PREFIXES

1) Negative Prefixes
Prefix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
a– adj. not, without amoral, asexual
anti – adj., nouns against antisocial, anti-war, antiseptic
counter – adj., verbs, nouns against counteract, counter-revolution(ary)
de – verbs reversing action defrost, deregulate
verbs take away deforest
dis – adj., verbs, nouns not, opposite disloyal, disappear, disorder, dishonest
verbs reversing action disconnect, disinfect
ex – nouns former ex-husband
il – adj. not, opposite (before L) illegal, illegible
ill – past participles badly ill-advised, ill-expressed
im – adj. not, opposite (before M or P) impatient, immoral, impossible, imperfect
in – adj. not, opposite incomplete, incorrect, indifferent, insensitive
ir – adj. not, opposite (before R) irregular, irrelevant, irrational, irresponsible
mal – adj., verbs, nouns bad(ly) maltreat, malformed, malfunction, maladjusted
mis – verbs, nouns wrong(ly) misunderstand, misconduct
non – nouns, adj. not non-alcoholic, non-smoker, non-stick
over – adj., verbs too much over-confident, overeat, overweight, overdue
un – adj., nouns not, opposite unhappy, uncertain, unexpected
verbs reverse action untie, undress, unthinkable
under – verbs too little underestimate
participles under-developed, undercooked

2) Prefixes of Size
Prefix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
hyper – adj., nouns extreme(ly) hypercritical, hypertension, hyperactive
macro – adj., nouns large macroeconomics, macromolecular
mega – adj. (informal) extremely mega-rich
micro – adj. nouns very small microlight (aircraft), micrometre
mini – nouns little miniskirt, minicab
semi – adj., nouns half semi-conscious, semicircle
super – adj., nouns more than, special supernatural, supermarket, superhuman
ultra – adj., nouns extreme, beyond ultra-modern, ultrasound

3) Prefixes of Location
Prefix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
Anglo – adj. English Anglo-American
eco – adj., nouns environment eco-friendly, eco-tourism
Euro – adj., nouns European Eurocentric, Europop
extra – adj. outside extra-terrestrial
geo – adj., nouns earth geothermal, geophysics
infra – adj. below infra-red
inter – adj., verbs between, among international, intermarry
mid – nouns in the middle of mid-December, med-afternoon
pan – adj. right across pan-African, pandemic
peri – adj., nouns around perinatal, perimeter
sub – adj., nouns below sub-standard, subconscious, subway, subnormal
tele – nouns distant telescope
trans – adj., verbs across transatlantic, transplant

4) Prefixes of Time and Order

Prefix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
ante – adj., verbs, nouns before antenatal, antedate, anteroom
fore – verbs, nouns before foretell, foreknowledge

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neo – adj., nouns new(ly) neo-classical, neo-Nazi
post – adj., nouns after post-modern, post-war
pre – adj., nouns before premarital, pre-war, preheat
retro – adj., nouns back towards the past retroactive, retrograde

5) Prefixes of Numbers
Prefix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
bi – adj., nouns two bilingual, bicycle
cent(i) – nouns hundredth centimetre, centilitre
deca – nouns ten decalitre, decathlon
deci – adj., nouns ten decimal, decimetre
hex(a) – adj., nouns six hexadecimal, hexameter
kilo – nouns thousand kilometre, kilogram
mega – nouns million megabyte
milli – nouns thousandth millisecond
mono – adj., nouns one monogamous, monorail
multi – adj., nouns many multilingual, multi-purpose
oct(o) – adj., nouns eight octagon(al), octopus
omni adj. all omnipresent
out verbs, nouns do/be more than outrun, outnumber (vb.)
penta – adj., nouns five pentagon(al), pentathlon
poly – adj., nouns many polyglot, polygon
quadr – adj., nouns four quadrilateral, adj., nouns
sept – nouns seven septet
tri – adj. nouns three tripartite, triangle
uni – adj., nouns one unilateral, unicycle

6) Verb Prefixes
Prefix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
em – verbs empower
en – verbs encourage

7) Other Prefixes
Prefix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
arch – nouns supreme, most archbishop, arch-enemy
auto – adj., nouns self automatic, autobiography
co – verbs, nouns together (with) co-operate, co-pilot
cyber nouns computer, internet cybercrime, cybercrime
e– nouns electronic, internet email, e-commerce, e-book
en – nouns put in endanger, encircle
adj. make enrich, enable
extra – adj. exceptionally extra-special
photo – adj., nouns light photoelectric, photosynthesis
pro – adj., nouns for, in favour of pro-communist, pro-government (adj.)
pseudo – adj. false pseudo-academic
psycho – adj., nouns mind, mental psycho-analysis
re – verbs, nouns again, back rewrite, rebuild, reconstruction
socio – adj., nouns society socio-economic
thermo – adj., nouns heat thermos-electric, thermometer
vice – nouns deputy vice-chairman

