英語構詞通常包括六種方法：轉化法、派生法、合成法、混合法、截短法和首尾字母結合法。

一、【派生法】
   英語構詞法中在詞根前面加字首或在詞根後面加字尾，從而構成一個與原單詞意義相近或截然相反的新詞的方法叫作派生法。
1.字首
除少數英語字首外，字首一般改變單詞的意義，不改變詞性；英語字尾一般改變詞類，而不引起詞義的變化。
(1)表示否定意義的字首常用的有dis-, il-, im-, in-, ir-, mis-, non-, un-等，在單詞的前面加這類字首常構成與該詞意義相反的新詞。例如：
agree同意→disagree不同意
fair公平的→unfair不公平的
possible可能的→impossible不可能的
understand理解→misunderstand誤解
(2)表示其他意義的字首

常用的有a-(多構成表語形容詞), anti- (反對；抵抗), auto- (自動), co- (共同), en- (使), inter- (互相), re- (再；又), sub- (下面的；次；小), tele- (強調距離)等。例如：
co-worker 同事，幫手
enlarge 使變大
cooperate 合作
rewrite 重寫
subway 地鐵
2.字尾
給單詞加字尾也是英語構詞的一種重要方法。字尾通常會改變單詞的詞性，構成意義相近的其他詞性；少數字尾還會改變詞義，變為與原來詞義相反的新詞。下面僅作簡單介紹。
(1)構成名詞的字尾常用的有-ence，-(e)r/ -or (從事某事的人),-ese (某地人)，-ess (雌性)，-ian (精通……的人)，-ist (專業人員)，-ment (性質；狀態)，-ness (性質；狀態)，-tion(動作；過程)等。例如：
differ不同於→difference區別
write寫→writer作家
China中國→Chinese中國人
act表演→actress女演員
music音樂→musician音樂家
(2)構成動詞的字尾

常用的有-(e)n (多用於形容詞之後)，-fy (使……化)，-ize (使……成為)。例如：
wide→widen加寬
beauty→beautify美化
pure→purify提純
real→realize意識到
organ→organize組織
sharp→sharpen使變鋒利
(3)構成形容詞的字尾常用的有-al，-able (有能力的)，-(a)n(某國人的)，-en (多用於表示材料的名詞後)，-ern (方向的)，-ese(某國人的)，-ful，-(ic)al，-ish，-ive，-less (表示否定)，-like (像……的)，-ly，-ous，-some，-y (表示天氣)等。例如：
nature自然→natural自然的
reason道理→reasonable有道理的
America美國→American美國的
China中國→Chinese中國人的
gold金子→golden金的
east東→eastern東方的
child孩子→childish孩子氣的
snow雪→snowy雪的
(4)構成副詞的常用字尾

有-ly (主要用於形容詞之後表示方式或程度)，-ward(s) (主要用於表示方位的詞之後表示方向)。例如：
angry生氣的→angrily生氣地
to到→towards朝……，向……
east東方→eastward向東
(5)構成數詞的字尾有-teen (十幾)，-ty (幾十)，-th (構成序數詞)。例如：
six六→sixteen十六→sixteenth第十六
four四→forty四十→fortieth第四十

