When you add the suffix ness to the end of an adjective, the new word will become a noun that means having the quality of the adjective root word
Happiness is a noun that means having the quality of being happy
Suffix ness spelling note. If a two-syllable adjective ends in the letter Y, the Y will change into an I before adding the suffix ness
Happy becomes happiness. Friendly becomes friendliness. Lonely becomes loneliness
Three-letter adjectives ending in Y don't often change to an I. Shy becomes shyness
After high school, Brendan overcame his shyness and became a popular singer at local clubs
Examples Kind plus Ness equals kindness the quality of being kind Thank you for your kindness Happy plus Ness equals happiness the quality of being happy
I wish you lots of love and happiness. Sweet plus Ness equals sweetness, the quality of being sweet
I add honey to my coffee to give it a little sweetness. Silly plus Ness equals silliness, the quality of being silly
I've tolerated your silliness long enough. Blind plus Ness equals blindness, the quality of being blind
Drinking what alcohol may cause blindness. Dark plus Ness equals darkness, the quality of being dark
Darkness is falling, we should get home. Ill plus Ness equals illness, the condition of being ill
I missed a lot of school because of illness last year Fit plus Ness equals fitness the state of being fit I strong but I like to improve my fitness Weak plus Ness equals weakness the quality of being weak My son biggest weakness
is his stubborn attitude. Neat plus Ness equals neatness, the quality of being neat
All my teachers gave extra marks for neatness. Dry plus Ness equals dryness, the state of being dry
This medicine may cause dryness of the mouth. Lonely plus Ness equals loneliness, the state of being lonely
Depression often stems from loneliness. Bright plus Ness equals brightness, the quality of being bright
You should reduce the brightness of your screen. Fair plus Ness equals fairness, the quality of being fair
The teacher was admired for her fairness Tender plus Ness equals tenderness the quality of being tender Showing some tenderness doesn make you weak Thick plus Ness equals thickness
the quality of being thick. The length of time you need to barbecue a steak depends on its thickness
Tight plus Ness equals tightness, the state of being tight. The day after the marathon, I felt a real tightness in the back of my right leg
Unhappy plus Ness equals unhappiness, the quality of being unhappy. Many people deal with their unhappiness by overeating
Clean plus Ness equals cleanliness, the quality of being clean. The restaurant's number one priority is cleanliness
The adjective clean is a special example. We add the letters l and i before adding the suffixness to become the noun cleanliness
The pronunciation also changes, clean sounds like clean after we add the suffix