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SUFFIXES
1) Noun – Forming Suffixes
Suffix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
- age verbs instance of breakage, shrinkage, postage
- al verbs instance of refusal, dismissal, arrival
- ance, ancy adj., verbs process/state of acceptance, resistance, performance, expectancy
- ar verbs sb who does sth liar, beggar
- ate verbs group of people electorate
- ation verbs process/state of exploration, starvation
verbs product of organisation, foundation
- cy adj., nouns state/quality of being sth accuracy, bankruptcy
adj., nouns rank or position baronetcy
- dom nouns territory / estate kingdom, dukedom
adj. condition / state freedom, boredom
- ee verbs object of verb payee, employee, trainee
- eer nouns sb that does/makes sth engineer, profiteer, auctioneer
- ence, ency adj., verbs process/state of existence, independence, preference, presidency
- ent adj., nouns sb or sth that does sth student, (p)resident, independent
- er adj., nouns belonging to teenager, Londoner
verbs person/thing that does sth dancer, writer, driver, scraper, starter
- ery, ry verbs activity bakery, refinery
adj., nouns quality/condition bravery, discovery, slavery
adj., nouns kind of finery, machinery
- ess nouns female lioness, waitress
- ette nouns small kitchenette
nouns woman doing a job usherette
nouns not real but imitation flannelette, leatherette
- ful nouns amount held in mouthful, spoonful, cupful
- head nouns top of sth pithead, letterhead
nouns place where sth begins fountainhead
- hood nouns state / period of time parenthood, childhood
nouns group boyhood, priesthood, brotherhood
- ing nouns quantity of material carpeting, tubing
nouns activity farming, surfing
- ion, sion, tion verbs act/state/result of doing sth attention, decision, election, extension, possession
- ism nouns belief or religion socialism, Buddhism
nouns action/process of doing sth criticism
nouns quality of action/remark witticism
nouns be/have quality heroism, magnetism
nouns illness caused by too much alcoholism
nouns treating people unfairly sexism, racism
- itis nouns illness tonsillitis
nouns have too much (humour.) televisionitis
- ity, ty adj. quality of elasticity, falsity, safety, certainty
- ment verbs process/result of agreement, arrangement, government,
- ness adj. quality of meanness, happiness, sadness
- ocracy nouns government by democracy
- ology nouns study of sociology
- or verbs person/thing that does sth actor, protector, editor, calculator
- ory verbs place/thing observatory
- phile nouns lover of Anglophile
- phobe nouns hater, fearer of Anglophobe
- phobia nouns irrational fear of arachnophobia
- ship nouns position or job professorship, premiership
nouns state of having sth ownership, friendship
nouns art or skill musicianship, scholarship
nouns group readership

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 adj. the act of being hardship
- ure verbs show action failure, closure, exposure

2) Noun or adjectives – Forming Suffixes

Suffix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
- an nouns sb or sth of, from suburban, Republican, Moroccan, Roman
nouns skilled historian
- ant verbs sb or sth that does sth assistant, hesitant, pleasant, servant, tolerant
- ese place nouns inhabitant / language of Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Milanese
- i(a)n nouns who practices Dickensian, librarian, musician, historian
nouns citizen of Athenian, Parisian, Canadian, Malaysian, Peruvian
- ist nouns who believes Buddhist, atheist, nationalist
nouns who studies/plays/does linguist, novelist, guitarist, machinist, pianist
nouns who treats unfairly sexist , racist
nouns political/religious belief socialist, rightist, leftist
- ite place nouns who lives /belongs to group Brooklynite, Israelite
nouns follower / political/religious Reaganite, Pre-Raphaelite, Trotskyite

3) Verb – Forming Suffixes

Suffix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
- ate nouns; adj. causative; having a quality orchestrate, chlorinate; activate, regulate
- en adj. make or become darken, harden, deafen, ripen, strenghten
- ify adj., nouns causative; make simplify, electrify
- ize / - ise adj., nouns various modernise, symbolise, realize, humanize

4) Adjective – Forming Suffix

Suffix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
- able verbs can be (done) changeable, drinkable, calculable, washable
nouns having to quality of fashionable, changeable, comfortable
- al nouns relating to the noun logical, accidental, mechanical, professional
- ar nouns related to sth stellar, polar, circular
- ate nouns full of, showing a quality affectionate, fortunate
- centric nouns centred on Eurocentric
- ed nouns having the wooded, pointed, blue-eyed
verbs how someone feels scared, bored
- en nouns made of wooden, golden
- ent verbs that is or does sth different, resident, sufficient
- esque nouns in the manner or style of Kafkaesque, Romanesque
nouns having a quality picturesque, statuesque, grotesque
- ful nouns full of, providing beautiful, careful, useful, helpful,
-i place nouns citizen of Iraqi, Pakistani, Yemeni
- ible verbs can be (done) comprehensible, responsible, visible
- ic nouns related to Islamic, automatic, mythic, electric
- ical nouns related to electrical, musical, technological
- ing verbs sth that caused the feeling amazing, interesting
- ish adj., nouns rather (like) reddish, childish, foolish, thirtyish
place noun inhabitant of, language of British, Turkish
- ive verbs can do/ does attractive, selective
- less nouns without useless, endless, careless, ageless, powerless
- let nouns small kind of sth booklet, piglet
- like nouns like businesslike, lifelike, childlike
- ling nouns small, young, or less important duckling, princeling
- ly nouns with the quality of lovely, friendly, motherly
nouns how often daily, hourly, weekly
- ory verbs does a particular thing explanatory, congratulatory, satisfactory, sensory
- ous nouns having dangerous, virtuous, ambitious, luxurious
- proof nouns protected/ -ing against bullet-proof, waterproof
- some verbs a tendency to, behave bothersome, fearsome, troublesome
- ular nouns of or relating to sth triangular, glandular, tubular

