This list includes 15 Suffixes that start with L, from “-land” to “-lysis”. They commonly form place names, nouns for processes, or adjectives describing qualities, useful for writing and vocabulary study.
Suffixes that start with L are bound morphemes added to stems to change meaning or word class. For example, “-land” reflects Old English place-name formation, while “-lysis” reached English via Greek in scientific vocabulary.
Below you’ll find the table with origin, meaning, and example words.
Origin (language/period): You see where each suffix comes from, which helps explain historical usage and modern meaning.
Meaning (short phrase): This gives a brief definition so you quickly grasp how the suffix changes a word’s sense.
Example words (2–4): You get two to four real words showing the suffix in context, useful for study and writing.
Suffixes that start with L
| Suffix | Origin | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| –less | Old English | without; lacking | hopeless, fearless, childless, useless |
| –let | Old French | small; diminutive | booklet, piglet, droplet, leaflet |
| –ling | Old English | small, young, or pejorative | duckling, underling, gosling, yearling |
| –ly | Old English | in manner; characteristic of | quickly, friendly, manly, lonely |
| –like | Old English | similar to; characteristic of | childlike, warlike, lifelike, businesslike |
| –logy | Greek | study or science of | biology, geology, anthropology, psychology |
| –logue | Greek/Old French | speech, discourse; noun-forming | dialogue, monologue, travelogue, catalogue |
| –log | Modern English | record or discourse; clipped form | weblog, travelog, vlog, audiolog |
| –logist | Greek | specialist; practitioner | biologist, geologist, neurologist, lexicologist |
| –lith | Greek | stone; rock | megalith, monolith, acrolith, lithic (related) |
| –lysis | Greek | loosening; breakdown, analysis | analysis, hydrolysis, dialysis, electrolysis |
| –lapse | Latin | to slip, fall; lapse | relapse, elapse, collapse |
| –long | Old English | having the specified length or duration | daylong, yearlong, season-long, weeklong |
| –land | Old English | land; territory or region | England, Iceland, woodland, highland |
| –le | Old English | verb-forming frequentative; diminutive | sparkle, dribble, toddle, rattle |
Descriptions
–less
Highly productive adjective-forming suffix from Old English meaning “without.” Widely used in modern English; very productive for negatives and abstract nouns.
–let
Diminutive suffix from Old French/Latin. Common and productive for small items or affectionate forms; sometimes interchangeable with French -ette in loanwords.
–ling
Old English diminutive/derivational suffix. Produces diminutives and sometimes pejoratives; still productive though sense varies by word.
–ly
Adverbial and adjective-forming suffix from OE lic; extremely productive. Homonymous historical sources; forms many adjectives and corresponding adverbs.
–like
Productive adjectival suffix meaning “resembling” or “characteristic of.” Common in both formal and informal coinages; sometimes used colloquially for nonce-words.
–logy
Learned combining form from Greek -logia. Very productive in academic and technical vocabulary; often appears as -ology in common use.
–logue
Noun-forming variant of -logy via French. Standard in many set words; British spellings often prefer -logue. Less productive for new coinages than -logy.
–log
Recent clipped form of -logue/-logy used for “record” or “account” (vlog, travelog). Highly productive in informal and digital coinages.
–logist
Combining form meaning “one who studies or specializes in.” Productive in academic/professional nouns; borrowed via Latin from Greek -logistēs.
–lith
Combining form from Greek lithos “stone.” Common in archaeology and geology; bound morpheme used in technical terms.
–lysis
Combining form from Greek lysis “loosening.” Very common in scientific and medical vocabulary; productive for process/condition terms.
–lapse
From Latin lapsus; appears in verbs and nouns denoting slipping or falling back. Found in learned words; moderately productive in technical/medical contexts.
–long
Suffix forming adjectives/adverbs meaning “lasting the length of.” Common in compounds (often hyphenated); moderately productive.
–land
Bound element used in place-names and compounds denoting territory. Historically common and still productive in toponyms and nouns.
–le
Orthographic final -le represents a productive verb/noun-forming ending (frequentative or diminutive). Morphologically opaque in many stems; productivity varies by word.