There are four main kinds of word formation: prefixes, suffixes, conversion and compounds.
Prefixes
We add prefixes before the base or stem of a word.
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examples |
prefixes |
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monorail, monolingual |
mono— means ‘one’ |
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multipurpose, multicultural |
multi— means ‘many’ |
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post-war, postgraduate |
post— means ‘after’ |
|
unusual, undemocratic |
un— means ‘not’ or ‘opposite to’ |
Suffixes
We add suffixes after the base or stem of a word. The main purpose of a suffix is to show what class of word it is (e.g. noun or adjective).
|
examples |
suffixes |
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terrorism, sexism |
-ism and -dom are used to form nouns |
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employer, actor |
-er and -or are used to form nouns to describe people who do things |
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widen, simplify |
-en and -ify are used to form verbs |
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reasonable, unprofitable |
-able is used to form adjectives |
|
unhappily, naturally |
-ly is a common suffix used to form adverbs |
Conversion
Conversion involves the change of a word from one word class to another. For example, the verbs to email and to microwave are formed from the nouns email and microwave:
Can you text her? (verb from noun text, meaning to send a text-message)
They are always jetting somewhere. (verb from noun jet)
If you’re not careful, some downloads can damage your computer. (noun from verb download)
OK, so the meeting’s on Tuesday. That’s a definite. (noun from adjective)
It’s a very big if and I’m not at all sure we can afford it. (noun from conjunction, meaning ‘it’s not at all certain’)
All companies have their ups and downs. (nouns from prepositions)
We also use conversion when we change a proper noun into a common noun:
Has anybody seen my Dickens? (copy of a book by Dickens)
Compounding
When we use compounding, we link together two or more bases to create a new word. Normally, the first item identifies a key feature of the second word. For example, the two bases back and ache can combine to form the compound noun backache, and the two bases post and card combine to form the compound noun postcard.
Compounds are found in all word classes. The most common types of compounds are: Nouns: car park, rock band
Adjectives: heartbreaking, sugar-free, airsick
Verbs: oven-bake, baby-sit, chain-smoke
Adverbs: good-naturedly, nevertheless
It is sometimes difficult to know where to put hyphens in words that are compound ed. It is also difficult to know whether to separate words (e.g. post box) or to join the words (e.g. postbox). In such cases, it is best to check in a good learner’s dictionary.
Abbreviation
Abbreviation involves shortening a word. We do this in three main ways: clipping, acronyms and blends.
We use clipping when we shorten or ‘clip’ one or more syllables from a word. We also commonly clip proper names for people:
ad: advertisement, advert
lab: laboratory
Matt: Matthew
Acronyms are a type of abbreviation formed when the initial letters of two or more words are combined in a way that produces consonant and vowel sequences found in words. Acronyms are normally pronounced as words:
RAM: random access memory (RAM is a term used to describe a computer’s memory.)
Initials are similar to acronyms but are pronounced as sets of letters, not as words:
WHO: World Health Organisation, pronounced W–H–O
CD: compact disc, pronounced C–D
We form blends when we combine parts of existing words to form a new word:
blog: blend of web and log
motel: blend of motor and hotel
smog: blend of smoke and fog
Back-formation
We form words with back-formation when we remove part of a word, usually something which we think is a suffix (or occasionally a prefix). We do this commonly when we form verbs from nouns.
For example: to liaise (back-formed from the noun liaison); to intuit (back-formed from the noun intuition), to enthuse (back-formed from the noun enthusiasm):
Can you liaise with Tim and agree a time for the meeting, please?
She’s always enthusing about her new teacher.
Loan words and new words
Loan words
Loan words are words that are borrowed from other languages. Some recent loan words for food taken from other languages include: sushi, tapas, chapatti, pizza. When we use loan words, we do not normally change them, though we do sometimes inflect them if they are singular countable nouns (pizzas, chapattis). We also sometimes pronounce them more like English words, instead of using their original pronunciation.
New words
Some prefixes are commonly used to create new words. In modern English the prefix e- is used to create new words that are connected with the Internet and the use of the Internet:
e-bank, e-cards, e-commerce, e-learning
Almost any noun may potentially combine with any other noun to form new noun compounds (e.g. computer virus, carbon footprint, quality time).
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Task Type: Word formation
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Focus: Lexical-grammatical.
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Format: A text containing 8 gaps. Each gap corresponds to a word. The stems
of the missing words are given beside the text and must be changed
to form the missing word.
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Number of questions: 8.
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How many marks are there: One mark for each correct answer.