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 - ward adj. towards backward, northward
-y nouns like, characterized by sleazy, crazy, dolly, hasty, greasy, nerdy, smelly

5) Adverb – Forming Suffix

Suffix Mainly added to Usual meaning Noun
- ally adj. in an (adjective) way basically, presumably
- ly adj. in an (adjective) way completely, beautifully, calmly, easily, quickly
- ward(s) adj. towards backwards, northward(s)
- wise noun feature of a situation crosswise, time-wise, lengthwise, clockwise

SUFFIXES
Adjective from Noun or Verbs
-able
accept acceptable The food was acceptable, but no more.
afford affordable They sell nice clothes at affordable prices.
avoid avoidable In spite of these latest threats, war may still be avoidable.
believe believable Her explanation certainly sounded believable.
change changeable The weather in Britain is notoriously changeable.
charity charitable The entire organization is funded by charitable donations.
comfort comfortable My room was very comfortable.
desire desirable The ability to speak a foreign language is highly desirable.
disagree disagreeable I don’t mind the heat but my wife finds it disagreeable.
dispose disposable Millions of disposable nappies are discarded every day.
drink drinkable This is a very drinkable wine.
eat eatable The bread was so old that it was hardly eatable.
enjoy enjoyable Games can make learning more enjoyable.
excuse excusable Considering her difficult childhood her behaviour is excusable.
fashion fashionable My friend is very fashionable.
forgive forgivable This was a blunder by Mr Baker, but it was a forgivable one.
identify identifiable In her bright yellow coat, she was easily identifiable in the crowd.
irritate irritable Be careful what you say - he’s rather irritable today.
knowledge knowledgeable My history teacher is very knowledgeable.
laugh laughable The fat man’s attempt to climb the tree was laughable.
manage manageable The work has been divided into smaller, more manageable sections.
predict predictable The ending to the film was just so predictable.
profit profitable It is not a very profitable business.
read readable It’s an excellent and highly readable account of the army today.
reason reasonable I thought it was a perfectly reasonable question.
recognise recognisable The Eiffel Tower in Paris is an instantly recognisable landmark.
rely reliable Gideon is very reliable - if he says he'll do something, he'll do it.
respect respectable Put a tie on - it’ll make you look more respectable.
understand understandable Their attitude is perfectly understandable.
use usable The specific software is also usable in other areas of research.
value valuable This old clock is very valuable.
wash washable The gloves are machine washable.
work workable Add more water until the dough is workable.
wonder wonderful We had a wonderful time in London!

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-ed
alarm alarmed I was alarmed by the loud bang.
aggravate aggravated He was charged with aggravated assault.
amaze amazed I’m amazed you’ve never heard of the Rolling Stones.
amuse amused He was amused to hear his little son singing in the bath.
annoy annoyed I’ll be annoyed if we don’t finish by eight.
appal appalled I am absolutely appalled by the state of our cities.
astonish astonished We were astonished to find the temple still in its original condition.
astound astounded He was astounded by his arrogance.
bewilder bewildered She was totally bewildered by his sudden change of mood.
bore bored The students looked bored as the teacher talked and talked.
captivate captivated The children were captivated by her stories.
challenge challenged I’m financially challenged at the moment.
charm charmed He was charmed by her beauty and wit.
concern concerned Divorce is very painful, especially when children are concerned.
confuse confused If you’re confused about anything, phone me.
convince convinced Molly agreed, but she did not sound very convinced.
delight delighted I'm absolutely delighted that you can come.
depress depressed She felt lonely and depressed.
devastate devastated She was left feeling totally devastated.
disappoint disappointed Dad seemed more disappointed than angry.
discourage discouraged A lot of players get discouraged and quit.
disgust disgusted Most locals are disgusted by the anti-foreigner violence.
distress distressed She was distressed to see he was crying.
disturb disturbed Police are very disturbed about the latest trend.
embarrass embarrassed He looked embarrassed when I asked him where he’d been.
enchant enchanted She was enchanted with the flowers you sent her.
encourage encouraged She felt encouraged by the many letters of support.
energise energised I felt very energised after my holiday.
exasperate exasperated He was becoming exasperated with the child.
excite excited I’m so excited! I’m going on holiday tomorrow!
exhaust exhausted I was exhausted ty the journey.
fascinate fascinated I was fascinated by her voice.
flatter flattered We were flattered by all the attention.
frighten frightened Don’t be frightened. We’re not going to hurt you.
frustrate frustrated She had become increasingly frustrated with her life.
fulfil fulfilled Adult education helps people achieve more fulfilled lives.
gratify gratified She was gratified to find that they had followed her advice.
horrify horrified She gazed him in horrified disbelief.
humiliate humiliated I never felt so humiliated in all my life.
impress impressed I was very impressed by one young man at my lectures.
inspire inspired We suspect that the violence was politically inspired.
insult insulted She felt insulted by the low offer.
interest interested He’s very interested in history.
intrigue intrigued He was intrigued by her reaction.
irritate irritated Her throat and eyes were irritated.
move moved She was moved by his speech.
mystify mystified They were totally mystified by the girl’s disappearance.
overwhelm overwhelmed The children were overwhelmed with excitement.
perplex perplexed The student looked at him, perplexed.
perturb perturbed William looked a little perturbed.
please pleased She was pleased with her exam results.
point pointed He’s got funny little pointed ears.
puzzle puzzled “Dinner?” Sam asked, looking puzzled.
relax relaxed Gail was lying in the sun looking very relaxed and happy.
satisfy satisfied I’m very satisfied that I managed to order the meal in French.
shock shocked He was shocked at what happened to his son.

