Morphemes in “usefulness”
“usefulness” has 3 morphemes: use + -ful + -ness.
use
root
+
ful
suffix
+
ness
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are use + -ful + -ness.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| use | free root | free | put into service; make work or employ for a particular purpose or for its inherent or natural purpose |
| -ful | derivational suffix | bound | full of, having |
| -ness | derivational suffix | bound | state or quality of being |
How the word is built
use → useful → usefulness
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “use” is where the chain starts.
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Segmentation derived from MorphyNet (Batsuren, Bella & Giunchiglia, 2021; CC BY-SA 3.0, built from Wiktionary), with hand-written affix glosses and root meanings from WordNet. Reviewed for classroom use; tell us if you spot an error.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many morphemes are in "usefulness"?
"usefulness" has three morphemes: use + -ful + -ness.
How do you break "usefulness" into morphemes?
use + -ful + -ness. The root is "use"; -ful is a derivational suffix, -ness is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "usefulness"?
The root of "usefulness" is "use", built up as use → useful → usefulness.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.