UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL FEDERICO VILLARREAL

ESCUELA UNIVERSITARIA DE EDUCACIÓN A DISTANCIA

MORFOLOGÍA DE LA LENGUA INGLESA

ENGLISH PREFIXES

Integrantes:
 CADILLO BOLIVAR LESLY CLAUDIA FIORELLA
 CHOQUE QUISPE JUDITH SONIA
 CRUCES LOPEZ CARMEN ROSA
 FUENTES GUTIÉRREZ DIANA ISABEL
 GALVEZ VENTURA ROXANA
 HUARANCCA JAYO MILAGROS
 LARA BENDEZU YOVANA MARIELA
 MUÑOZ ORÉ CARMELA

Lima, Agosto de 2019

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 Contents

Introduction …………………………………………………………………..

Part one:
 1. Prefixes and suffixes pag. 3

Part two:
 2. Prefixes pag. 7

2.1 Hyphens in Prefixes (-)

2.1.1 Guiding principles for hyphens with prefixes
2.1.2 Use a hyphen with a proper noun
2.1.2 Do not allow the same vowel to double up
2.1.3 You can let different vowels double up
2.1.4 Use a hyphen with Ex and Self
2.1.5 Eliminate ambiguity every Time

Part three:
 3. Teaching English prefixes pag. 10

Part four:
 4. Implications for English language teaching pag.16
 5. Vocabulary building pag.27
 6. Everything you need to know about prefixes pag.34


Conclusions …………………………………………………………. Pag. 36

References……………………………………………………………Pag. 37

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 Introduction

As is known learning a foreign language is not an easy skill, because it is a combination

of many topics. These topics include phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and
many other components. That is why, when learning a language, a learner must
consider all of these components. Perhaps one of the most important of these all is
morphology, in particular prefixes and suffixes.

To sum up, any language used on the Earth has some components, and morphology
is only one of these components. In this morphological side of English Language,
prefixes and suffixes have an important role. The reason is that prefixes and suffixes
are used widely in many places including word-building mechanisms. They should be
handled with care. If they are used carefully, they can ease the communication by
decoding ideas more effectively and in various forms; however, if used in wrong forms,
they may cause misunderstandings or different meanings that the producer of an
utterance or the writer of a sentence does not want to mean. So, they should be used
carefully, and their teaching in foreign language teaching field must be emphasized.
Only in this way non-native speakers of English can use them correctly.

English is rich in derivational morphology, though relatively poor in inflectional

morphology. English derivational morphology has been described in a number of
handbooks. Just where the borderline between things that are part of the morphology
of English (albeit not the productive morphology of English) and historical randomness
of form should be drawn is not always clear.

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 1. Prefixes and Suffixes

Today, we will tell you about prefixes and suffixes – groups of letters that appear at
the beginnings and endings of words.

Learning the meanings of common prefixes and suffixes can help you understand
unknown English words you come across. It can also help you become better
at spelling words.

Prefixes

Let's start with prefixes.

A prefix is a letter or a group of letters that we add to the beginning of a word.

Prefixes change the meanings of words. For example, the prefix un- (or u-n) can mean
"not," "remove," or "opposite." Adding un- to the word "happy" gives you the word
"unhappy," which means not happy.

U-n and r-e (or re-) are the two most common prefixes in the English language. Re-
means "again" or "back," such as in the w

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Words "rethink" "redo" and "repay."

Here are a few things to remember when learning prefixes:

1. Different prefixes in English can have similar meanings, such as un-,

in- and non- all of which mean "not" or "opposite of." Also, the
prefixes mis- and ir-mean "wrong," "wrongly," or "incorrectly."
2. Notice that double letters are possible. For example, when you add the
prefix im- to words that begin with the letter "m," you get two "m"s as in
"immeasurable." That's also true when you add un- to words that begin with the
letter "n," as in "unnoticeable." The same is true for many other prefixes.
3. When adding a prefix to a word, the spelling of the base word never changes. For
example, the prefix un- did not change the spelling of the word "happy." And, the
prefix re- would not change the spelling of the word "live" in "relive."
4. Watch out for "lookalikes" – words that look like they contain prefixes but, in
fact, do not. For example, the un- in the word "uncle" is not a prefix, nor is
the re- in the words "reach" or "real."
Suffixes

Now, let's turn to suffixes.

A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word. Suffixes are
commonly used to show the part of speech of a word. For example, adding "ion" to
the verb "act" gives us "action," the noun form of the word. Suffixes also tell us the
verb tense of words or whether the words are plural or singular.

Some common suffixes are -er, -s, -es, -ed, -ing and -ly.