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 surprise surprised We were greatly surprised at the news.
terrify terrified Sid is terrified of heights.
threaten threatened Britain’s fishing industry remains threatened.
thrill thrilled I was thrilled to win first prize in the competition.
tire tired He was too tired to argue.
touch touched We were deeply touched by their present.
trouble troubled Benson looked troubled when he heard the news.
unnerve unnerved She appeared strained and a little unnerved.
unsettle unsettled They all felt restless and unsettled.
wood wooded It’s a heavily wooded county.
worry worried I’m really worried about my sister.

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Adjective from Noun
-al
accident accidental Buy an insurance policy that covers accidental damage.
agriculture agricultural I come from an agricultural region.
architecture architectural There are all manner of architectural styles in the capital.
biology biological Biological weapons are very cruel.
centre central It is in central Manhattan.
chemistry chemical This substance is created through a chemical reaction.
clinic clinical She recently underwent a clinical evaluation in hospital.
coast coastal The coastal resorts are deserted in winter.
comic comical The note of pure panic in his voice was almost comical.
commerce commercial I think sport is too commercial.
crime criminal Your failure to report the information was criminal.
critic critical Many parents are strongly critical of the school.
culture cultural I think it is a cultural issue.
education educational The conference was very educational.
economy economical A small car is more economical to run.
electricity electrical He is a qualified electrical engineer.
environment environmental My sister is an environmental activist.
emotion emotional I am not a very emotional person.
experiment experimental Often, special pilot projects can be designed on an experimental basis.
face facial He doesn't have any facial hair.
fact factual I prefer factual TV programmes.
finance financial I need to speak to my financial advisor.
function functional The hospital will soon be fully functional.
globe global I am worried about global warming.
government governmental It is a non-governmental organisation.
herb herbal I like drinking herbal tea.
history historical I have read many historical books.
industry industrial My city used to be very industrial.
influence influential She is an influential writer.
logic logical The detective has to discover the murderer by logical deduction.
mechanic mechanical He is studying mechanical engineering.
medicine medical They are medical professionals.
mother maternal My maternal Grandfather fought in WWII.
music musical My brother is very musical.
nation national The national anthems are played before matches.
nature natural We need to look after the natural environment.
norm normal A normal working week is 38 hours.
origin original The original plan was to fly out to New York.
parent parental It is very important that children get parental support.
part partial The event was a partial success.
person personal That is personal information.
politics political There are three main political parties in the country.
post postal The postal services will not be working tomorrow.
practice practical A bike is much more practical than a car in the centre of town.
president presidential The US presidential campaign goes on forever!
profession professional I want to be a professional sportsman.
psychology psychological I think he’s got a psychological problem.
region regional My town is the regional capital.
season seasonal Many jobs in Spain are seasonal.
sex sexual Many people suffer sexual abuse in silence.
sentiment sentimental It’s a cheap ring but it has great sentimental value for me.
spirit spiritual I'm not religious, but I am spiritual.
structure structural The building suffered structural damage in the earthquake.
technology technological It was an great technological breakthrough.
theory theoretical I am interested in theoretical Physics.
tradition traditional This is a traditional dish in my country.

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-ful
beauty beautiful It is a really beautiful place.
care careful Be careful! It’s icy outside!
colour colourful My sister’s apartment is very colourful.
delight delightful The scenery is absolutely delightful.
doubt doubtful Here the tap water is of doubtful quality.
faith faithful Dogs are often faithful to their owners.
force forceful He put forward a forceful argument.
harm harmful Be careful - it is a harmful substance.
help helpful I always try to be helpful.
hope hopeful I am hopeful that the weather will be good.
joy joyful Christmas is such a joyful time of year.
meaning meaningful His speech was truly meaningful.
peace peaceful It is such a peaceful place.
power powerful There was a powerful storm.
respect respectful He likes his students to be respectful and call him sir.
stress stressful I’ve had a very stressful week.
pain painful My back is really painful today.
play playful Babies are playful and alert when they first wake up.
shame shameful The family kept their shameful secret for years.
skill skilful She is a skilful pianist.
success successful She is a successful lawyer.
thank thankful I’m really thankful that you came.
thought thoughtful That was a thoughtful thing to do.
use useful This is a very useful device.

-ic
allergy allergic I am allergic to nuts.
aristocrat aristocratic His aristocratic manner alienated many voters.
art artistic My sister is very artistic.
athlete athletic My brother is very athletic.
base basic The basic idea is simple..
character characteristic That was an un-characteristic mistake.
democracy democratic He doesn’t rule in a democratic way.
drama dramatic It was a very dramatic match.
economy economic Our priority is to solve the country’s economic problems.
electricity electric Is your cooker gas or electric?
energy energetic The energetic young boy ran all the way to the tree and back.
enthusiasm enthusiastic My students are not very enthusiastic.
gene genetic They say that hair loss is genetic.
hero heroic The soldiers did many heroic deeds.
history historic Obama’s election was an historic event.
ideal idealistic She’s still young and idealistic.
irony ironic He was greeted with ironic cheers from opposition MPs.
Islam Islamic I love Islamic art.
language linguistic He is a linguistic genius.
metal metallic The key turned in the lock with a loud metallic click.
myth mythic He became a mythic figure in publishing.
nostalgia nostalgic Seeing those old school photographs has made me feel nostalgic.
optimism optimistic I am feeling optimistic about the future.
poet poetic It’s a very poetic novel.
problem problematic Your suggestion is problematic for a number of reasons.
romance romantic We had a romantic weekend in London
strategy strategic It was a strategic decision.
system systematic We are trying to find a systematic way to learn languages.

