Suffix -ISH is a vowel suffix that can change a base word to mean “having a quality of,” as in “owl” to “owlish”.

Suffix -ISH is considered a playful and sometimes informal suffix and the base word might not always be easy to identify.

Suffix /Əsh/, Suffix /Əsh/, Suffix /Əsh/, owlish

In most standard spellings, Suffix -ISH attaches directly to the base word. In informal or descriptive words like “threeish” and “freeish,” the final E is part of vowel team EE, so the EE spelling usually stays. Keeping the EE helps the reader recognize the base word clearly. 

Sometimes Suffix -ISH is added with a hyphen, especially when the writer is making a playful, informal, or less familiar word. The hyphen can help the reader see the base word more easily. However, a hyphen is not usually needed when the word is common and easy to read, as in “owlish”.