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If the noun has a final vowel (usually -o), it is dropped before adding -illo.
In most cases, -illo is used simply to indicate a small or endeared thing, without changing the basic meaning of the noun; however, in some cases, it is used to effect a greater change in meaning, such as bolsillo(“pocket”), from bolso(“handbag, purse”).
Different nouns tend to prefer different diminutive suffixes (see synonyms below), though some nouns accept multiple diminutives, and there is often regional or personal variation.
For masculine nouns ending in -a, there is some alternation between the gender-reflecting diminutive -illo and the ending-reflecting diminutive -illa. When the latter is used, -ill- may be considered an infix.