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-less
age ageless The ageless singer looked flawless.
care careless I am quite careless. I always lose stuff.
child childless It was a happy but childless marriage.
defence defenceless He played right into my vulnerable defenceless beginner trap.
effort effortless George rose to his feet with a single effortless movement.
end endless The journey seemed to be endless.
fault faultless The horse gave a faultless performance.
fear fearless These animals are fearless and very aggressive.
harm harmless Don't worry - the dog is harmless.
help helpless The kittens were helpless.
home homeless There are lots of homeless people here.
hope hopeless It’s hopeless. We’ll never finish in time.
joy joyless Jane is trapped in a joyless marriage.
law lawless The film is set in a lawless city some time in the future.
life lifeless Anton’s lifeless body was found floating I the lake.
meaning meaningless Everything is meaningless!
pain painless The train is a quick and painless way to travel.
point pointless That meeting was completely pointless.
power powerless I felt powerless. I couldn't do anything
price priceless This Roman jewellery is priceless.
sense senseless Her dead seemed such a senseless waste of life.
shame shameless They seem to have a shameless disregard for truth.
sleep sleepless Adrian spent a sleepless night wondering what to do.
use useless The screen is broken so the phone is useless now.

-ly
day daily Invoices are signed on a daily basis.
death deadly His face had a deadly paleness.
friend friendly Why is he suddenly so friendly toward you, Kelly?
god godly We want to know what to believe, what to do, how to live the godly life.
love lovely She has a lovely face.
mother motherly She was a plump, motherly woman in her fifties.

-ous
adventure adventurous My Grandma is very adventurous.
ambition ambitious My friend is very ambitious.
courage courageous He was given a medal for his courageous action.
danger dangerous This is a dangerous place.
delicacy delicious The delicious smell of freshly made coffee came from the kitchen.
disaster disastrous Climate change could have disastrous effects on Earth.
envy envious Colleagues were envious of her success.
fame famous I want to be famous one day.
fury furious He’s furious about the way he’s been treated.
generosity generous She’s always very generous to the kids.
glory glorious We had a glorious time in the south of France last summer.
humour humorous Her latest book is a humorous look at teenage life.
joy joyous Our music is a joyous celebration of life.
luxury luxurious We stayed in a luxurious hotel.
mountain mountainous The plane crashed in a mountainous area.
nerve nervous I am feeling nervous about my exam.
number numerous The stars are too numerous to count.
outrage outrageous I must apologise for my outrageous behaviour.
poison poisonous Those mushrooms are poisonous.
religion religious I am not very religious.
ridicule ridiculous The price of the meal was ridiculous. I just couldn’t afford it.

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 space spacious It is a very spacious apartment.
study studious She was a studious child, happiest when reading.
virtue virtuous She described them as virtuous and hard-working people.

-y
anger angry He is really angry about it.
blood bloody He had a bloody nose.
cloud cloudy It’s usually cloudy in my town.
cost costly It was a very costly mistake.
craze crazy The neighbours must thing we’re crazy.
cream creamy This milk is really creamy.
dirt dirty How did you get so dirty?
dust dusty The shelves are really dusty.
ease easy The station is within easy reach of the town centre.
fat fatty You should eat less fatty food.
fault faulty I send the printer back to the shop because it was faulty.
fog foggy It was really foggy when I woke up.
fun funny Do you remember any funny stories about work?
gloom gloomy The report paint a gloomy picture of the economy.
grease greasy He propped his elbows upon a creasy counter.
greed greedy Don't be greedy - leave some for me!
guilt guilty The judge decided that he was guilty.
hair hairy My Dad has a hairy chest!
haste hasty He soon regretted his hasty decision.
health healthy I’ve always been perfectly healthy until now.
hunger hungry I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?
ice icy The street is very icy today.
juice juicy This is a really juicy tomato!
luck lucky We were lucky to win the match.
mess messy Your work is very messy. Try to be neater.
mist misty It was a misty night and I couldn't see far.
mood moody Keith had seemed moody all morning.
mud muddy Don’t bring those muddy boots inside!
nerd nerdy When I was a nerdy kid, I got bullied a lot.
noise noisy The kids were very noisy.
oil oily This fish is so oily!
rain rainy It was another rainy day.
risk risky It was a risky thing to do.
rock rocky We stayed on a rocky island.
salt salty This fish is too salty.
sand sandy There are lots of sandy beaches in France.
scare scary It was a really scary moment.
sleep sleepy I’m sleepy. Let’s go to bed.
snow snowy I love snowy days.
smell smelly He had extremely smelly feet.
spice spicy Indian food is usually very spicy.
sleaze sleazy This part of town is full of sleazy bars and restaurants.
spice spicy I couldn’t eat the meal; it was much to spicy for me.
star starry He said he considered himself to be down to earth and not a starry celebrity.
stone stony I don't like stony beaches.
sweat sweaty I always get sweaty armpits.
sun sunny I hope it is sunny tomorrow.
thirst thirsty I am really thirsty. I need to drink.
trend trendy It is a very trendy part of town.
water watery This soup is too watery.
wave wavy She has wavy hair.
wealth wealthy My Grandparents are very wealthy.
wind windy It was really windy on the beach.

