---
name: "american-large"
section: "5"
platform: "linux"
package: "iamerican-large"
version: "3.3.02-6"
release: "Debian 8 (Jessie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/english"
---

# american-large(5)

flag format for English ispell dictionaries

Part of [english(5)](/english/5.md).

## NAME

english - flag format for English *ispell* dictionaries

## DESCRIPTION

English dictionaries for [*ispell*(1)](/ispell/1.md) supports 3 prefix and 14 suffix flags. For a detailed description of how *ispell* handles flags and capitalization, see [*ispell*(5)](/ispell/5.md). This manual page only describes flags usable in dictionaries built using the *english.aff* affix file.

In the following discussion of the flags, let # and @ be "variables" that can stand for any letter. Upper case letters are constants. "..." stands for any string of zero or more letters, but note that no word may exist in the dictionary which is not at least 2 letters long, so, for example, "fly" may not be produced by placing the "Y" flag on "f". Also, no flag is effective unless the word that it creates is at least 4 letters long, so, for example, "wed" may not be produced by placing the "D" flag on "we".

In the following list, an asterisk indicates that a flag participates in cross-product formation (see [*ispell*(5)](/ispell/5.md)).

The meaning of the prefix flags is as follows:

- \*A

  ... --\> re...  as in cover --\> recover

- \*I

  ... --\> in...  as in firm --\> infirm

- \*U

  ... --\> un...  as in able --\> unable

The meaning of the suffix flags is as follows:

- V

  ...e --\> ...ive  as in create --\> creative\
   if # .ne. e, ...# --\> ...#ive  as in prevent --\> preventive

- \*N

  ...e --\> ...ion  as in create --\> creation\
   ...y --\> ...ication  as in multiply --\> multiplication\
   if # .ne. e or y, ...# --\> ...#en  as in fall --\> fallen

- \*X

  ...e --\> ...ions  as in create --\> creations\
   ...y --\> ...ications  as in multiply --\> multiplications\
   if # .ne. e or y, ...# --\> ...#ens  as in weak --\> weakens

- H

  ...y --\> ...ieth  as in twenty --\> twentieth\
   if # .ne. y, ...# --\> ...#th  as in hundred --\> hundredth

- \*Y

  ...y --\> ..ily as in messy --\> messily\
   if # .ne y, ...# --\> ...#ly  as in quick --\> quickly

- \*G

  ...e --\> ...ing  as in file --\> filing\
   if # .ne. e, ...# --\> ...#ing  as in cross --\> crossing

- \*J

  ...e --\> ...ings  as in file --\> filings\
   if # .ne. e, ...# --\> ...#ings  as in cross --\> crossings

- \*D

  ...e --\> ...ed  as in create --\> created\
  \
   if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --\> ...@ied  as in imply --\> implied\
   if # .ne. e or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --\> ...@#ed  as in cross --\> crossed or convey --\> conveyed

- T

  ...e --\> ...est  as in late --\> latest\
   if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --\> ...@iest  as in dirty --\> dirtiest\
   if # .ne. e or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --\> ...@#est  as in small --\> smallest or gray --\> grayest

- \*R

  ...e --\> ...er  as in skate --\> skater\
   if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --\> ...@ier  as in multiply --\> multiplier\
   if # .ne. e or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --\> ...@#er  as in build --\> builder or convey --\> conveyer

- \*Z

  ...e --\> ...ers  as in skate --\> skaters\
   if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --\> ...@iers  as in multiply --\> multipliers\
   if # .ne. e or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --\> ...@#ers  as in build --\> builders or slay --\> slayers

- \*S

  if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --\> ...@ies  as in imply --\> implies\
   if # .eq. c, s, or t, ...#h --\> ...#hes as in lash --\> lashes\
   if # .ne. c, s, or t, ...#h --\> ...#hs as in cough --\> coughs\
   if # .eq. s, x, or z, ...# --\> ...#es  as in fix --\> fixes\
   if # .ne. s, x, z, h, or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --\> ...@#s  as in bat --\> bats or convey --\> conveys

- P

  if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --\> ...@iness  as in cloudy --\> cloudiness\
   if # .ne. y, or @ = a, e, i, o, or u, ...@# --\> ...@#ness  as in late --\> lateness or gray --\> grayness

- \*M

  ... --\> ...'s  as in dog --\> dog's

To summarize more briefly:

Prefixes:

```
*A - re
*I - in
*U - un
```

Suffixes:

```
V - ive
*N - ion, tion, en
*X - ions, ications, ens
H - th, ieth
*Y - ly, ily
*G - ing
*J - ings
*D - ed
T - est
*R - er
*Z - ers
*S - s, es, ies
*P - ness, iness
*M - 's
```

## SEE ALSO

[ispell(1)](/ispell/1.md), [ispell(5)](/ispell/5.md)