Improve your Vocabulary: Learn hundreds of words with the suffixes -ize & -ization

Want to expand your English vocabulary? Prefixes and suffixes are powerful shortcuts to achieving your goal. A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word, and a suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word. Both prefixes and suffixes (known collectively as affixes) can reveal or modify the meaning of a word.

The two suffixes shown below are particularly impressive! They can be added to hundreds of everyday adjectives and nouns to create advanced verbs and nouns. Here’s what to do. Don’t try to learn all the words. Understand the principle, and highlight the words you’re most likely to need. Then, start using them while speaking or writing. Including such precise words in your IELTS/TOEFL/PTE exam, professional resume, job interview, client meeting, or business email can dramatically increase your chances of academic and professional success.

1. Verb Suffix: -ize (US) or -ise (UK)

• makes a word into a verb
• usually means to make

2. Compound Noun Suffix: -ization (US) or -isation (UK)

• makes a word into a noun
• usually refers to the act of making or a state of being

Examples:

NOTE: American spelling has been used in the examples and chart above.

Watch the lesson below for a full explanation and demonstration of how to use -ize and -ization.