二、【合成法】
英語構詞法中把兩個單詞連在一起合成一個新詞，前一個詞修飾或限定後一個詞，這樣的方法就是合成法。
1.合成名詞
          名詞＋名詞weekend週末
          名詞＋動詞daybreak黎明
          名詞＋動名詞handwriting書法
          名詞＋及物動詞＋er／or pain-killer止痛藥
          名詞＋介詞＋名詞sister-in-law嫂子
          代詞＋名詞she-wolf母狼
          動詞＋名詞typewriter打字機
           動名詞＋名詞reading-room閱覽室
          現在分詞＋名詞flying-fish飛魚
          形容詞＋名詞freshman大一新生
         副詞＋動詞outlook景色，風光
         介詞＋名詞afterbrain後腦
2.合成形容詞
名詞＋形容詞bloodred血紅的
名詞＋現在分詞French-speaking講法語的
名詞＋to＋名詞one-to-one一對一的
名詞＋過去分詞man-made人造的
數詞＋名詞one-way單行道的
數詞＋名詞＋形容詞three-year-old三歲的
數詞＋名詞＋ed ten-storeyed十層的
動詞＋副詞one-off 一次性的
形容詞＋名詞high-quality高質量的
形容詞＋名詞＋ed noble-minded高尚的
形容詞＋形容詞light-green淺綠色的
形容詞＋現在分詞ordinary-looking相貌一般的
副詞＋形容詞ever-green常青的
副詞＋現在分詞hard-working辛勤的
副詞＋過去分詞well-known著名的
副詞＋名詞fast-food專門提供快餐服務的
介詞＋名詞indoor室內的
3.合成動詞
名詞＋動詞sleep-walk夢遊
形容詞＋動詞white-wash粉刷
副詞＋動詞overwhelm壓倒，制服
4.合成副詞
形容詞＋名詞hotfoot匆忙地
形容詞＋副詞everywhere到處
副詞＋副詞however儘管如此
介詞＋名詞beforehand事先
介詞＋副詞forever永遠
5.合成代詞
代詞賓格＋self herself 她自己
物主代詞＋self myself 我自己
形容詞＋名詞anything 一切
6.合成介詞
副詞＋名詞outside在……外面
介詞＋副詞within在……之內
副詞＋介詞into進入

三、【轉化法】
英語構詞法中把一種詞性用作另一種詞性而詞形不變的方法叫作轉化法，有的名詞可以作動詞，有的形容詞可以作副詞或動詞。
1.動詞轉化為名詞
1）意思沒有變化，例如：I think we'd better finish the talk now.我想我們的談話最好現在結束。
2）意思有一定變化，例如：He is a man of strong build.他是一個體格健壯的漢子。
3）構成短語，例如：Let's have a look first. 我們先看一下吧。
2.名詞轉化為動詞
1）表示物體的，如：Have you booked the ticket?你訂好票了嗎?
2）表示身體部位的，如：Hand in your papers please.請把你們的試卷交上來。
3）表示一類人的，如：She nursed her husband back to health.她看護丈夫，使他恢復了健康。
4）抽象名詞，如：We breakfasted together.我們在一起吃了早餐。
3.形容詞轉化為動詞
少數形容詞可以轉化為動詞。例如：We will try our best to better our living conditions.我們要盡力改善我們的生活狀況。
4.副詞轉化為動詞
有少數副詞可以轉化為動詞。例如：Murder will out.惡事終必將敗露。
5.形容詞轉化為名詞
1）表示顏色的形容詞常可轉化為名詞，如：
The girl in black appears very beautiful.那個穿黑衣服的女孩子看上去非常漂亮。
2）一些形容詞如old, young, poor, rich, wounded, injured等與the連用，表示一類人，作主語時，謂語用複數，如：
We don't belong to the rich, but we dong't belong to the poor either. 我們不是有錢人，但我們也不是窮人。

四、【截短法(縮略法)】
將單詞縮寫，詞義和詞性保持不變的英語構詞法稱為截短法，主要有截頭、去尾、截頭去尾等形式。
1.截頭
telephone→phone
airplane→plane
2.去尾
mathematics→maths
examination→exam
kilogram→kilo
laboratory→lab
taxicab→taxi
3.截頭去尾
influenza→flu
refrigerator→fridge
prescription→script

五、【混合法(混成法)】
英語構詞還可以將兩個詞混合或各取一部分緊縮而成一個新詞，前半部分表屬性，後半部分表主體。這樣的英語構詞法就是混合法。
news broadcast→newscast新聞廣播
television broadcast→telecast電視播送
smoke and fog→smog煙霧
photo and graphy→photography攝影，攝影術
helicopter airport→heliport直升飛機場

六、【首尾字母縮略法】
用單詞首尾字母組成一個新詞的英語構詞法叫做首尾字母縮略法。這種形式的英語構詞生成的新詞，讀音主要有兩種形式，即各字母分別讀音；作為一個單詞讀音。
Testing of English as a Foreign Language→TOEFL託福
Teach English as a Foreign Language→TEFL
Teach English as a Second Language→TESL
Graduate Record Examination→GRE美國研究生入學考試

                           Word Formation

1．Affixation

  Affixation is the process of forming words by adding derivational affixes to stems. It is also called derivation. Words formed in this way are derivatives.