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Prefixes & Suffixes 12 / 19
Adjective from Verb
-ible
access accessible The resort is easily accessible by road, rail, and air.
comprehend comprehensible His speech was slurred and barely comprehensible.
convert convertible The convertible sofa means that the apartment can sleep four.
divide divisible The story is divisible into three parts.
eat edible I like to decorate my salads with edible flowers.
flex flexible Rubber is a flexible substance.
sense sensible I think the sensible thing to do is call and ask for directions.

-ing
alarm alarming What an alarming noise!
aggravate aggravating She found him thoroughly aggravating and unprofessional.
amaze amazing He’s an amazing player to watch.
amuse amusing That TV programme is really amusing.
annoy annoying The annoying thing is he’s usually right.
appal appalled Conditions in the prison are said to be appalling.
astonish astonishing She ran 100m in an astonishing 10.6 seconds.
astound astounding The concert was an astounding success.
bewilder bewildering There is a bewildering variety of software available.
bore boring I’ve never seen such a boring film!
captivate captivating He found her captivating.
challenge challenging Teaching young children is a challenging and rewarding job.
charm charming The cottage is tiny, but it’s charming.
comfort comforting It’s comforting to know I can call my parents any time.
confuse confusing I was a very confusing situation.
convince convincing Courtenay played the role in an utterly convincing way.
depress depressing The whole experience was very depressing.
devastate devastating The oil spill had devastating consequences for wildlife.
disappoint disappointing The Lakers’ loss in the playoffs was very disappointing.
discourage discouraging The results were discouraging.
disgust disgusting Rubbish was piled everywhere - it was disgusting.
distress distressing It was deeply distressing for him to see his wife in such pain.
disturb disturbing The article described the latest crime figures as "disturbing".
embarrass embarrassing That is the most embarrassing photo! I look terrible!
enchant enchanting The child looked enchanting in a pale blue dress.
encourage encouraging The encouraging news is that typhoid is on the decrease.
entertain entertaining Children’s TV nowadays is much more entertaining.
exasperate exasperating You have this exasperating habit of never looking at me!
excite exciting “Julia and Paul are getting married!” “Oh, how exciting!”
exhaust exhausting I hate doing housework! It’s exhausting!
fascinate fascinating I found him quite fascinating.
flatter flattering That colour is very flattering.
frighten frightening Going into hospital can be very frightening for a child.
frustrate frustrating My job can be very frustrating sometimes.
fulfil fulfilling Nursing is still one of the most fulfilling careers.
gratify gratifying The support was considerable and very gratifying.
horrify horrifying It’s horrifying to see such poverty.
humiliate humiliating He found it humiliating to have to ask for money.
inspire inspiring King was a great orator and an inspiring leader.
insult insulting Sexist language is insulting to women.
interest interesting I found his talk very interesting.
intrigue intriguing He found her intriguing.
irritate irritating He’s the most irritating man I’ve ever met.
mystify mystifying Snake charming is always fascinating and at time mystifying.
move moving Bayman’s book about his illness is deeply moving.
overwhelm overwhelming She felt an overwhelming desire to hit him.

Prefixes & Suffixes 13 / 19

 perplex perplexing They find the company's attitude perplexing and unreasonable.
perturb perturbing His whereabouts remain a perturbing mystery.
please pleasing The new building was pleasing to the eye.
puzzle puzzling Gary found her reaction puzzling.
relax relaxing A nice hot bat is so relaxing after a long day.
satisfy satisfying It can be very satisfying to work in the garden.
shock shocking What a shocking crime! It’s terrible.
sicken sickening Police described it as a sickening racial attack.
soothe soothing I put on some nice soothing music.
surprise surprising It’s surprising how quickly you get used to things.
tempt tempting That cake looks very tempting.
terrify terrifying What a terrifying dog! It’s huge!
threaten threatening His voice sounded threatening.
thrill thrilling What thrilling music! It’s some of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard.
tire tiring My job is really tiring. I often don’t get home until 10pm.
touch touching It was a touching story that moved many of us to tears.
trouble troubling This incident raises troubling questions.
understand understanding Luckily, I have a very understanding boss.
unnerve unnerving She didn't mention the unnerving incident to her family.
unsettle unsettling The finale may come as an unsettling shock.
upset upsetting I will never see him again and that is a terribly upsetting thought.
worry worrying The situation is extremely worrying.

-ive
act active You have to try to keep active as you grow older.
attract attractive Women seem to find him attractive
communicate communicative Tom wasn’t very communicative, and kept himself to himself.
compete competitive You’re very competitive - it’s meant to be a friendly match!
construct constructive She criticized my writing, but in a way that was very constructive.
create creative The designer is either a creative genius or completely bonkers.
decide decisive We will take decisive steps towards political union with Europe.
destroy destructive I worry about the destructive effect that violent films may have on children.
effect effective This cream is one of the most effective acne treatments you can find.
mass massive If the drought continues, deaths will occur on a massive scale.
offence offensive This programme contains language that some viewers might find offensive.
product productive We had a productive conversation, and he’s back on track now.
progress progressive The left of the party is pressing for a more progressive social policy.
protect protective He put a protective arm around her shoulders.
select selective We were very selective about what we let the children watch.

