This list includes 34 Suffixes that start with I, from “-i” to “-ize”. Many are short bound morphemes, often of Latin or Greek origin, used to form nouns, adjectives, and verbs. You can use this list for writing, editing, language learning, and word analysis.
Suffixes that start with I are word endings that attach to stems to change meaning or grammatical function. Many trace back to Latin and Greek, with notable examples like “-ize” shaping modern English verb formation.
Below you’ll find the table with origin, meaning and example words.
Origin: Shows the historical language or period for a suffix, helping you trace meaning and expected usage.
Meaning: Gives a concise sense or function of the suffix, so you can predict its effect on word meaning.
Example words: Lists two to four real words showing the suffix in use, so you can see forms and contexts.
Suffixes that start with I
| Suffix | Origin | Meaning | Example words | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| –ing | Old English/Germanic | gerund/participle; verbal noun | running, singing, building | Extremely productive marker for present participles and gerunds; also makes adjectives (interesting). Very common in everyday speech and writing. |
| –ize | Greek/Latin via French | make or become; verb-forming | modernize, categorize, baptize | High productivity in English for forming verbs meaning “to make/become.” US favors -ize spelling; many learned verbs derive from Greek/Latin. |
| –ise | French/Old French | make or become; verb-forming (variant) | realise, organise, recognise | British-preferred spelling variant of -ize; no change in meaning. Common in UK/other Commonwealth varieties; not separate suffix semantically. |
| –ish | Old English (OE -isc) | somewhat like; belonging to; forming adjectives | bluish, childish, English | Versatile, productive suffix for colors, ages, demonyms, and approximations; informal nuance. Common in colloquial speech. |
| –ion | Latin | action, result, state (noun-forming) | creation, decision, vision | Widely used to form abstract nouns from verbs; core learned vocabulary suffix from Latin. |
| –ity | Latin (-itas) | quality, state, condition | activity, humidity, equality | Turns adjectives into abstract nouns denoting quality or state; highly common in formal registers. |
| –ive | Latin | having the nature of; adjective-forming | active, creative, corrosive | Forms adjectives often from verbs, indicating tendency or relation; very productive across registers. |
| –ic | Greek/Latin | relating to; adjective-forming | music, atomic, poetic | Common adjective-former for scholarly and general vocabulary; also forms some nouns (clinic, pedantic). |
| –ical | Latin/Greek via -ic + -al | pertaining to; adjective-forming | musical, historical, comical | Variant of -ic with extra -al; sometimes interchangeable with -ic, usage varies by word. |
| –ify | Latin (ficare) | to make or cause to be; verb-forming | clarify, beautify, liquefy | Productive verb-former meaning “make X”; common in both everyday and technical terms. |
| –ification | Latin | act or process of making; noun-forming | purification, classification, gamification | Noun formed from -ify verbs; widely used in technical and abstract contexts, often viewed as a composite suffix. |
| –ization | Greek/Latin via French | process/result of making; noun-forming | globalization, sterilization, modernization | Commonly listed as a single suffix though analyzable as -ize + -ation; highly productive in noun formation. |
| –ism | Greek | doctrine, system, practice, condition | capitalism, realism, journalism | Forms nouns naming ideologies, practices, or conditions; ubiquitous in abstract discourse. |
| –ist | Greek/Latin | person who practices or is concerned with | artist, biologist, dentist | Agentive noun-former indicating practitioners, specialists, or adherents; highly productive. |
| –ian | Latin/Old French | related to, belonging to; specialist | historian, Victorian, politician | Makes demonyms, profession names, and adjectives; widely used and productive. |
| –ite | Greek/Latin | follower/member; mineral or rock name | Israelite, graphite, meteorite | Used for followers/residents and minerals; somewhat specialized and varied in sense. |
| –ious | Latin (-iosus) | full of; having the quality of | curious, spacious, religious | Adjective-former denoting possession of a quality; common across styles. |
| –ible | Latin | capable of being; adjective-forming | audible, reversible, credible | Latinate adjectival suffix similar to -able; choice between -ible/-able often unpredictable. |
| –ile | Latin | capable of; pertaining to | fragile, docile, senile | Forms adjectives meaning “capable of” or “pertaining to”; found in both learned and common words. |
| –id | Latin | having a tendency or state; adjective | frigid, fluid, morbid | Adjectival suffix common in Latinate words, denoting state or quality. |
| –in | Germanic/chemical | chemical substance or agent; noun-forming | protein, melanin, insulin | Common in chemistry and older noun formations; marks substances or compounds. |
| –is | Greek | noun-forming from Greek; action/state | crisis, thesis, emphasis | Greek-derived noun ending; not productive in modern English but frequent in learned borrowings. |
| –ium | Latin/Greek | element/place or diminutive noun-forming | sodium, auditorium, planetarium | Forms names of elements, places, and neuter nouns; common in scientific vocabulary. |
| –iform | Latin | having the form or shape of | cruciform, digitiform, oviform | Combining suffix meaning “in the shape of”; productive in scientific and descriptive contexts. |
| –istic | Greek via French | relating to art, belief, or practice | artistic, linguistic, realistic | Adjectival suffix often forming domain names or attitudes; widely used and productive. |
| –i | Latin plural marker | plural of Latin loanwords (limited) | alumni, radii, graffiti | Latin plural ending used in borrowed words; limited productivity and sometimes contested (octopi vs octopuses). |
| –ial | Latin | relating to; adjective-forming | spatial, facial, provincial | Adjectival suffix producing adjectives often from nouns; common in formal vocabulary. |
| –ific | Latin | making or causing; adjective-forming | horrific, prolific, scientific | Forms adjectives meaning “making/causing” or “pertaining to”; found in both everyday and learned vocabulary. |
| –iferous | Latin | bearing or producing; adjective-forming | coniferous, vociferous, odoriferous | Literary/scientific suffix meaning “bearing” or “producing”; somewhat formal or technical. |
| –iatric | Greek | relating to medical treatment (adjective) | pediatric, geriatric, psychiatric | Specialized medical adjective-forming suffix; used in clinical and academic contexts. |
| –iatry | Greek | medical treatment or field of study (noun) | psychiatry, podiatry, geriatrics | Noun-forming suffix denoting medical specialty or treatment; specialized vocabulary. |
| –itis | Greek | inflammation or disease (medical noun) | arthritis, bronchitis, tonsillitis | Medical suffix indicating inflammation; highly productive in naming conditions. |
| –itic | Greek/Latin | relating to inflammation or having property of | arthritic, neurotic, peripatetic | Adjectival suffix often linked to medical conditions or characteristics; common in technical and general vocabulary. |
| –ine | Latin/French | pertaining to; chemical or noun-forming | canine, marine, bromine | Adjective and noun suffix used in chemicals and descriptors; common in scientific terms. |
Descriptions
–ing
–ize
–ise
–ish
–ion
–ity
–ive
–ic
–ical
–ify
–ification
–ization
–ism
–ist
–ian
–ite
–ious
–ible
–ile
–id
–in
–is
–ium
–iform
–istic
–i
–ial
–ific
–iferous
–iatric
–iatry
–itis
–itic
–ine