-ez
Spanish, suffix[ˈes]
-ez is spelled E-Z (2 letters). -ez is a Spanish feminine suffix meaning “patronymic surname suffix, that forms many Spanish surnames” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) defines it as “Forma sustantivos abstractos femeninos que indican "cualidad de" un adjetivo base”.
What does -ez mean in English?
suffix
- 1
femininemasculinepatronymic surname suffix, that forms many Spanish surnames
Enrique + -ez → Enríquez
suffix
- 1
feminineforms nouns of feminine gender from nouns and adjectives, denoting the state of the base term; -hood, -ness, -ty
niño (“child”) + -ez → niñez (“childhood”)
Source: English Wiktionary, Spanish section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Spanish dictionaries define it
suffix: 1. Forma sustantivos abstractos femeninos que indican "cualidad de" un adjetivo base.
suffix: 1. Grafía alternativa de -́ez.
suffix: 1. Terminación de muchos apellidos, generalmente creados a partir de nombres propios.
The definition in the Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), in Spanish.
Source: Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
How do you pronounce -ez?
- [ˈes]
- [ˈeθ]
- [ˈ́es]
Sources: English Wiktionary, Spanish Wiktionary (Wikcionario) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
English words that translate to -ez
Source: the translation tables of the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026.