What is a suffix?

• A. a base word
• B. a prefix
• C. an affix that changes the vowel sound
• D. an affix added at the end of the word

Answer: (D)

A suffix is a morpheme added to the end of a word to modify its meaning or part of speech. It sits after the base word, making it a type of affix that changes how the word functions when used in sentences. For example, adding endings like -ing, -ed, -s, -ly, -ful, or -ness to a word changes its tense, number, or category (care + less → careless; hope + ful → hopeful; joy + ful → joyful). This placement at the end distinguishes suffixes from prefixes, which attach at the beginning, and from the base word, which is the root itself. The idea that a suffix changes the vowel sound isn’t defining; the key is that it’s an affix added to the end of the word.