Ever wondered whether you should call a person Mr., Mrs., Miss, etc… and when? These titles can be confusing, especially for non-native English speakers. Is Mr and Mrs a suffix?
A prefix is a group of letters (or an affix) that’s added to the beginning of a word, and a suffix is an affix that’s added to the end of a word. Prefixes modify the meaning of a word.
In some companies or institutions, you are not required to add a suffix or title, but call them by their first names instead. It’s because some people believe that using titles aren’t necessary because it only creates a barrier between an employer and employee, or a superior and his/her subordinates.
What’s safe to use as prefixes?
Some institutions or company culture still believe that using a prefix or suffix before or after a superior’s or senior’s name is a sign of respect. It’s also a requirement in some companies in the United States, among others.
Therefore, to be on the safe side, you should first address someone with his/her title, regardless. Besides, he/she will tell you if it’s not necessary anymore. It’s also important to know the meaning of a professional’s suffix to know his/her position in the company.
Yet some suffixes are required because they’re part of someone’s name. In that case, you shouldn’t miss this word then. Not only that, but there are some that are meant to be written, but not spoken!
Now to ease your confusion with these titles and the use of each, let us start by exploring what is a suffix definition with examples.
What is a suffix?
A suffix is a word or abbreviation found after a person’s full name, to tell something about him/her. This can be a professional title, an accomplishment, or to complement a person’s name.
A suffix is different from a prefix, which can be found before a person’s first, last or even a full name. Both prefixes and suffixes are particularly important too when writing a letter, especially formal letters.
What is a suffix example?
As mentioned above, there are different types of suffixes. These are to show a person’s educational attainment, profession, or honor. These are also called post-nominal letters. But before we dive into that, let us give you some examples of the non-post-nominal titles.
Here are some examples and what they mean:
- PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) – This is the highest degree in a university in a wide variety of courses related to arts, sciences and languages.
- Ed.D (Doctor of Education) – The highest degree in a university for those who studied education courses.
- M.Eng (Mechanical Engineer) – This is a shortened term for someone who finished a Master’s Degree in Engineering.
- J.D (Juris Doctor or Doctor of Jurisprudence) – This is a professional degree for lawyers
- Hons – This is written after the name of someone who has an honorary degree.
What is a suffix name example?
Another type or example of a suffix is a name suffix or what we call the post-nominal letters. Though they appear very short titles after a person’s last name, they are very important. After these examples, you’ll know why:
- Jr. (junior) – a word or suffix after a male’s last name if he’s named after his father.
- Sr. (senior) – a word or suffix a father may use after his full name, if he has a son who’s named after him.
- III (also called “the third”). This is very important to use this if the person bears the same name as his father and grandfather. e.g. Ted Johnson (name of the grandfather); Ted Johnson II (name of the father); Ted Johnson III (name of the father’s child). They could even use IV, V, VI, etc… if they wish to retain the name for the next generations.
Now you know why these titles are so important. It’s because by losing that suffix at the end of a person’s full name, that person’s identity may be mistaken for another. This is just like how one word can change the meaning of an entire phrase or sentence. But these are only meant to be written as a part of their full name, and not spoken or used when you’re addressing them.
What is Mr and Mrs called?
Mr and Mrs are the most common prefixes. Some differences between a prefix and a suffix are that a prefix is used before the name, whether it is a full name, first name, or last name; a suffix could only be used after a person’s full name.
So now, when someone asks you, “Is Mr or Mrs a prefix?” you can now confidently answer “yes!”
Here are examples of prefixes:
- Mr. (shortened form for Mister. It’s used when a man is married / not married)
- Ms. (shortened term for Miss. It’s used when a woman is married / not married)
- Mrs. (use this when a woman is married)
- Pres. (shortened term for president)
- Prince (Used in countries that have a Monarchy such as Belgium, etc…)
Like suffixes, there are also nominal and professional prefixes.
What is suffix in personal information?
When you are filling up your personal information, you may find a field called “suffix” after your name. This one though is only required if you use a name suffix such as, Jr., Sr., III, etc… While other forms clearly specify that this is only filled up if applicable, you should not mistake this for an academic, honorary, or a professional title.
So now that you are already in-the-know about prefixes, suffixes and their types/examples, you should be confident and not miss a word.
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