1) Prefixation      

  Prefixation is a way of forming new words by adding prefixes to stems. Usually, prefixes do not change the part of speech of a word. Their chief function is to modify its meaning, although there are exceptions. Prefixes can be divided, based on their meanings, into: negative prefixes, reversative prefixes, pejorative prefixes, prefixes of degree or size, locative prefixes, prefixes of time and order, number prefixes and miscelaneous prefixes.

2)Suffixation

  Suffixation is the process of forming new words by adding suffixes to the end of stems. The chief role of a suffix is not to modify the meaning of a stem, rather to change the grammatical function of a stem, though there are a few exceptions. Suffixes can be divided into noun suffixes, adjective suffixes, adverb suffixes and verb suffixes.

2．Compounding    

1) Definition

  Compounding is a process of word formation by which two or more stems are put together to make one word. The word formed in this way is called a compound  

2) Characteristics of compounds

(1)Phonetic feature

  The word stress of a compound usually falls on the first element, while in a free phrase, the second element is usually stressed. If a compound has two stresses, it is the first element that receives the primary stress.

(2)Semantic feature

  The meaning of a compound is a semantic unity, which,usually, is not the total sum of all the meanings of the constituent words in a compound.

(3) Grammatical feature

  A compound usually plays a single grammatical role in a sentence.  

3．Conversion  

1) Definition

  Conversion is the formation of new words by converting words of one part of speech to the words of another part of speech, without changes in morphological structures. Words created are new only in a grammatical sense.

2)Types of conversion

(1)Conversion to Nouns

                a.verb to noun

                b.adjective to noun

                c. miscellaneous conversion

(2)Conversion to Verbs                        

  a. noun to verb                  

  b. adjective to verb

  c. miscellaneous conversion

3)Semantic features of conversion

1)Verb to noun                    
The new words obtained through conversion are usually related to the original words in the following ways:

(1)state of mind or sensation

(2)event or activity

(3)result of the action

(4)doer of the action

(5)tool or instrument to do the action with

(6)place of the action

                        2)Noun to verb
                        (1)to put in or on N

                        (2)to give N or to provide with N

                        (3)to remove N from

                        (4)to do with N

                        (5)to be or act as n

                        (6)to make or change into N

                        (7)to send or go by N

4．Blending

1) Definition

  Blending is the formation of new words by combining parts of two words or a word plus a part of another word

2)Categories of Blending

(1)the first part of the first word + the last part of the second word:   botel: boat + hotel 汽艇遊客旅館

(2) the whole part of the first word + last part of the second word: lunarnaut: lunar + astronaut 登月宇航員

(3)the whole form of the second word + the first part of the first word: Eurasian: Europe + Asian 歐亞混血兒

(4)the first part of the first word + the first part of the second word: sitcom: situation + comedy 情景喜劇

5．Clipping

1) Definition

  Clipping is to shorten a long word by cutting a part off the original and use what has remained as a word.

2) Types of Clipping

(1)Front clipping: "phone" from telephone

(2)Back clipping: "ad" from advertisement

(3)Front and back clipping: "flu" from influenza        
(4)Phrase clipping: "pub" from public house

  6．Acronymy

1) Definition

  Acronymy is the process of forming new words by joining the initial letters of phrases.

2)Types of Acronymy

(1)Initialisms

  Initialisms are words pronounced letter by letter: VOA from Voice of America

(2)Acronyms

Acronyms are words formed from initial letters but pronounced as a normal word.

7．Backformation

  Back-formation is the opposite process of suffixation. It is the process of making a new word by dropping the supposed suffix: e.g. "burgle" from burglar.

8． New Words from Proper Names

1) Names of people
2)Names of places          
3)Names of books            
4)Tradenames

  When proper nouns are commonized, many of them have lost their original identity;the initial letter many not be capitalized. They can be combined with other morphemes to form words of other word classes. The commonized proper nouns are rich in cultural associations. They are stylistically vivid, expressive and thought-provoking.