Reading Skills - Suffixes

A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change the meaning of the word. In this lesson you will practice with the six suffixes listed below. Study the chart before beginning the activities.

Suffix
 Meaning
Examples
-ment action or process movement, bewilderment, government
-ness state of, condition of kindness, ruthlessness
-able -ible can be done comfortable, capable, visible
-ful full of, having some or much useful, hopeful
-or    -er    -ar a person connected with (changes verb to noun) actor, runner, beggar
-ous -eous -ious possessing the quality of courteous, delicious, religious
  1. Combine each word with one of the suffixes to make three new words.

     
    skill ment
    amaze ness
    dark ful


     

  2. What is the meaning of the bold word in this sentence?

    If a person is a     shameful, the person is ______________.

    a.     respectable
    b.     worthy
    c.     honorable
    d.     dishonorable
     
  3. Match the person to the word that identifies the person.

     
    Richard Petty painter
    Michelangelo racer
    Ben Franklin singer
    Britney Spears inventor


     

  4. Write each of the following phrases in the correct column of the chart.

     
    tight blue jeans unpadded chair soft t-shirt
    soft pillow whirlpool tub freezing shower

     

    _________comfortable

    		 l

    not comfortable_______
      l  
      l  
      l  


     

  5. Choose which suffix you could add to the base word cheer to form a new word.

    a. -ment
    b. -ness
    c. -ful
    d. -able
     
  6. Circle the words below which are incorrect.

     
    flavorful  bakeful runful actful helpful collectful thankful grateful
    respectful pushful playful forceful  painful graceful watchful visitful


     

  7. Choose the correct answer to complete the sentence.

    Combining _____________ with -ment forms a word that means "in the process of being amused".

    a. amaze
    b. advance
    c. entertain
    d. refine
     
  8. Add ous to a word so that the following sentence will make sense.

    The student was nerve because he was going to try out for the football team that afternoon.
     
  9. Circle the words below which are incorrect.
     
    washable visitable runable returnable bowlable terrible cricketible incredible
    lovable honorable unreadable burglarable memberable disagreeable refundable perishable


     

  10. Match each person on the left with a quality on the right.
     
    an Oscar winner skillful
    an assistant grateful
    a musician painful
    a gunshot victim helpful


     

  11. Which of the following actions does NOT describe an action others would find neglectful?

    a. letting the faucet drip
    b. allowing a younger sibling to play on a busy street
    c. studying for a test
    d. leaving food out of the refrigerator to spoil
     
  12. Which of the following suffixes can you add to the base word force to make a word that means "strong"?

    a. -ful
    b. -or
    c. -ous
    d. -able

     
  13. Which one of the base words below would you add to kidnap to make a word that means "capable of being snatched?

    a. -ment
    b. -ness
    c. -able
    d. -ful
     
  14. Which of the following is not visible?

    a. a disappearing ghost
    b. a white puff of smoke
    c. a dancing clown
    d. a sparkling jewel
     
  15. Circle the words below which are incorrect.

     
    survivor wayor actor crewor farmer visitor picturer accelerator
    babier educator taper runner songer surveyor raider rugger

 

----------Key----------

  1. skillful, amazement, darkness
  2. d
  3. Richard Petty-racer, Michelangelo-painter, Ben Franklin-inventor, Britney-singer

  4. _________comfortable

    		 l

    not comfortable_______
    soft t-shirt l tight blue jeans
    soft pillow l unpadded chair
    whirlpool tub l freezing shower
  5. c

  6.  
    flavorful  bakeful runful actful helpful collectful thankful grateful
    respectful pushful playful forceful  painful graceful watchful visitful
  7. c
  8. The student was nervous because he was going to try out for the football team that afternoon.

  9.  
    washable visitable runable returnable bowlable terrible cricketible incredible
    lovable honorable unreadable burglarable memberable disagreeable refundable perishable
  10. an Oscar winner-grateful, an assistant-helpful, a musician-skillful, a gunshot victim-painful
  11. c
  12. forceful
  13. kidnapable
  14. a
  15.  
    survivor wayor actor crewor farmer visitor picturer accelerator
    babier educator taper runner songer surveyor raider rugger