前後綴是英語裡面重要的構詞法,下面是一些字尾：

1．-ster,-eer,-er（or）意為：從事某種職業或參與某種活動的人（person engaged in an occupation or activity）例詞：gamester,gangster,songster,engineer,profiteer,mountaineer,auctioneer,driver,teacher,director,actor,professor

2．-let意為：小或者不重要的東西（small,unimportant things）例詞：booklet,leaflet,starlet

3．-ette意為：1）小的東西（small）例詞：cigarette 2）假的東西（imitation）例詞：leatherette 3）女性（female）例詞：usherette

4．-ess意為：女性（female）例詞：actress,poetess,hostess,paintress

5．-hood意為：時期（status；etc．）例詞：boyhood,childhood,manhood

6．-ship意為：才能,狀態,資格,品質等（skill,state,condition,status,quality）例詞：leadership,friendship,membership,lectureship,sportsmanship

7．-ful意為：量（the amount which noun contains）例詞：cupful,handful,mouthful,spoonful

8．-tion,-ion意為：1）狀態,行動等（state；action；etc．）例詞：action,oppression,possession,education,starva- tion 2）機構等（institution；etc．）例詞：organization,foundation

9．-ment意為：狀態,行動等（state； action；etc．）例詞：movement,enslavement,pavement

10．-al意為：動作（action）例詞：arrival,refusal,revival,recital,removal

11．-age意為：程度,數量等（extent； amount；etc．）例詞：wastage,coverage,acreage,shrinkage,breakage,hostage

12．-ness；-ity（ty）意為：狀態,品質（state；quality；etc．）例詞：happiness,usefulness,selfishness,kindness,rapidity,activity,sanity,changeability

13．-ism意為：道義,主義,學說等（doctrine of,practice of）例詞：idealism,impressionism,absenteeism,racism

二、動詞字尾

常見的此類字尾及其具體含義如下：

1．-ify意為：轉為,變為（to turn into,to make or become）例詞：beautify,diversify,simplify

2．-ize；-en意為：使……,變得……（to make or become ；to make into）例詞：modernize,popularize,legalize,hospitalize,symbolize,ripen,widen,heighten,threaten

3．-ate意為：增加,使……（give or add,make or become）例詞：originate,hydrogenate,validate,differentiate

三、形容詞字尾：

常見的此類字尾及其具體含義如下：

1．-ful意為：充滿,有（full of；hav- ing；giving；etc．）例詞：useful,pitiful,hopeful,helpful,forgetful,thankful,fearful

2．-less意為：沒有,無（without；not giving）例詞：speechless,childless,harmless,hopeless,meaningless

3．-ly意為：有……品質的（having the qualities of）例詞：beastly,manly,brotherly,friendly

4．-like意為：像……的（like）例詞：childlike,statesmanlike,tiger-like

5．-y；-ish意為：像……一般的（somewhat like）例詞：meaty,sandy,silky,hairy,leafy,watery,foolish,girlish,blackish,thinnish

6．-some意為：像……一樣的；引起……的；有……品質的（like；causing； having the quality of）例詞：troublesome,burdensome,wholesome,tiresome,bothersome

7．-able（ible）意為：能……的；可以……的（able to be ；capable）例詞：changeable,readable,drinkable,comfortable,expansible,convincible

8．-ed意為：有……的（having,etc．）例詞：wooded,pointed,moneyed,odd-shaped

9．-al意為：有……屬性的,……型別的（nature of,typical of）例詞：cultural,personal,regional,musical

10．-ary（ory）意為：屬於……的,與……相連的（belonging to；connected with）例詞：revolutionary,imaginary,contradictory

11．-ous意為：富含……的；有……品質的；像……的（full of；having the quality of；like）例詞：glorious,erroneous,malicious,gracious

12．-ic（ical）意為：……類的；屬於……的（typical of；belonging to）例詞：historic,historical,methodic,methodical,dramatic,heroic

13．-ive意為：有……屬性的；有某種傾向的（having the nature or quality of；given or tending to）例詞：attractive,talkative,restrictive,defensive,preventive,constructive,sensitive