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I know that prefixes never change the spelling of the stem. However, their spelling changes in some cases. For example:

  • well+come = welcome (not wellcome)
  • all+ways = always (not allways)
  • in+regular = irregular (not inregular)

According to some websites I've reviewed, suffixes sometimes change the spelling of the stem. Does it mean their own spelling never changes or sometimes it is possible?

Is it a valid deduction to say: Suffixes sometimes change the spelling of the stem, but their own spelling never changes. However, prefixes never change the spelling of the stem, but their own spelling sometimes changes.

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    The examples you have aren't great. Look for example at welcome. In Old English, that was "wilcume" with the first part being the verb "willen" (modern English "will"), which was often spelled with a single L. Additionally, welcome itself was often spelled with two Ls.
    – Laurel ♦
    Jul 2, 2022 at 19:06
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    Unlike Turkish, which has a recently-designed scientific orthography, English spelling is full of inconsistencies and contradictions, to the point where the spelling of a word and its pronunciation must be learned separately, like its meaning.
    – John Lawler
    Jul 2, 2022 at 20:49

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It depends on how you define suffixes. You could say that notoriety and spontaneity end in the same suffix spelled two different ways (-ety and -ity).

The very common suffix -(e)s also changes based on its base: kid goes to kids but kiss goes to kisses.

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