What is testing:
- conversions from noun to adjective
- conversions from verb to noun
- conversions from adjective to adverb
- conversions from verb to adjectives
- conversions from a positive to negative form
General Advice
- Never leave the base word unchanged
- Look at each sentence and decide what kind of word is required
- Check the spelling carefully
- Tje words you need might have to change into a negative or plural
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cambridge english first certificate (fce) test
Word Formation
- FCE : Word Formation 1
- FCE : Word Formation 2
- FCE : Word Formation 3
- FCE : Word Formation 4
- FCE : Word Formation 5
- FCE : Word Formation 6
- FCE : Word Formation 7
- FCE : Word Formation 8
- FCE : Word Formation 9
- FCE : Word Formation 10
- FCE : Word Formation 11
- FCE : Word Formation 12
- FCE : Word Formation 13
- FCE : Word Formation 14
- FCE : Word Formation 15
- FCE : Word Formation 16
- FCE : Word Formation 17
- FCE : Word Formation 18
- FCE : Word Formation 19
- FCE : Word Formation 20
Nouns in English generally follow common patterns, for example they can end in -age, -al, -ance, – ence, -cy,-dom, -hood, -iety, -ity, -ness. The best thing to do is learn these patterns and memorize how nouns can be formed from root words.
For practice exercises, click HERE and for a complete list, click HERE
-AGE
| ROOT | NOUN |
| BREAK | BREAKAGE |
| COVER | COVERAGE |
| PACK | PACKAGE |
| POST | POSTAGE |
| SHORT | SHORTAGE |
| STORE | STORAGE |
| WRECK | WRECKAGE |
-AL
| ROOT | NOUN |
| APPROVE | APPROVAL |
| ARRIVE | ARRIVAL |
| BURY | BURIAL |
| DENY | DENIAL |
| DISMISS | DISMISSAL |
| PROPOSE | PROPOSAL |
| REHEARSE | REHEARSAL |
| REMOVE | REMOVAL |
| RENEW | RENEWAL |
| REVIVE | REVIVAL |
| SURVIVE | SURVIVAL |
-ANCE
| ROOT | NOUN |
| ANNOY | ANNOYANCE |
| ARROGANT | ARROGANCE |
| APPEAR | APPEARANCE |
| ATTEND | ATTENDANCE |
| DISTANT | DISTANCE |
| DISTURB | DISTURBANCE |
| ENDURE | ENDURANCE |
| ENTER | ENTRANCE |
| IGNORE | IGNORANCE |
| IMPORTANT | IMPORTANCE |
| INHERIT | INHERITANCE |
| PERFORM | PERFORMANCE |
| RELEVANT | IRRELEVANCE |
| RELUCTANT | RELUCTANCE |
| RELY | RELIANCE |
| RESEMBLE | RESEMBLANCE |
| RESIST | RESISTANCE |
| SIGNIFY | SIGNIFICANCE |
| TOLERATE | TOLERANCE |
-ENCE
| ROOT | NOUN |
| ABSENT | ABSENCE |
| COMPETENT | COMPETENCE |
| CONFIDE | CONFIDENCE |
| CONVENIENT | CONVENIENCE |
| DEPEND | DEPENDENCE |
| DIFFER | DIFFERENCE |
| EVIDENT | EVIDENCE |
| EXIST | EXISTENCE |
| INCOMPETENT | INCOMPETENCE |
| INNOCENT | INNOCENCE |
| INSIST | INSISTENCE |
| INTELLIGENT | INTELLIGENCE |
| OCCUR | OCCURRENCE |
| OFFEND | OFFENCE |
| PATIENT | PATIENCE |
| PERSIST | PERSISTENCE |
| PRESENT | PRESENCE |
| RECUR | RECURRENCE |
| VIOLENT | VIOLENCE |
-CY
| ROOT | NOUN |
| ACCURATE | ACCURACY |
| ADEQUATE | ADEQUACY |
| BANKRUPT | BANKRUPTCY |
| DECENT | DECENCY |
| EFFICIENT | EFFICIENCY |
| FREQUENT | FREQUENCY |
| IMMEDIATE | IMMEDIACY |
| INACCURATE | INACCURACY |
| INEFFICIENT | INEFFICIENCY |
| LITERATE | LITERACY |
| PIRATE | PIRACY |
| PREGNANT | PREGNANCY |
| PRIVATE | PRIVACY |
| PROFICIENT | PROFICIENCY |
| REDUNDANT | REDUNDANCY |
| SECRET | SECRECY |
| URGENT | URGENCY |
| VACANT | VACANCY |
-DOM
| ROOT | NOUN |
| BORE | BOREDOM |
| FREE | FREEDOM |
| WISE | WISDOM |
-HOOD
| ROOT | NOUN |
| ADULT | ADULTHOOD |
| CHILD | CHILDHOOD |
| FATHER | FATHERHOOD |
| LIKE | LIKELIHOOD |
| LIVE | LIVELIHOOD |
| MAN | MANHOOD |
| MOTHER | MOTHERHOOD |
| NEIGHBOUR | NEIGHBOURHOOD |
| PARENT | PARENTHOOD |
| WOMAN | WOMANHOOD |
-IETY
| ROOT | NOUN |
| ANXIOUS | ANXIETY |
| SOBER | SOBRIETY |
| VARIOUS | VARIETY |
-ITY
| ROOT | NOUN |
| ABLE | ABILITY |
| ACTIVE | ACTIVITY |
| COMPLEX | COMPLEXITY |
| CREDIBLE | CREDIBILITY |
| CURIOUS | CURIOSITY |
| EQUAL | EQUALITY |
| FAMILIAR | FAMILIARITY |
| FEROCIOUS | FEROCITY |
| FLEXIBLE | FLEXIBILITY |
| FORMAL | FORMALITY |
| INACTIVE | INACTIVITY |
| INFLEXIBLE | INFLEXIBILITY |
| INFORMAL | INFORMALITY |
| UNABLE | INABILITY |
| UNEQUAL | INEQUALITY |
-ness
| ROOT | NOUN |
| AWARE | AWARENESS |
| DARK | DARKNESS |
| GOOD | GOODNESS |
| KIND | KINDNESS |
| PREPARE | PREPAREDNESS |
Another important part of word formation is understanding Prefixes and Suffixes, click HERE for a complete list
DOWNLOAD THE LIST OF NOUNS IN PDF HERE
Book Description Note: This is an E-Book (electronic) Edition.
