Noun Suffixes and Pronunciation
There are various word-ending suffixes used in English for noun formation. Although this is not a syntax site, we must pay attention to these endings to better pronounce words and transcribe them as well. In the chart below, the most common noun suffixes have been included. In addition, the IPA transcription has also been provided.
| Suffix | IPA | Suffix | IPA |
| -ture | /tʃʊr/ | -er / -or | /ǝr/ |
| -dom | /dɔm/ | -th | /ϴ/ |
| -ment | /mɛnt/ | -ry | /rɪ/ |
| -ism | /ɪzm/ | -age | /ɪdʒ/ |
| -tion / -sion | /ʃǝn/ | -ance / -ence | /ǝns/ |
| -ty | /tɪ/ | -ist | /ɪst/ |
| -ness | /nɛs/ | -ogy | /ǝdʒɪ/ |
Let’s see and analyze the following examples in the following chart.
| Word | Transcription |
| adventure | /ǝd’vɛntʃʊr/ |
| boredom | /’bɔrdɔm/ |
| excitement | /ɛk’saytmɛnt/ |
| criticism | /krɪtɪ’sɪzm/ |
| explosion | /ɛks’plowʃǝn/ |
| cruelty | /’kruwltɪ/ |
| loudness | /’lawdnɛs/ |
| teacher | /’tiytʃǝr/ |
| depth | /dɛpϴ/ |
| history | /’hɪstrɪ/ |
| shortage | /’ʃɔrtɪdʒ/ |
| performance | /pǝr’fɔrmǝns/ |
| dentist | /’dɛntɪst/ |
| geology | /dʒiy’ɔlǝdʒɪ/ |
Your task now is to transcribe the following words that contain the suffixes provided on this post.
| Word | Transcription |
| gesture | /’dʒɛstʃʊr/ |
| picture | |
| wisdom | |
| kingdom | |
| statement | |
| agreement | |
| activism | |
| egotism | |
| devotion | |
| election | |
| atrocity | |
| density | |
| sadness | |
| baldness | /’bɔldnɛs/ |
| tailor | |
| preacher | |
| width | |
| growth | |
| adultery | |
| allegory | |
| baggage | |
| luggage | |
| allowance | |
| assistance | |
| artist | |
| analyst | |
| analogy | |
| trilogy | |
Get the answers to the exercise over here!
