Word formation

Forming new words might significantly expand your vocabulary. If you know how to form new words, you don't have to learn so many new words from a dictionary; you can easily deduce their meaning. These rules do not work 100%, but they can give you an interesting insight into the English language. We are going to start with PREFIXES.

ADJECTIVE PREFIXES

With adjectives, prefixes are typically negative. The most common ones are IN- and UN- (invalid, unrealistic). What is a bit more troublesome is variations to IN-: IL- used with adjectives starting with L (illegal), IM- used with adjectives starting with M or P (immoral, impersonal) and IR- used with adjectives starting with R (irrelevant). You need to take these rules only as inspiration because they are not applied to all words in the same way. Compare: IRRESPONSIBLE and UNREALISTIC

Study the following table with the most common adjective prefixes:

In- Inconvenient, informal, inefficient, invisible, invalid, inaccurate, incorrect, indecent, inadequate
Il- Illegal, illegible, illiterate, illegitimate, illogical
Ir- Irresponsible, irrelevant, irreplaceable, irrational
Im- Impractical, impersonal, impossible, immortal, immoral, immature, impatient, improbable, impartial
Un- Unreal, unrealistic, unfortunate, uncomfortable, unjust, unfair
Non- Non-political, non-verbal, non-existent, non-native
Dis- Disloyal, dishonest, disappointed, dissatisfied, disorganized, disqualified, dissimilar

NOUN PREFIXES

There are a great many noun prefixes, which vary in meaning. We are going to work only with the most common ones.

Non- Non-smoker, non-believer, nonentity, non-event, non-story
Dis- Dissatisfaction, disconnection, disappearance, disqualification, disability, discomfort
Mis- Misunderstanding, mistreatment, mishap, misprint, misfortune, misadventure, misbehavior
Co- Co-pilot, co-driver, co-author, co-founder, co-producer, co-education
Ex- Ex-husband, ex-wife, ex-mayor, ex-president
Re- Resettlement, reconstruction, restoration, refund, return, reaction

VERB PREFIXES

Over- Overestimate, overlook, overthrow, overgrow, overeat, overwork, overcharge
Under- Underestimate, undercook, underline, underscore, underachieve, undercharge
En- Encourage, endanger, enslave
Un- Unpack, unwrap, undo, untie, unlock
De- Decompose, defrost, decode, deconstruct
Re- Redecorate, reassure, rebuild, reconstruct, re-evaluate, rewrite, repaint

Using SUFFIXES is another way to form new words.

ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES

-able Remarkable, memorable, considerable, countable, fashionable, reasonable, laughable, comparable, affordable, curable
-al / -ical Logical, historical, hysterical, practical, functional, national, original, influential, cultural, exceptional, political, optional
-ant / -ent Dependent, different, excellent, evident, impotent, important, brilliant, arrogant, vacant, innocent, dominant, confident
-ary / -ory Introductory, compulsory, preparatory, contemporary, explanatory
-ate Fortunate, desperate, adequate, considerate, deliberate, accurate, elaborate, moderate, delicate
-ed Annoyed, interested, bored, fascinated, amazed, surprised, shocked, embarrassed, confused, thrilled
-ful Careful, hopeful, peaceful, beautiful, useful, harmful, painful, wonderful, successful
-less Useless, pointless, breathless, endless, restless, careless, priceless, hopeless, sleepless, worthless
-ly Friendly, lonely, weekly, monthly, costly, deadly, ghostly, homely
-ible Visible, edible, incredible, illegible, convertible
-ian Canadian, Brazilian, Indian
-ic Terrific, horrific, optimistic, pessimistic, economic, specific
-ing Annoying, interesting, boring, fascinating, amazing, surprising, shocking, embarrassing, confusing, thrilling
-ish Childish, selfish, foolish, Jewish
-ive Possessive, impressive, detective, creative, descriptive, attractive, repetitive, effective, manipulative, sensitive
-ous Suspicious, adventurous, humorous, dangerous, mysterious, religious, ambitious, nervous
-y Windy, cloudy, rainy, hungry, thirsty, healthy, sleepy, lucky, salty

NOUN SUFFIXES

-al Refusal, arrival, approval, dismissal, denial, proposal, survival, rehearsal
-ance / -ence Romance, importance, evidence, confidence, ignorance, performance, preference, reference
-ant / -ent Consultant, applicant, contestant, tenant, participant, assistant, defendant, opponent, agent, patient
-eer Mountaineer, pioneer, racketeer, auctioneer, puppeteer, engineer
-er Player, teacher, employer, driver, trainer, interviewer, franchiser, supplier
-ee Employee, trainee, licensee, franchisee, interviewee
-hood Neighborhood, brotherhood, childhood, adulthood, motherhood
-ion
(-ation / otion / ution…)		 Organization, participation, definition, promotion, contribution, imagination, decision, exhaustion, revision, composition, determination, explanation
-ism Communism, Buddhism, altruism, egoism, sadism, criticism, heroism, organism, alcoholism
-ist Realist, socialist, pacifist, capitalist, communist, pianist, activist, Buddhist
-ity / -ety Possibility, infinity, probability, variety, security, majority, minority, hostility, prosperity
-ment Excitement, punishment, requirement, achievement, acknowledgement, advertisement, improvement, appointment, disappointment, refreshment
-ness Happiness, loneliness, emptiness, sadness, madness, shyness, awareness, brightness
-or Actor, advisor, inspector, collector, licensor, censor
-ship Relationship, friendship, hardship, citizenship, membership, partnership, championship, dictatorship, leadership, ownership

VERB SUFFIXES

-en Lighten, lengthen, sadden, brighten, loosen, sweeten, widen, frighten, strengthen, threaten
-ify Identify, simplify, certify, horrify, terrify, verify, magnify
-ize (American) / -ise (British) Modernize, specialize, popularize, baptize, sterilize, privatize, terrorize, apologize, realize