What this suffix does
-stone forms compounds with different types or uses of stone: milestone, cornerstone (the base of something), tombstone, keystone (the key element of something).
ESEN
Suffix · forms nouns
-stone
Forms compounds naming types of stone, places, or concepts involving permanence and foundation: milestone, cornerstone, tombstone, keystone, limestone.
In Spanish: piedra / hitoIntermediate
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
How it is formed
Noun + stone.
- mile + stonemilestone
- corner + stonecornerstone
- tomb + stonetombstone
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
-stone/stoʊn/ · sounds like "stone"
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Examples
Base word
With -stone
In a phrase
- milemilestoneGraduating college was a big milestone for her.
- cornercornerstoneTrust is the cornerstone of any good relationship.
- tombtombstoneThe names on the old tombstone were barely readable.
- keykeystoneThe keystone holds the whole stone arch together.
- limelimestoneThe cave walls are made of limestone.
- cobblecobblestoneThey walked down the narrow cobblestone streets.
- grindgrindstoneHe's been at the grindstone all week finishing the report.
- stepstepping stoneThis job is just a stepping stone to something bigger.
Common mistakes
a milestone person / a milestone idea
a milestone event / a milestone achievement
"Milestone" works as a pre-noun adjective only with events, achievements, or agreements: "a milestone moment," "a milestone ruling." Not used with people or abstract ideas.
the cornerstone is education
education is the cornerstone
Natural word order: "X is the cornerstone of Y." Reversing it sounds awkward.
A trick to remember it
"-stone" = stone, literal. Picture each word as a specific type of stone: mile-STONE = the stone marking each mile of a road. corner-STONE = the stone at the corner holding up the whole building (the base of something).
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The cornerstone of democracy is free speech." What does "cornerstone" mean here?
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Frequently asked questions
What does the suffix -stone mean in English?
The suffix -stone forms compounds naming types of stone, places, or concepts involving permanence and foundation: milestone, cornerstone, tombstone, keystone, limestone. In Spanish it usually maps to piedra / hito.
How do you pronounce -stone?
The ending -stone is pronounced /stoʊn/ · sounds like "stone". For example, "milestone".
Can you give an example of a word with -stone?
"mile" becomes "milestone". It is a typical example of the -stone suffix.
Other useful suffixes
-craft
Forms compounds naming a specialized skill, art, or type of vehicle: aircraft, spacecraft, witchcraft, stagecraft, statecraft, wordcraft.
-mark
Forms compounds naming marks, signs, or reference points: hallmark, benchmark, landmark, trademark, earmark, watermark.
-wise
Turns a word into an adverb of manner or direction: otherwise, likewise, clockwise. It is also used freely today to mean "in terms of X": money-wise, career-wise, weather-wise.
Learn every English suffix
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.