Part 2: Most Frequently Used English Suffixes
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There are 30 most frequently used English suffixes in the table below in the order of frequency.
To figure out how the suffixes are applied to English words and their frequencies, we create computer programss to check every word from ravens through zygotic in our dictionary, a total of 12603 words.
There are 6151 unique basic words to which the suffixes are applied, one basic word may have more than one suffixes applied. Once a suffix is correctly applied to a basic word in the dictionary, the basic word becomes another word in the dictionary.
The total nubmer of English words that have the suffixes applied is 11823. This means that the suffixes in the table below can effectively expand some words into some other words in the Dictionary. The expansion ratio is:
11823/6151 = 1.92
which means that if you already know the meanings of 100 words, by applying the suffixes in the table below, then you can instantly expand your vocabulary by up to 1.92 times on average! Considering that you already know the 100 words, now the size of your vocabulary is 100 + 100 * 1.92 = 292
which means that the grand expansion ratio of your vocabulary by just learning these suffixes is: 2.92 times on average! How effective this is!
However if you know no words, then your grand expansion ratio is still zero.
The first step to correct dissect an English word is to correct recognize the prefix and suffix in it. More useful prefixes and suffixes are given in Part 5 and Part 6.
To figure out how the suffixes are applied to English words and their frequencies, we create computer programss to check every word from ravens through zygotic in our dictionary, a total of 12603 words.
There are 6151 unique basic words to which the suffixes are applied, one basic word may have more than one suffixes applied. Once a suffix is correctly applied to a basic word in the dictionary, the basic word becomes another word in the dictionary.
The total nubmer of English words that have the suffixes applied is 11823. This means that the suffixes in the table below can effectively expand some words into some other words in the Dictionary. The expansion ratio is:
11823/6151 = 1.92
which means that if you already know the meanings of 100 words, by applying the suffixes in the table below, then you can instantly expand your vocabulary by up to 1.92 times on average! Considering that you already know the 100 words, now the size of your vocabulary is 100 + 100 * 1.92 = 292
which means that the grand expansion ratio of your vocabulary by just learning these suffixes is: 2.92 times on average! How effective this is!
However if you know no words, then your grand expansion ratio is still zero.
The first step to correct dissect an English word is to correct recognize the prefix and suffix in it. More useful prefixes and suffixes are given in Part 5 and Part 6.
Note 1: Based on the frequency in the table, you will see that the top five suffixes that are used most frequently are: -s, -ing, -ed, -ly, -er
| Suffix | Variations of Suffix | Meaning | Example Words | Frequency | Used with Greek Root | Used with Latin Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -s | -es, -ies | more than one, plural form of noun |
books,
boxes activities |
5029 | -s | |
| -ing | present participle form of a verb | running | 1900 | -ing | -ing | |
| -ed | past-tense verbs | visited | 1890 | -ed | -ed | |
| -ly | characteristic of | quickly | 747 | -ly | ||
| -er | -or | one who |
worker
visitor |
661 | -er | -er |
| -er | comparative | higher | 453 | -er | -er | |
| -ness | state of; condition of. Note: -ness is from old English, -ity from Latin, often they are interchangable | kindness | 389 | -ness | ||
| -est | superlative | highest | 279 | |||
| -ion | -tion, -ation, -ition, -ication (for verb ended with y, e.g. reunify -> reunification) |
act, process, occasion |
abrasion
attraction acquisition reunification |
201 | -ion | |
| -y | characterized by | happy | 142 | -y | -y | |
| -al | -ial, | having, characteristics of | personal, editorial |
98 | -al | |
| -ist | One that performs a specified action, or connected with a specified thing |
novelist
pianist |
94 | |||
| -able | -ible | can be done |
comfortable,
deductible |
91 | -able | |
| -ic |
-ical for changing a noun ended with y to an adjective e.g. topology -> topological |
having, characteristics of | linguistic | 49 | -ic | -ic |
| -en | made of | wooden | 49 | |||
| -ity | -ty | state of. Note: -ity is from Latin, -ness from old English, often they are interchangable |
infinity
anxiety |
46 | -ity | |
| -ment | action or process | enjoyment | 45 | -ment | ||
| -ize | To cause to be or to become | dramatize | 33 | |||
| -ive | -ative, -itive | adjective form, having a tendency of |
plaintive, appreciative, cognitive |
13 | -ive | |
| -ful | full of | careful | 10 | |||
| -ous | -eous, -ious | possessing, full of |
joyous
gorgeous acrimonious |
10 | -ous | -ous |
| -ism | Action; process; practice | heroism | 9 | |||
| -ship | Quality, state, or condition | scholarship | 8 | |||
| -ory | -ery | Of, relating to, or characterized by; A place |
advisory
observatory bakery |
6 | ||
| -an | belonging to or relating to; a person belonging to or coming from | librarian | 5 | |||
| -ary | of or relating to; a thing or a place | boundary | 4 | |||
| -ish | of or relating to; characteristic of | girlish | 4 | |||
| -less | without | fearless | 4 | -less | ||
| -ance | -ence | State or condition; Action | appearance | 3 | ||
| -dom | State or condition; Domain or position | freedom | 3 | |||
| -age | a collectio; a process |
baggage
breakage |
1 |
For how to apply these sufixes, please see: Part 4: An Algorithm for the Conversions of Parts of Speech and Negation of English Words