Rate suffix meaning and suffix spelling separately. Most students learn what -ful means long before they spell every suffixed word correctly.
Rate each skill as you teach it
Needs support, Developing, Secure. The rating schedules the review and builds the report.