rd 3 Grade Lesson 25 Spelling Words Suffixes

rd 3 Grade Lesson 25 Spelling Words Suffixes: -less, -ness

Suffixes: -less, -ness • A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word that changes the meaning of the word. • The suffix -less means without. • The suffix -ness means state or quality of. For example: colorless- wilderness- without color state of being wild

painless (without pain) She was happy that this trip to the dentist was painless.

sickness (state of being sick) She was tired of this sickness and just wanted to get well!

sadness (state of being sad) The boy felt sadness when his best friend moved away.

helpless (without ability to help oneself) This newborn gibbon would be helpless on it’s own and would not survive.

thankless (without thanks) Garbage collectors deserve a lot of thanks, but have too many thankless days.

kindness (state of being kind) Even though it meant she would not win the race, she stopped to help the girl which showed great kindness.

hopeless (without hope) When someone feels hopeless, they feel like there is no hope things will get better.

darkness (state of being dark) It’s not a good idea to explore the woods in the darkness of night.

fearless (without fear) These kids are fearless, they aren’t afraid of anything!

thickness (a thick quality) The thickness of your gravy makes a difference on how well it stays on your potatoes.

careless (without care) I wouldn’t want to be in the car with this careless driver!

goodness (state of being good) This plate of apple nachos looks like a whole lot of goodness!

spotless (without spots) She cleaned the window until it was spotless.

softness (a soft quality) I love the softness of my dog’s fur!