Here are a few things to remember when learning suffixes:

1. Some suffixes have more than one meaning. For example, the suffix -er may
suggest a person who performs an action, like a teacher. But "er" is also
commonly added to the ends of adjectives and adverbs. They compare two things
and show that one is "more" than the other, such as in "faster" and "stronger."
2. The spelling of a base word can change when a suffix is added. This is true of
most base words ending in the letter "y." For instance, when we add the suffix -
ness to the word "crazy" to make "craziness," we replace the "y" with an "i." This
rule is also true of many base words ending in a silent "e" when the suffix begins

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 with a vowel. For example, in the words "write," "make" and "manage," we drop
the "e" in the words when we add -ing to make: "writing," "making" and
"managing." We also often drop the silent "e" before the suffix -able such as in
"usable." Be careful, though, because with some words, we keep the "e," such as
in "changeable" and "loveable."

There are additional suffix rules, but they deal with spelling and can be learned with
time and practice.

A thing to keep in mind about both prefixes and suffixes is that some are only used
with some words. For example, we add the suffix -ful to some nouns to mean "full of,"
such as in the words "beautiful" or "helpful." But, we cannot add -ful to just any noun.
You could not, for example, say "loveful" to mean full of love.

So, what are some ways that you can practice common prefixes and suffixes?

One way is to use online flashcards from websites like Quizlet. You can choose sets
of cards that are already made or create and use your own sets. Or, you can make
your own flashcards with pieces of paper.

Once you've spent time practicing, take a news story or page in a book and look for
words that have the prefixes and suffixes you learned. Then, use what you know
about the meaning of the root words to guess the meanings of those words.

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Learning prefixes and suffixes will not only build your vocabulary but can make
unfamiliar English words a lot less frightening.

English Prefixes And Suffixes

Prefixes and suffixes are sets of letters that are added to the beginning or end of
another word. They are not words in their own right and cannot stand on their own in
a sentence: if they are printed on their own they have a hyphen before or after them.
Prefixes
Prefixes are added to the beginning of an existing word in order to create a new word
with a different meaning. For example:

word prefix new word

happy un- unhappy

cultural multi- multicultural

work over- overwork

space cyber- cyberspace

market super- supermarket

Suffixes
Suffixes are added to the end of an existing word. For example:

word suffix new word

child -ish childish

work -er worker

taste -less tasteless

idol -ize/-ise idolize/idolise

like -able likeable

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The addition of a suffix often changes a word from one word class to another. In the
table above, the verb like becomes the adjective likeable, the noun idol becomes the
verb idolize,and the noun child becomes the adjective childish.

Word creation with prefixes and suffixes

Some prefixes and suffixes are part of our living language, in that people regularly
use them to create new words for modern products, concepts, or situations. For
example:

word prefix or suffix new word

security bio- biosecurity

clutter de- declutter

media multi- multimedia

email -er emailer

Email is an example of a word that was itself formed from a new prefix, e-, which
stands for electronic. This modern prefix has formed an ever-growing number of
other Internet-related words, including e-book, e-cash, e-commerce, and e-tailer.

In order to go deeper into details, these terms have to be clarified at the very
beginning. That is why, they must be explained before some other concerns. In
this part of this study the writer will concentrate on this issue.
According to Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics, David Crystal defines

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prefix as “A term used in morphology referring to an affix which is added initially
to aroot or stem.”

Another definition of prefix is like this: “One or two syllable additions at the
beginning of a word that changes its meaning but do not change its part of
speech.” (Maclin, 1992).
Katamba defines prefix similarly: “A prefix is an affix attached before a root or a
stem or a base like re- , un- and in-.” (1993).

From all these said what is understood is that the term prefix is related to
morphology, and it is a kind of affix. It comes before a root, a stem or a base
and does not change the part of speech of that word. It is also a kind of bound
morpheme, that is to say, it cannot be used in a sentence separately. It has to
be used with a free morpheme.

After understanding what a prefix is, next comes suffix. Again according to
Crystal, a suffix is “a term used in morphology referring to an affix which is
added following a root or stem” (1991). Maclin’s definition for suffix is “a suffix
is an ending added to a word, which usually changes the part of speech of the
word and may also change the meaning of the word.” (1992: 380). In addition
to these explanations,
Katamba defines suffix like this: “A suffix is an affix attached after a root or a
stem or a base like –ly, -er, -ist, -s, -ing and –ed.” (1993: 44). What is understood
from these all is that a suffix is a term related to morphology. It comes after a
root, a stem or a base.
It can change the part of speech of the word that it is attached to. So, the topic
of prefixes and suffixes are understood better after learning the differences
between them.
Considering all these explanations and placing prefixes and suffixes in

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morphology, they can be shown on a diagram to clarify their place. The following
diagram shows the place of prefixes and suffixes in English Language. A
detailed study of this diagram may explain more than words, that is why it worths
attention. Here is the diagram:

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 2. Prefixes

There are many prefixes in English Language. This is mostly because of the borrowed
words from many other languages. Prefixes have many uses, and they are in different
structures. This also depends on the effects of other languages on English. In order to
understand the meaning and use of a prefix, it should be examined with its meaning
and related examples. Here is a list of English prefixes with their meanings and some
examples.

