-ee
- someone who is affected by an action
addressee, appointee, assgnee, deportee, detainee, employee, evacuee, examinee, franchisee, internee, interviewee, licensee, nominee, payee, trainee, transferee, trustee
- someone who performs on action
absentee, divorcee, escapee, retiree
em-, en-
- when referring to moving into a different state or condition
embark, embed, embody, enable, encamp, encircle, enclose, encourage, endanger, enfeeble, enfold, enforce, engulf, enlarge, enrage, enrich, enslave, entangle, entrance, entrap, entwine
-en
- when changing the quality or state of something
blacken, brighten, broaden, cheapen, dampen, darken, deepen, deafen, fatten, flatten, freshen, harden, heighten, lengthen, lessen, lighten, loosen, mosten, quieten, redden, sharpen, shorten, sicken, slacken, stiffen, straighten, strengthen, sweeten, thicken, toughen, weaken, widen, worsen
- indicating what something is made of
earthen, flaxen, golden, leaden, oaken, silken, waxen, wooden, woollen
-ence
- when referring to the action or state described by the original verb
adherence, coherence, correspondence, defence, dependence, emergence, existence, insistence, persistence, preference, pretence, reference, residence, reminiscence, treanscendence
- when forming nouns
absence, adolescence, affluence, benevolence, competence, confidence, convenience, diffidence, disobedience, eloquence, indifference, innocence, intelligence, obedience, patience, presence, violence
-ent
- forming adjectives or nouns
abosorbent, correspondent, dependent, different, existent, insistent, persistent, respondent, student
-er
- when forming comparative adjectives
bigger, brighter, colder, darker, deeper, fatter, fuller, larger, later, safer, slower, smaller, softer, thicker
- referring to occupations
baker, driver, employer, farmer, leader, lecturer, manager, painter, player, producer, reader, reporter, rider, speaker, teacher, waiter, winner, worker, writer
-ery
- when forming nouns from verbs
bribery, butchery, cookery, delivery, discovery, embroidery, fattery, forgery, recovery, robbery
- referring to behaviour
bravery, foolery, prudery, savagery, snoberry
- referring to places
bakery, brewery, creamery, fashery, nursery, orangery, piggery, refinery, shrubbery, tannery
- referring to a group or collection
artillery, crockery, greenary, jewellery, machinery, pottery, scenery
-ese
- referring to origin
Chinese, Japanese, Lebanese, Maltese, Nepalese, Portuguese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese
- referring to languages
Chinese, Japanese, Portugese
-ess
- nouns referring to a woman or a female animal
actress, countess, duchess, empress, goddess, heiress, hostess, lioness, mistress, princess, stewardess, tigress, waitress
-est
- when forming superlative adjectives
biggeset, darkest, deepest, fattest, largest, longest, loudest, newest, oldest, saddest, slowlest, tallest, youngest
ever-
- always
ever-decreasing, ever-efficient, ever-expanding, ever-faithful, ever-growing, ever-helpful, everlasting, ever-increasing, ever-open, ever-popular, ever-present, ever-smiling, ever-watching, ever-willing
ex-
- when forming nouns
ex-boxer, ex-communist, ex-convict, ex-employer, ex-friend, ex-husband, ex-minister, ex-president, ex-professor, ex-secretary, ex-soldier, ex-wife
extra-
- when forming adjectives
extra-bright, extra-hard, extra-hot, extra-large, extra-long, extra-short, extra-small, extra-soft, extra-solid, extra-thin