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The Farlex Grammar Book > English Spelling and Pronunciation > Spelling Conventions > Affixes > Suffixes >
Commonly Confused Suffixes > Commonly Confused Suffixes: ­er, ­or, and ­ar

Commonly Confused Suffixes: ­er, ­or, and ­ar

When to use “­er,” “­or,” or “­ar” at the end of a word
The suffixes “­er,” “­or,” and “­ar” are all used to create nouns of agency (indicating “a person or thing that performs an
action”) from verbs. Of the three, “­er” is by far the most common, while “­or” is much more common than “­ar.” Because
they perform the same function and are pronounced in the same way (/әr/), it can be difficult to decide which suffix is the
correct one to use.

When a verb is changed into a noun of agency using a suffix, it will almost always be “­er.” However, there are a few
particular conventions we can follow to determine when we should use “­or” instead. (We use the “­ar” suffix much more
rarely, so we will discuss it separately toward the end of the section.)

Rule 1: Use “­er” with verbs ending in a single consonant

When a verb ends in a single consonant, it will almost always take the suffix “­er.” Note that if the consonant is preceded
by a single vowel, the consonant will generally double before the suffix (though this is not always the case; go to the
section Doubling Consonants with Vowel Suffixes to learn more).

For example:
bat→batter
barter→barterer
canvas→canvasser
cater→caterer
cheat→cheater
eat→eater
embroider→embroiderer
feel→feeler
fib→fibber
format→formatter
grab→grabber
loiter→loiterer
loot→looter
propel→propeller
rap→rapper
read→reader
scrub→scrubber
sit→sitter
shred→shredder
travel→traveler
yak→yakker

There are several exceptions to this rule, though:

conquer→conqueror
council→councilor
counsel→counselor
offer→offeror
sail→sailor

Rule 1.5: Use “­or” with multi­syllable verbs ending in “­it”

While single­syllable verbs that end in “­it” will usually take the suffix “­er” and have the final T doubled (as in hitter, knitter,
quitter, sitter, etc.), verbs with two or more syllables ending in “­it” are much more likely to take the suffix “­or.” For
example:
audit→auditor
credit→creditor
edit→editor
 edit→editor
exhibit→exhibitor
inherit→inheritor
inhibit→inhibitor
solicit→solicitor
visit→visitor

While this convention is fairly reliable, there are some exceptions:

delimit→delimiter
profit→profiter
recruit→recruiter

Also note that this convention does not apply when a silent E follows the final T.

Rule 2: Use “­er” with verbs ending in a silent E

Most verbs that end in a consonant + silent E will take the “­er” suffix (which replaces the final E of the root word). For
instance:
advertise→advertiser
bake→baker
bathe→bather
change→changer
code→coder
divide→divider
frame→framer
give→giver
grate→grater
hate→hater
love→lover
make→maker
organize→organizer
page→pager
ride→rider
slide→slider
time→timer
write→writer

This is a reliable convention to follow, but there are some exceptions, most often when a word ends in “­ise”:
incise→incisor
previse→previsor
promise→promisor (variant of promiser, used especially in legal writing)
supervise→supervisor
survive→survivor

However, the most consistent exception is for verbs with more than one syllable that end in “­ate.”

Rule 2.5: Use “­or” with multi­syllable verbs ending in “­ate”

When a word has more than one syllable and ends in “­ate,” it will almost always take the “­or” suffix. Once again, the
suffix replaces the silent E at the end. For example:
accelerate→accelerator
administrate→administrator
animate→animator
calculate→calculator
coordinate→coordinator
educate→educator
elevate→elevator
generate→generator
instigate→instigator
liberate→liberator
motivate→motivator
narrate→narrator
perpetrate→perpetrator
refrigerate→refrigerator
spectate→spectator
terminate→terminator
ventilate→ventilator

Remember, single­syllable verbs ending in “­ate” will take the “­er” suffix, as in grater, hater, skater, etc.

Rule 3: Use “­er” with verbs ending in consonant clusters

So far we’ve mostly looked at examples of verbs that end in a single consonant and a silent E, with a few different
instances in which “­or” is (or might) be used instead of “­er.”

However, when a verb ends in a consonant cluster (two or more consonants that quickly blend together in the same
syllable), it is much more likely to take the “­er” suffix.

For example:
adapt→adapter*
bend→bender
boost→booster
build→builder
busk→busker
contend→contender
defend→defender
dust→duster
forest→forester
golf→golfer
grind→grinder
help→helper
jump→jumper
lend→lender
mend→mender
protest→protester
respond→responder
 shoplift→shoplifter
tempt→tempter
weld→welder

However, there are a few common exceptions to this convention:

invent→inventor
invest→investor
sculpt→sculptor
torment→tormentor
vend→vendor
(*Adapter can also be spelled adaptor, but this is a bit less common.)

Uniquely, we more commonly use “­or” when a word ends in the cluster CT.

Rule 3.5: Use “­or” with verbs ending in CT

While verbs ending in other consonant clusters will take the “­er” suffix, a verb that ends in CT will almost always be made
into a noun with the suffix “­or,” as in:
abduct→abductor
act→actor
conduct→conductor
contract→contractor
correct→corrector
direct→director
eject→ejector
instruct→instructor
object→objector
project→projector
react→reactor
reflect→reflector
select→selector

Rule 4: Use “­er” with verbs ending in consonant digraphs

Like we do with verbs ending in consonant clusters (other than CT), we use the “­er” suffix with verbs ending in consonant
digraphs, pairs of consonants that form a single unique consonant sound. This is also true of words ending in the
consonant trigraph TCH.

