What this suffix does
-craft forms two types of compounds: specialized skills or arts (witchcraft, stagecraft, statecraft), and vehicles (aircraft, spacecraft, watercraft).
ESEN
Suffix · forms nouns
-craft
Forms compounds naming a specialized skill, art, or type of vehicle: aircraft, spacecraft, witchcraft, stagecraft, statecraft, wordcraft.
In Spanish: arte / oficio / habilidad deIntermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
"Craft" on its own is trendy too
"craft beer", "craft coffee": "craft" evokes handmade work and dedication, as opposed to mass industrial production.
How it is formed
Noun + craft, naming a skill, art, or type of vehicle.
- air + craftaircraft
- witch + craftwitchcraft
- state + craftstatecraft (the art of governing)
This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.
How it is pronounced
-craft/kræft/ · sounds like "kraft"
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Examples
Base word
With -craft
In a phrase
- airaircraftThe aircraft landed safely despite the storm.
- spacespacecraftThe spacecraft will reach Mars in seven months.
- witchwitchcraftIn the old village, people believed she practiced witchcraft.
- stagestagecraftThe director is known for his clever stagecraft.
- statestatecraftGood statecraft requires patience and compromise.
- wordwordcraftHer wordcraft made even a simple story feel powerful.
- waterwatercraftThey rented a small watercraft to explore the lake.
Common mistakes
aircrafts / spacecrafts
aircraft / spacecraft (invariable plural)
"Aircraft" and "spacecraft" have invariable plurals: "one aircraft," "five aircraft." Never add -s.
witchcraft practices
witchcraft / witchcraft rituals
"Witchcraft" is uncountable and already names the whole practice: "accused of witchcraft." Adding "practices" is redundant; use "witchcraft rituals" if you need to be specific.
A trick to remember it
Think of Minecraft: "craft" = to create or make something with skill. When you see a new -craft word, read it as "what is made/done with X": aircraft = "made for flying through the air", witchcraft = "what a witch does", statecraft = "the art of making a state function". That trick unlocks any -craft word, even one you have never seen.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"His mastery of statecraft allowed him to navigate the crisis." What is "statecraft"?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Frequently asked questions
What does the suffix -craft mean in English?
The suffix -craft forms compounds naming a specialized skill, art, or type of vehicle: aircraft, spacecraft, witchcraft, stagecraft, statecraft, wordcraft. In Spanish it usually maps to arte / oficio / habilidad de.
How do you pronounce -craft?
The ending -craft is pronounced /kræft/ · sounds like "kraft". For example, "aircraft".
Can you give an example of a word with -craft?
"air" becomes "aircraft". It is a typical example of the -craft suffix.
Other useful suffixes
-smith
Names a craftsperson skilled in working a specific material or medium: blacksmith, goldsmith, silversmith, wordsmith, locksmith, gunsmith.
-work
Forms compound nouns naming a type of organized activity, a structure, or a crafted material: teamwork, framework, network, groundwork, handiwork, patchwork.
-wright
From Old English "wryhta" (worker, maker): forms nouns for skilled craftsmen and makers. Playwright, wheelwright, shipwright, wainwright, millwright.
Learn every English suffix
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.