suffixesmorphemes

Suffix morphemes are bound morphemes that attach to the ends of words, functioning as suffixes. They are a type of affix and, unlike prefixes, appear at the word’s right edge. They can modify grammatical function, lexical category, or meaning.

They include inflectional suffixes, which encode tense, number, case, mood, or person without changing the word’s core category, and derivational suffixes, which create new words or shift category, such as turning a verb into a noun or adjective. The distinction between inflectional and derivational suffixes is not absolute across languages, and some suffixes can serve both roles.

Morphological typology influences suffix use. In agglutinative languages, long chains of suffixes add discrete meanings in a highly transparent sequence; in fusional languages, a single suffix may encode multiple features and fuse with the stem.

Phonology shapes suffixes through allomorphy: for example, English plural -s has allomorphs [s], [z], or [ɪz], depending on the preceding sound. Some suffixes also trigger stem changes or phonological adjustments to maintain pronunciation or harmony.

Examples illustrate the range of suffixes. Common English instances include cats (cat + -s for plural), happiness (happy + -ness for a noun from an adjective), and education (educate + -ion). Across languages, suffixes such as Spanish -ción and German -heit are productive derivational suffixes; Turkish relies on extensive suffix chains to mark grammar and meaning.

Suffix morphemes are a central topic in morphology, linking lexicon, syntax, and phonology.