Suffix · forms nouns
Names an intense irrational fear: claustro + phobia = claustrophobia.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
The suffix -phobia comes from the Greek "phobos" (fear, terror) and is used to name phobias or intense irrational fears. From "claustro" (enclosed space) you get "claustrophobia"; from "arachn" (spider) you get "arachnophobia"; from "xeno" (foreigner) you get "xenophobia". It is a very productive suffix: new -phobias are constantly being coined for modern fears (nomophobia = fear of being without your phone).
English and Spanish share the same Greek root. The difference is only in spelling: claustrophobia = claustrofobia arachnophobia = aracnofobia xenophobia = xenofobia acrophobia = acrofobia In English it is written -phobia (with ph = /f/); in Spanish it is written -fobia (with f directly). The meaning is identical.
Every -phobia generates the adjective -phobic and the person -phobe: claustrophobia = claustrophobic (adj.) / a claustrophobe (person) xenophobia = xenophobic (adj.) / a xenophobe (person) "claustrophobic" is the most frequent adjective in conversation: "I feel claustrophobic in the elevator".
Greek or Latin root of the feared object or situation + phobia.
Most roots are Greek. Many do not exist as standalone English words (arachn-, claustro-), so the most practical approach is to learn the most common phobias as fixed vocabulary.
-phobia/foʊbiə/ · sounds like 'FOH-bee-uh'
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
In English it is spelled -phobia with ph: arachnophobia. In Spanish it is -fobia with f.
claustro- comes from Latin "claustrum" (enclosed space), not from "Claus".
In English the word is "phobia" (with ph). In Spanish it is "fobia" (with f).
A trick to remember it
If Spanish says "-fobia", English says "-phobia": claustrofobia = claustrophobia. Remember: ph in English = f in Spanish. And the adjective is -phobic: claustrophobic, xenophobic.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What is "agoraphobia"?
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
In English, "xenophobia" is spelled with...
The suffix -phobia names an intense irrational fear: claustro + phobia = claustrophobia. In Spanish it usually maps to -fobia.
The ending -phobia is pronounced /foʊbiə/ · sounds like 'FOH-bee-uh'. For example, "claustrophobia".
"claustro" becomes "claustrophobia". It is a typical example of the -phobia suffix.
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