Word part · Anglo-Saxon suffix
Suffix -some words: meaning and 13 examples
In short
The Anglo-Saxon suffix -some (from Old English) means "tending to, or causing". Words with it include tiresome, awesome, lonesome, wholesome, fearsome and winsome. An Old English ending that makes a describing word: a tiresome chore tends to tire you.
- Part
- -some
- Meaning
- tending to, or causing
- Origin
- Anglo-Saxon
- Words listed
- 13
An Old English ending that makes a describing word: a tiresome chore tends to tire you. A y after a consonant turns to i: worrisome.
Words with the Anglo-Saxon suffix -some
The list runs from shorter, common words to longer ones. The bands are a rough guide built from syllable count and how common each word is in our word list, not a grade-level standard. Read each word, then its word sum.
Colors:prefixroot or basesuffix
Next: longer words (about grades 5 and 6)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| tiresome | tire (root or base)+some (suffix)→tiresome | making you tired or bored |
| awesome | awe (root or base)+some (suffix)→awesome | causing awe, or very good |
| troublesome | trouble (root or base)+some (suffix)→troublesome | causing trouble |
| quarrelsome | quarrel (root or base)+some (suffix)→quarrelsome | tending to quarrel |
| bothersome | bother (root or base)+some (suffix)→bothersome | causing bother |
| handsome | hand (root or base)+some (suffix)→handsome | good looking |
| worrisome | worry (root or base)+some (suffix)→worrisomechange y to i | causing worry |
| burdensome | burden (root or base)+some (suffix)→burdensome | heavy, like a burden |
| meddlesome | meddle (root or base)+some (suffix)→meddlesome | tending to meddle in other people's business |
Stretch: long or less common words (about grades 7 and 8)
| Word | Word sum | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| lonesome | lone (root or base)+some (suffix)→lonesome | feeling alone |
| wholesome | whole (root or base)+some (suffix)→wholesome | good for your body or mind |
| fearsome | fear (root or base)+some (suffix)→fearsome | causing fear |
| winsome | win (root or base)+some (suffix)→winsome | charming, winning people over |
How do you teach the suffix -some?
Start with tiresome and troublesome, two words a student can feel. A tiresome chore makes you tired; a troublesome dog makes trouble. Then show awesome, which once meant causing awe and now often means great. That shift is a fun talk point. Lonesome and wholesome follow, then quarrelsome and bothersome for older students. Worrisome is the one spelling change: the y of worry turns to i.
A quick routine
Write tire, trouble, fear, bother and lone. Say, "Some means tending to or causing. Fear plus some is fearsome: causing fear." The student builds each word and says the meaning in the frame "tends to ___." Ask, "What does handsome have to do with hands?" Explain that it once meant easy to handle. Close by dictating worrisome and checking the i.
What do students mix up with -some?
Something, someone and somewhere put the plain word some at the front, so they are compounds, not this suffix. Lonesome and lonely mean almost the same thing and confuse students in writing; both are fine. Awesome has also changed meaning over time, so an older book may use it for something that fills a person with fear.
Some of these words change spelling where the parts join. The spelling rules pages cover dropping e, doubling and changing y to i. For the sounds inside these words, see the phonics word lists. Routines that fit: meanings of prefixes and suffixes, circle the parts, read the base and flexible routine for big words.
Questions people ask
What does the suffix -some mean?
-some means "tending to, or causing". It is a Anglo-Saxon suffix. An Old English ending that makes a describing word: a tiresome chore tends to tire you. A y after a consonant turns to i: worrisome.
What are some words with the suffix -some?
Start with tiresome, awesome, troublesome and quarrelsome. Then move to lonesome and wholesome. This page lists 13 words in all, most with a word sum that shows the parts.
Did awesome always mean great?
No. It first meant causing awe, a mix of wonder and fear, as in an awesome storm. The everyday sense of very good came much later. Both meanings still show up, so the student should read the sentence around it.
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