What is a suffix?

A suffix is added to the end of a root word. It can change the word's meaning or its job in a sentence. Adding '-ful' to 'help' makes 'helpful', and adding '-ed' to 'jump' makes 'jumped', the past tense.

Examples

• help + -ful = helpful.
• jump + -ed = jumped.
• quick + -ly = quickly (an adverb).

Quick facts

• A suffix goes at the end; a prefix goes at the start.
• Suffixes like -ed and -ing change a verb's tense.