A piece of software to help students with the word formation (use of English part 3). You just have to type the word in the textbox and then press ENTER. You can even add new words and word families.
Click on the picture below to download this file.
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Word formation is a very important aspect of most languages, and English is no exception. The term «word formation» refers to the processes through which new words are created. Given its significance in the English language and in Cambridge English exams, this short article will outline the basic word formation processes. Let’s go!
- Compounding
- Derivation: prefixes and suffixes
- Conversion
- Blending
- Abbreviation
- Clipping
- Acronyms
- Novel creation
- Creative re-spelling
- Loan words
- Download this post as a PDF
Compounding
It means creating a word by adding up two or more different words. Compound words have a new meaning, which is obviously related to the meanings of the other words. For example:
- book + case = bookcase
- sign + post = signpost
- watch + man = watchman
Not all compound words are written together. Sometimes they can by hyphenated (con guión) or separate, such as «traffic lights» or «ice-cream». Some, such as «ice-cream» can be written with our without a hyphen.
Derivation: prefixes and suffixes
This process is normally done through suffixation or prefixation, that is to say, adding a suffix or a prefix. For instance:
- urgent (adjective) + -cy = urgency (noun)
- ir- + responsible (adjective) + -y = irresponsibly (adverb)
- national (adjective) + -ise = nationalise
Conversion
Conversion happens when a word changes from one word class to another. For instance, the verb to google is formed from the noun Google; or the noun read (as in a good read) is formed from the verb to read. For example:
- I emailed this document to John. (emailed is a verb formed from the noun email)
- He was bullied at school as a child. (bullied is a verb formed from the noun bully)
Blending
This involves taking a part of two different words to make a new word, like merging two words based on the sounds of these words. This is extremely popular in the English language, and it produces hundreds of new words every year whose meanings is a mixture of the meanings of the original words. In some cases, these are informal, but there are many that have become a natural part of standard English. Let’s see some examples:
- channel + tunnel = chunnel
- motor + hotel = motel
- work + alcoholic = workaholic
Abbreviation
When we abbreviate a word, we form another word by shortening it or simply by using only part of the word:
- Perambulator –> pram
- Veterinary –> vet
In general, we can talk about two types of abbreviation: clipping and acronyms.
Clipping
This means literally clipping the word, which means «cutting» the word to make it shorter. This normally makes the word more informal and/or appealing. Some examples are:
- advertisement = ad
- hamburger = burger
- demonstration = demo
Acronyms
Acronyms, which are a form of abbreviation, are words formed by using only the first letter(s) of the words. By creating an acronym, we are reducing the meaning of a whole phrase o sentence to a single word. Let’s see some popular examples:
- laughing out loud = LOL
- United Nations = UN
- radio detection and ranging = radar
Novel creation
This basically means coming up with a completely new word without any of the processes above. These words are typically referred to as «neologisms». Some examples are:
- puzzle
- bash
- gimmick
- gadget
Creative re-spelling
This involves spelling a word differently in order to make it more practical, attractive, or to fulfil some particular aim, usually commercial. For example:
- because –> bcoz
- light –> lite
- forever –> 4eva
- Combat –> Kombat
Loan words
In linguistics, a loan happens when we take a word directly from a foreign language. Some examples of loan words in English are:
- solo
- pizza
- tapas
- negro
- carpe diem
- cul de sac
In general, when we loan a word, the spelling doesn’t usually change. However, some other changes may occur, like creating a plural form which doesn’t exist in the original language. As for pronunciation, we usually pronounce them with an «English accent», so it varies slightly from the original pronunciation.
As far as Cambridge English exams go, it’s derivation (prefixes & suffixes) that concerns us most, as it is present in two of the parts of the section of Use of English B2 and Use of English C1.
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