Prefixes & Suffixes 14 / 19

Noun from Verb
-age
bag baggage How many pieces of baggage do you have?
break breakage Any breakages must be paid for.
marry marriage They had a long and happy marriage.
pack package The package was wrapped in plain brown paper.
pass passage A narrow passage leads from one building to the other.
post postage Please enclose £15.99, plus £2 for postage.
shrink shrinkage Some fabrics have what is called progressive shrinkage.

-al
approve approval He showed his approval by smiling broadly.
arrive arrival Hundreds gathered to await the boxer's arrival at the airport.
deny denial His denial of responsibility for the accident was unconvincing.
dismiss dismissal I saw him pause, his forehead furrowing at her dismissal of me.
propose proposal 50 people voted against the new proposal.
refuse refusal What do you infer from her refusal?

-ance, ancy
accept acceptance The party marked his acceptance into the community.
attend attendance At last month's meeting, attendance was poor.
disappear disappearance The police were investigating her disappearance.
exist existence Many people question the existence of God.
expect expectancy There was a general air of expectancy in the crowd.
ignore ignorance Excuse my ignorance, but how does it actually work?
inherit inheritance An has to fight for her life and her inheritance in this gripping novel.
insure insurance The insurance doesn't cover you for household items.
perform performance She gave a superb performance as Lady Macbeth.
refer reference She made a veiled reference to her former employer.

-ation
combine combination Strawberries and cream - a perfect combination.
declare declaration The decree stopped short of a full declaration of independence.
eliminate elimination The cuts make job elimination less likely.
examine examination The issues need further examination.
explain explanation Could you give me a quick explanation of how it works?
explore exploration You can use this hut as a base for explorations into the mountains.
found foundation It took the builders three weeks to lay the foundations.
imagine imagination I can never make up stories - I have absolutely no imagination.
immigrate immigration There are strict limits on immigration into the country.
inform information Do you have any information about train times?
inspire inspiration The golden autumn light provided the inspiration for the painting.
invite invitation Thanks for the invitation to your birthday party.
multiply multiplication I like addition and subtraction but multiplication is difficult.
organize organization The article was about the international aid organizations.
resign resignation There were calls for her resignation from the board of directors.
starve starvation Millions will face starvation next year as a result of the drought.
transport transportation It's an ecologically friendly means of transportation.

-er
advise adviser/advisor She is the party's main economic adviser.
begin beginner This judo class is for beginners only.
build builder I think we'll need to pay a builder to take this wall down.
commute commuter The train was packed with commuters.
consume consumer A poll was conducted to gauge consumers' attitudes.
dance dancer He's a dancer in the Royal Ballet.

Prefixes & Suffixes 15 / 19

 defend defender She is a strict defender of Catholic orthodoxy.
drive driver The driver of the van was killed in the accident.
employ employer We need a reference from your former employer.
explore explorer Magellan was a famous 16th-century explorer.
fertilize fertilizer Organic food is grown without chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
follow follower They are keen followers of their local team.
interpret interpreter She works as an interpreter in Brussels.
lead leader The Russian leader wants to introduce further changes.
manage manager The chef, staff and managers are all Chinese.
mine miner The miners went on strike to try to save jobs.
own owner We still haven't found the dog's owner.
play player The team has many talented players.
scrape scraper Using a scraper to remove wallpaper can be very time-consuming.
supply supplier They are the country's main supplier of gas.
support supporter He is a declared supporter of the scheme.
teach teacher My son has never been in trouble with his teachers before.
train trainer The horse has had a new trainer for the last six months.
sing singer Bryn Terfel is a famous singer from Wales.
start starter They all wait for the crack of the starter's pistol.
write writer She is a well-known writer of children's books.

-ion, sion, tion

accommodate accommodation We can provide accommodation for three more.
admit admission The criminal’s admission of guilt got him in trouble.
alternate alternation The alternation of sun and snow continued for the rest of our holiday.
appreciate appreciation Please accept this gift in appreciation of all you’ve done for us.
attend attention After an hour, my attention started to wander.
attract attraction The beautiful beaches are the island’s main attraction.
collaborate collaboration She wrote the book in collaboration with one of her students.
collect collection Every Christmas we have a collection for a local charity.
communicate communication Television is an increasingly important means of communication.
complete completion You'll be paid on completion of the project.
complicate complication If any complications arise, let me know and I’ll help.
confuse confusion His answers were obscure and confusing.
congratulate congratulation Give Oscar my congratulations.
construct construction The bridge is a marvellous work of engineering and construction.
create creation I left after the creation of the new company.
decide decision She has had to make some very difficult decisions.
describe description The booklet gives a brief description of each place.
destroy destruction The destruction of the rain forests is an ecological disaster.
detect detection Last year the detection rate for car theft was just 13%.
divide division He's just been appointed as director of the publishing division.
discuss discussion There was some lively discussion at the meeting.
donate donation Every year she makes a large donation to a worthy cause.
educate education As a child, he received most of his education at home.
elect election Local government elections will take place in May.
erupt eruption Lava flows and smaller eruptions continued for decades.
explode explosion The explosion brought the whole building crashing to the ground.
extend extension He saw his civil rights activity as an extension of his ministry.
hesitate hesitation He spoke fluently and without unnecessary hesitations.
impress impression What was your impression of Charlotte's husband?
inform information There is not enough information about foxes in our area.
innovate innovation In those days, the automobile was a recent innovation.
inspect inspection The head went on a tour of inspection of all the classrooms.
object objection The proposal will go ahead despite strong objection from the public.
persuade persuasion After a little gently persuasion, Debbie agreed to let us in.
pollute pollution The company claims it is not responsible for the pollution in the river.
possess possession I have in my possession a letter which may be of interest to you.
profess profession Teaching as a profession is very underpaid.

