The word "suffix" is spelled with two "f"s and one "x". It is pronounced /ˈsʌfɪks/ in IPA phonetic transcription, with emphasis on the first syllable. The "s" and "u" sounds are followed by the "f" sound made by the letters "ff". The "i" is pronounced with a short "i" sound, and the "x" is pronounced like a "ks" sound. A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or create a new word.
A suffix is a morpheme that is added at the end of a word to modify its meaning or function. It is a type of affix, which is a linguistic element attached to a base or root word to create a new word with a different meaning or grammatical category. Unlike prefixes, which are added at the beginning of a word, suffixes are attached to the end.
Suffixes can alter various aspects of a word, such as its tense, number, case, degree, or part of speech. They can also change a word's meaning by indicating qualities like diminution, comparison, or intensification. Common examples of suffixes include -ing (as in "running"), -ed (as in "walked"), -s (as in "cats"), -er (as in "faster"), -est (as in "smartest"), -ful (as in "beautiful"), and -ness (as in "kindness").
Suffixes can be used to form different word forms, such as adjectives (e.g., "beautiful" from "beauty"), adverbs (e.g., "slowly" from "slow"), nouns (e.g., "friendship" from "friend"), verbs (e.g. "happens" from "happen"), and more. Understanding suffixes is crucial for vocabulary development and reading comprehension, as they often provide crucial clues about a word's meaning and how it functions grammatically.
In summary, a suffix is a linguistic element that is added to the end of a word to alter its meaning, grammatical function, or word form. It is an important tool in language for creating new words and modifying existing ones.
• A particle added to the end of a word to modify its meaning; an affix.
• To add to the end of a word.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "suffix" comes from the Middle English "suffichen", which in turn was derived from the Old French "suf-" meaning "under" or "after", and the Latin "figere" meaning "to fix" or "to attach". The combination of these roots gave rise to the word "suffix", referring to a linguistic element that is added to the end of a word to alter its meaning or function.