Suffix · forms nouns
Names a person who practises, believes in, or specialises in something: art becomes artist.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
The suffix -ist creates nouns that name a person in relation to an activity, doctrine, instrument or field. From "art" you get "artist"; from "guitar" you get "guitarist"; from "piano" you get "pianist". It can indicate a profession, a belief, or simply someone who practises or is enthusiastic about something: scientist, journalist, tourist.
This suffix is identical in English and Spanish, and the cognates are direct: artist = artista pianist = pianista tourist = turista specialist = especialista journalist = periodista Almost every Spanish -ista word has an English -ist equivalent. The only formal difference is that Spanish uses -ista for both genders, while English uses the same -ist form for everyone.
Beyond professions and instrument players, -ist marks someone who follows an ideology or holds a belief: capitalist, socialist, optimist, pessimist, realist. These -ist words usually have a partner in -ism: capitalism, socialism, optimism. Learning them in pairs gives you two words at once.
Noun, adjective or root + ist. No complicated spelling changes.
When the base ends in silent -e (science → scientist), the -e is absorbed. Most cases are straightforward: noun + ist with no other changes.
-ist/ɪst/ · sounds like 'ist'
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
science → scientist. The -e is absorbed: scien-tist.
guitar + ist = guitarist. A single r.
Most instruments take -ist (pianist, violinist), but some use -er (drummer, singer). Always check.
A trick to remember it
If Spanish uses -ista, English almost always uses -ist: artista = artist, guitarrista = guitarist, turista = tourist. One of the highest-cognate suffixes in the language.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
How do you say "científico" in English?
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
"optimist" and "pessimist" are examples of -ist words that indicate...
The suffix -ist names a person who practises, believes in, or specialises in something: art becomes artist. In Spanish it usually maps to -ista.
The ending -ist is pronounced /ɪst/ · sounds like 'ist'. For example, "artist".
"art" becomes "artist". It is a typical example of the -ist suffix.
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.