Prefixes & Suffixes 16 / 19

 promote promotion Kelly’s promotion means more money and more responsibility.
react reaction I told the boss I was leaving; her reaction was very surprising. She laughed!
reduce reduction The reduction in funds is throttling the development of new programmes.
revise revision These proposals will need a lot of revision.
select selection The judges have made their final selection.

-ment
accomplish accomplishment It was one of the President’s greatest accomplishments.
acknowledge acknowledgement The flowers were a small acknowledgement of your kindness.
advertise advertisement Responses to our advertisement have been disappointing.
agree agreement I don't think you'll ever get Tony's agreement to these proposals.
arrange arrangement They'd made all the arrangements for the party.
argue argument He got into an argument with Jeff in the pub last night.
discourage discouragement Despite all these discouragements, she refused to give up.
employ employment How long have you been looking for employment?
encourage encouragement With a little encouragement from his parents he should do well.
enjoy enjoyment Unfortunately, a small minority want to spoil everyone else’s enjoyment.
excite excitement If you want excitement, you should try parachuting.
govern government The people rebelled against the harsh new government.
improve improvement Billy's work at school has shown signs of improvement this year.
judge judgement She chose the wrong person for the job. That’s just poor judgement.
measure measurement The exact measurements of the room are 3 metres 20 by 2 metres 84.
pay payment Usually we ask for payment on receipt of the goods.
punish punishment I hope they get the punishment they deserve.
replace replacement Taylor has nominated Adams as his replacement.
settle settlement As part of their divorce settlement, Jeff agreed to let Polly keep the house.

-or
act actor "Who's your favourite actor?" "Robert de Niro."
coordinate coordinator He is recycling coordinator for the county.
counsel counsellor They sought the help of a marriage counsellor.
decorate decorator She started a business as an interior decorator.
direct director She has become the director of the new information centre.
edit editor Who is the current editor of the Times?
govern governor The governor exhorted the prisoners not to riot.
inspect inspector The inspector declared the meat fit for human consumption.
profess professor She's a professor of nutrition at Columbia University.
protect protector Philip II considered himself the protector of the Catholic Church.
sail sailor A sailor threw a rope ashore and we tied the boat to a post.
survive survivor He was the sole survivor of the plane crash.
translate translator He works as a translator and political researcher.
visit visitor Sara Is a frequent visitor to the city.

-ure
close closure Many elderly people will be affected by the library closures.
depart departure Our departure was delayed because of bad weather.
enclose enclosure The dogs are in a fenced enclosure in the backyard.
erase erasure The software protects data from overwrites or erasures.
expose exposure Even a brief exposure to radiation is very dangerous.
fail failure Their attempt to climb Everest ended in failure.
legislate legislature The Florida state legislature passed new gambling laws.
press pressure He put too much pressure on the door handle and it snapped.

Prefixes & Suffixes 17 / 19

 SUFFIXES

There are several hundred derivational suffixes. Here are some of the most common ones:

SUFFIX MAKING ORIGINAL WORD NEW WORD

-ation explore exploration
-acy private privacy
-ade block blockade
-age marry marriage
an / ian art artisan
- al arrive arrival
- ary diction dictionary
- er teach teacher
-hood mother motherhood
- cian music musician
-dom NOUNS wise wisdom
- ( n)ess mad madness
-ice just justice
-ing greet greeting
-isme real realism
ship friend friendship
- sion / tion decide decision
- ment treat treatment
-tude long longitude
- y jealous jealousy

- al accident accidental
- ary imagine imaginary
- able excuse excusable
-ed surprise surprised
- ible eat edible
-ic metal metallic
-ing excite exciting
-ish ADJECTIVES child childish
-ive conclusion conclusive
- ly sister sisterly
-y ease easy
- ful help helpful
- less fear fearless
-ous courage courageous

-ly brave bravely

ADVERBS
- ize personal personalize
-ise advert advertise
-ate
-ificate
VERBS hyphen hyphenate

-ify specific specify

-en deep deepen

Prefixes & Suffixes 18 / 19

 Suffixes
Suffix Meaning Example
-al pertaining to Regional / logical

-ious/ous a characteristic Jealous / religious

-ism a belief or condition Judaism / simbolism

-less without Hopeless /homeless

-ness state of being Highness / happiness

-ion action or process of Decoration / motivation

-ise quality, condition or function Realice / organise

-ity/ty quality of Validity / security

-ing an action or result Painting / running

-ant a person Asistant / consultant

-ee a person Referee / employee

-er/or a person Teacher / profesor

-ful full of Handful / thankful

-ly in a manner Softly / slowly

-ive having the nature of Informative / active

-ic/ical having the form Academic / musical

-ed past simple Played / called

-able/ible capable of /abbility Sociable / flexible

-ment condition Argument / achievement

-y characterized by Sunny / snowy

Prefixes & Suffixes 19 / 19