For example:
catch→catcher
choreograph→choreographer
cough→cougher
etch→etcher
laugh→laugher
march→marcher
publish→publisher
sing→singer
teach→teacher
wash→washer
 wash→washer
watch→watcher

This is also true when a verb ends in a double consonant (except SS, as we’ll see later). For example:
bluff→bluffer
buzz→buzzer
call→caller
distill→distiller
mill→miller
roll→roller
spell→speller
staff→staffer

Rule 4.5: There’s no pattern for verbs ending in SS

While verbs ending in FF, LL, or ZZ will always take the suffix “­er,” there is much less certainty for words ending in SS—
there is no clear pattern, so we just have to memorize which suffix a particular word will take.

­er ­or

address→addresser assess→assessor
canvass→canvasser compress→compressor
dress→dresser confess→confessor
express→expresser depress→depressor
guess→guesser possess→possessor
hiss→hisser process→processor
kiss→kisser profess→professor
pass→passer suppress→suppressor
trespass→trespasser transgress→transgressor

Using the suffix “­ar”

While “­er” is the most common suffix to form nouns of agency from verbs, the suffix “­or” performs the same function in
certain instances. However, there is a third suffix that can be used to form these types of nouns, and it is pronounced the
same way as the other two: “­ar.”

Nouns of agency ending in “­ar”

Nouns of agency ending in the “­ar” suffix are much less common than “­er” or “­or,” and there is no real convention to
dictate when “­ar” is the appropriate ending.

There are only two nouns that can be directly derived from verbs using “­ar”:
beg→beggar
lie→liar

There is a third verb that is connected to a noun of agency: burgle→burglar. In this case, however, burglar is the original
word (derived from Anglo­Latin) with the verb burgle derived from it, a process known as a “back­formation.”

Finally, there are a few other nouns of agency that end in “­ar,” but they are not derived from or directly connected to a
verb, so “­ar” is not functioning as a suffix:
bursar
registrar
scholar
vicar
Other nouns ending in “­ar”
In addition to ending some nouns of agency, “­ar” appears at the ends of several other common nouns. However, it is not
functioning as a suffix in these cases, as it does not change a different part of speech into a noun. For instance:
altar
avatar
calendar
cheddar
dollar
grammar
guitar
hangar (meaning “a large building or shelter, usually to house aircraft”; not related to the verb hang)
mortar
nectar
pillar
radar
vinegar

Using “­ar” to form adjectives

While the suffix “­ar” is used to form a few nouns, it is much more commonly used to create adjectives, either on its own
or as part of the larger suffix “­ular.” (Both “­ar” and “­ular” are used to mean “like; resembling or relating to; of or belonging
to.”)

For example:
angle→angular
cell→cellular
circle→circular
grain→granular
line→linear
muscle→muscular
nucleus→nuclear
pole→polar
populace→popular
title→titular
vehicle→vehicular

Forming Comparative Adjectives and Comparative Adverbs

While many adjectives can be formed with the suffix “­ar,” it’s important to note that the suffix “­er” is the only ending that
can be used to create comparative adjectives and comparative adverbs—adjectives and adverbs used to compare
traits between two people or things. For example:
bright→brighter
dim→dimmer
fast→faster
full→fuller
happy→happier
 long→longer
red→redder
slow→slower
tall→taller
witty→wittier

Forming other comparatives

Note that not all adjectives can become comparative by adding “­er.” Only those that have one syllable or those with two
syllables ending in “­y” can do so. For longer adjectives, we simply add the words more or less before them, as in:
admirable→more/less admirable
careful→more/less careful
intelligent→more/less intelligent
loyal→more/less loyal
respectful→more/less respectful
vivid→more/less vivid

Adverbs also have this restriction, though it is only single­syllable adverbs that can take the “­er” suffix; adverbs ending in
“­y” are almost always formed by adding “­ly” to adjectives, and they take the words more/less to become comparative.
For example:
admirably→more/less admirably
carefully→more/less carefully
intelligently→more/less intelligently
loyally→more/less loyally
respectfully→more/less respectfully
vividly→more/less vividly

Other adjectives are simply irregular, and have a specific comparative form that does not follow the convention above;
here are some of the most common examples:

Adjectives Adverbs

bad→worse badly→worse
fun→more/less fun early→earlier*
far→farther (literal distance) or further (figurative distance) far→farther (literal distance) or further (figurative distance)
good→better little→less (when describing an amount)
little→less (when describing an amount) well→better

(*Early is both an adjective and an adverb, and it has the same comparative form in both uses: earlier. This is irregular
only as an adverb because it goes against the convention of adding more/less to adverbs ending in “­ly.”)

Quiz

1. Which of the following suffixes is most commonly used to form nouns from verbs?

a) ­ar
b) ­er
c) ­or

2. Which of the following suffixes is least commonly used to form nouns from verbs?

a) ­ar
b) ­er
 b) ­er
c) ­or

3. In which of the following instances would we most likely use the suffix “­or”?

a) With verbs ending in a consonant digraph

b) With verbs ending in a single consonant
c) With verbs ending in a silent E
d) With verbs ending in CT

4. Which of the following verbs takes the “­er” suffix to become a noun of agency?

a) lie
b) narrate
c) work
d) inherit

5. Which part of speech is most commonly formed with the suffix “­ar”?

a) adjectives
b) adverbs
c) nouns
d) verbs

6. Which of the following suffixes is used to form comparative adjectives and adverbs?

a) ­ar
b) ­er
c) ­or
d) A & B
e) B & C
f) All of the above

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