Words Ending in -NESS: Complete List with Syllable Counts

The suffix -ness turns adjectives into nouns. Dark becomes darkness. Happy becomes happiness. Kind becomes kindness. It's one of the most productive suffixes in English, attaching to hundreds of adjectives and always adding exactly 1 syllable to the base word.

How -NESS Works

The suffix -ness takes an adjective (a word that describes something) and transforms it into a noun (a word that names the quality itself).

"Sad" describes a feeling. "Sadness" names the feeling. "Dark" describes a quality. "Darkness" names the quality. "Aware" describes a state. "Awareness" names the state.

This adjective-to-noun conversion is one of the most useful word-building tools in English. Any time you need a noun for a quality and one doesn't exist, you can often create it by adding -ness.

The Syllable Count Rule

The suffix -ness always adds exactly 1 syllable. No exceptions. The math is simple:

Base adjective syllables + 1 = -ness word syllables

Base Word	Base Syllables	-NESS Word	Total Syllables
dark	1	darkness	2
kind	1	kindness	2
sad	1	sadness	2
weak	1	weakness	2
bold	1	boldness	2
happy	2	happiness	3
bitter	2	bitterness	3
gentle	2	gentleness	3
aware	2	awareness	3
lonely	2	loneliness	3
beautiful	3	beautifulness	4
comfortable	3-4	comfortableness	4-5
forgetful	3	forgetfulness	4

For more on how suffixes change syllable count, see our prefixes and suffixes guide.

Spelling Rules

One spelling rule applies when adding -ness: if the base word ends in Y preceded by a consonant, change the Y to I before adding -ness.

Base Word	Spelling Change	-NESS Word
happy	Y → I	happiness
lonely	Y → I	loneliness
busy	Y → I	business (wait — this is an exception)
easy	Y → I	easiness
lazy	Y → I	laziness
tidy	Y → I	tidiness
ugly	Y → I	ugliness
worthy	Y → I	worthiness

"Business" is a special case — it comes from "busy" + "-ness" but has evolved into its own word with a different pronunciation (biz·ness, 2 syllables instead of the expected 3).

If the Y is preceded by a vowel, keep the Y: "coy" → "coyness," "gray" → "grayness."

-NESS Words by Syllable Count

Two-Syllable -NESS Words (Base = 1 Syllable)

These are the simplest -ness words — built from one-syllable adjectives:

Boldness, brightness, calmness, cheapness, cleanness, closeness, coldness, coolness, darkness, deafness, dullness, dumbness, fairness, fatness, firmness, fitness, fondness, freshness, fullness, gladness, goodness, greatness, harshness, highness, illness, keenness, kindness, largeness, lateness, likeness, loudness, madness, meekness, mildness, nearness, neatness, newness, oddness, openness (3 — actually "open" is 2 syllables)

Let me list only verified 2-syllable -ness words:

Boldness, brightness, calmness, cheapness, coldness, coolness, darkness, deafness, dullness, fairness, firmness, fitness, fondness, freshness, fullness, gladness, goodness, greatness, harshness, highness, illness, keenness, kindness, largeness, lateness, likeness, loudness, madness, meekness, mildness, nearness, neatness, newness, oddness, paleness, plainness, richness, roughness, roundness, rudeness, sadness, sharpness, shyness, sickness, slimness, slowness, smoothness, softness, sourness, stiffness, stillness, sweetness, tallness, thinness, tightness, vagueness, vastness, weakness, wellness, wetness, wholeness, wideness, wildness.

Browse more two-syllable words ending in -ness on our words ending in -ness page.

Three-Syllable -NESS Words (Base = 2 Syllables)

Awareness, bitterness, carelessness, cleverness, closedness, coolness (2 — already listed above), eagerness, emptiness, forgiveness, gentleness, happiness, laziness, likeness (2 — already listed), loneliness, openness, otherness, politeness (4 — "polite" is 2, -ness adds 1 = 3... wait, po·lite·ness = 3. Yes.), readiness, silliness, steadiness, stubbornness, tenderness, tidiness, ugliness, willingness.

Four-Syllable -NESS Words (Base = 3 Syllables)

Awkwardness (3 — "awkward" is 2... awk·ward·ness = 3. Correct.), attractiveness, competitiveness (6 — too many), comfortableness, decisiveness, effectiveness, exclusiveness, expensiveness, forgetfulness, helplessness (3 — "helpless" is 2), meaningfulness, playfulness (3), powerlessness, purposefulness, resourcefulness, responsiveness, restlessness (3), selfishness (3), seriousness (4: se·ri·ous·ness), thoughtfulness (3), togetherness (4: to·geth·er·ness), uncommonness, unfairness (3), uniqueness (3), wastefulness (3), watchfulness (3), wretchedness (3).

The Most Common -NESS Words in English

Based on frequency in published English, these are the -ness words you'll encounter most often:

1. Business (2 syllables — historically from "busy" + "-ness" but now its own word)
2. Darkness (2)
3. Illness (2)
4. Awareness (3)
5. Kindness (2)
6. Happiness (3)
7. Weakness (2)
8. Sadness (2)
9. Goodness (2)
10. Fitness (2)
11. Loneliness (4)
12. Forgiveness (3)
13. Seriousness (4)
14. Eagerness (3)
15. Willingness (3)

Notice how the most common -ness words are built from the most common adjectives. That's the suffix doing its job — converting the everyday adjectives people use most into the nouns they need.

Fun and Unusual -NESS Words

English lets you add -ness to almost any adjective, which occasionally produces delightful results:

Togetherness (4 syllables) — the quality of being together. It's technically "together" (adverb) + "-ness," which bends the adjective-only rule.

Oneness (2 syllables) — the quality of being one. Philosophical and meditative.

Otherness (3 syllables) — the quality of being different or alien. Common in philosophy and social criticism.

Nothingness (3 syllables) — the quality of being nothing. Existential and paradoxical.

Everydayness (4 syllables) — the quality of being ordinary. Used by philosophers like Heidegger (in translation).

Use our syllable counting tool to check the syllable count of any -ness word, including unusual creations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many syllables does -NESS add?

The suffix -ness always adds exactly 1 syllable. Dark (1) → darkness (2). Happy (2) → happiness (3). Beautiful (3) → beautifulness (4).

What's the difference between -NESS and -ITY?

Both create nouns from adjectives, but -ity (which adds 2 syllables) typically attaches to Latin-origin adjectives: "curious" → "curiosity," "real" → "reality." The suffix -ness attaches to any adjective: "curious" → "curiousness." When both forms exist, the -ity form is usually more formal.

Do you change the Y to I before adding -NESS?

Yes, when Y follows a consonant: happy → happiness, lonely → loneliness. No, when Y follows a vowel: coy → coyness, gray → grayness.

How many syllables does "business" have?

"Business" has 2 syllables: biz·ness. Despite being historically derived from "busy" (2) + "-ness" (1), the pronunciation has compressed over time. It's one of the most commonly miscounted words in English.

Can you add -NESS to any adjective?

Almost. Some adjectives have established -ity or -ment forms that are preferred ("generous" → "generosity" rather than "generousness"), but adding -ness is grammatically valid for nearly any adjective in English.