Suffix · forms nouns
Turns a verb into the noun that names the action, process or its result: develop becomes development.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
The suffix -ment takes a verb and creates the noun that names the action, process or its concrete result. From "develop" you get "development"; from "agree" you get "agreement"; from "pay" you get "payment". It is the second most common noun-forming suffix after -tion. The key difference: -tion tends to pair with Latin-origin verbs, while -ment pairs more often with native English and French-origin verbs.
Many -ment words have near-identical Spanish equivalents: movement = movimiento government = gobierno argument = argumento document = documento treatment = tratamiento If you know a Spanish -miento or -ción word, try converting it to -ment in English. The bridge works in both directions and is especially useful for academic and business reading.
Unlike -tion (which usually names an abstract action), -ment often names both the process and the concrete result or document. agreement = the process of agreeing AND the signed document. payment = the act of paying AND the money handed over. statement = the act of stating AND the written record. Always check context to see whether a -ment word refers to the process or the outcome.
The rule is straightforward: verb + ment. No tricky spelling changes.
In most cases just attach -ment to the verb. The silent -e is kept in nearly all words (move → movement, achieve → achievement), though "judge → judgment" is a classic exception. When you see -ment, strip it off to find the verb hidden inside.
-ment/mənt/ · soft, unstressed 'munt'
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No extra -e-. Just verb + ment: develop + ment = development.
The suffix is -ment, not -iment. move → movement.
agree → agreement. The -e in "agree" is kept, then add -ment: agree + ment = agreement.
A trick to remember it
To find the verb inside any -ment word, just strip off -ment: management → manage, improvement → improve. And to build a -ment noun, take the verb and add -ment — that is all.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What is the correct noun form of "agree"?
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What verb is hidden inside "management"?
The suffix -ment turns a verb into the noun that names the action, process or its result: develop becomes development. In Spanish it usually maps to -miento / -ción.
The ending -ment is pronounced /mənt/ · soft, unstressed 'munt'. For example, "development".
"develop" becomes "development". It is a typical example of the -ment suffix.
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.