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In the English language, there are several different ways to form new words from existing ones. One common way is by adding a suffix to the end of a word. Two suffixes that are often used in this way are "ess" and "ness". In this article, we will take a closer look at the differences between words ending in "ess" and "ness" and explore some examples of each.
The words ending in "ess"
The words ending in "ess" are typically used to indicate the female form of nouns or adjectives that have a male form ending in "er" or "or". For example, "actress" is a female actor, "duchess" is a female duke, "mistress" is a female master. These words are used to indicate the gender of the noun or adjective they are derived from.
- actress
- duchess
- hostess
- mistress
- princess
- stewardess
- tigress
- waitress
- goddess
- heiress
Words Ending in "ness"
On the other hand, words ending in "ness" are typically nouns formed from adjectives by adding the suffix "-ness". They indicate a state or quality of being. For example "happiness" is the state of being happy, "kindness" is the quality of being kind, "loneliness" is the state of being alone and so on. These words are used to indicate a state or quality of the noun or adjective they are derived from.
- happiness
- kindness
- loneliness
- mildness
- readiness
- rudeness
- sharpness
- toughness
- weakness
- weariness
The words ending in "ess" and "ness" serve different grammatical functions in the English language. While words ending in "ess" are used to indicate the female form of nouns or adjectives, words ending in "ness" are used to indicate a state or quality of being. Understanding the differences between these two types of words can help to improve your understanding and use of the English language.