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PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLES

a not atypical

Anglo- English Anglo-German relations

ante- before antenatal, anteroom, antedate

anti- against, antibiotic, antidepressant, antidote

opposing
auto- self autobiography

bi- two bicycle, bilingual, bimonthly

cent-, hundred centenary, centimeter

centi-
circum- around circumstance, circumvent, circumnavigate

co- with co-worker, co-pilot, co-operation

con- With, toguether context

contra- against, to contradict, to contra flow

opposite
de- off, down, away devalue, defrost, derail, demotivate
from
dis- opposite of, not disagree, disappear, disintegrate,
disapprove
em-, en- cause to, put embrace, encode, embed, enclose, engulf
into
epi- upon, close to, epicentre, episcope, epidermis
after
ex former, out of expresident, exboyfriend, exterminate

extra- beyond, more extracurricular, extraordinary, extra-

than terrestria
fore- before forecast, forehead, foresee, foreword,
foremost
homo- same homosexual, homonuclear, homoplastic

hyper- over, above hyperactive, hyperventilate

il-, im-, not impossible, illegal, irresponsible, indefinite

in-, ir-

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im-, in- into insert, import, inside

infra- beneath, below infrastructure, infrared, infrasonic,

infraspecific
inter-, between interact, intermediate, intergalactic,
intra- intranet
kilo- thousand Kilogram, kilowatt

macro- large macroeconomics, macromolecule

maxi- most, very large maximum

micro- small microscope, microbiology, microfilm,

microwave
mid- middle midfielder, midway, midsummer

mis- wrongly misinterpret, misfire, mistake,

misunderstand
mono- one, singular monotone, monobrow, monolithic

non- not, without nonsense, nonentity, nondescript

omni- all, every omnibus, omnivore, omnipotent

over- More than to overrepeat, to oversleep

normal, too
much
para- beside parachute, paramedic, paradox

post- after post-mortem, postpone, post-natal

pre- before prefix, predetermine, pre-intermediate

re- again return, rediscover, reiterate, reunite

semi- half semicircle, semi-final, semiconscious

sub- under submerge, submarine, sub-category,

subtitle
super- above, over superfood, superstar, supernatural,
superimpose
therm- heat thermometer, thermostat, thermodynamic

trans- across, beyond transport, transnational, transatlantic

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tri- three triangle, tripod, tricycle

un- not unfinished, unfriendly, undone, unknown

uni- one unicycle, universal, unilateral, unanimous

Some rare prefixes

The prefix pel-

The initial <pel> in pellucid is, etymologically speaking, a variant on Latin per-,
but pellucid is the only place in which this form has persisted into English. Since the
meaning of pellucid is clearly related to that of lucid, it seems we must recognize a
prefix here, albeit a unique one.

The prefix preter-

There is no doubt as to the prefixal value of preter- in preternatural. And preter- does
occur in other combinations, too: preter-Christian, preter-diplomatic, preternative,
preternuptial are listed in the OED, for example. However, it is a rare prefix, its
functions usually being taken by extra- or ultra-.

The prefix twi-

Marchand mentions this prefix, whose use in contemporary English is virtually

restricted to the word twilight. In that particular combination its original meaning of ‘two’
is not recuperable. In twibill (‘a two-headed axe’) or twichild (‘a person in second
childhood’) the meaning is more transparent, but the words are extremely rare.

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2.1 Hyphens in Prefixes (-)
Hyphens are often used to make a text more precise and more reader-friendly. They’re
also used to create useful multi-worded adjectives, such as “factory-made” or “half-
baked.” And they’re also used to connect prefixes or words functioning as prefixes to
base words. Oftentimes, it’s hard to know when to use a hyphen when you’re adding
a prefix or suffix to a word.

There is often confusion over whether a hyphen should be used with a prefix.
Unfortunately, there is no simple rule governing this, but there are some guidelines.

If it's not a spelling mistake to avoid the hyphen and you can bear how the word looks
without it, then avoid the hyphen.

Often, it's your choice whether to use a hyphen. Lots of prefixed words can be written
with or without a hyphen. The underlying guideline is:

2.1.1 Guiding principles for hyphens with prefixes

If it's not a spelling mistake to avoid the hyphen and you can bear how the word looks
without it, then avoid the hyphen.

Often, it's your choice whether to use a hyphen. Lots of prefixed words can be written
with or without a hyphen. The underlying guideline is:

Try to avoid a hyphen with a prefix. However, if you feel the word looks too unwieldy
without a hyphen or if your spellchecker highlights it as wrong, then add a hyphen.
Examples:
Antiaircraft
(Antiaircraft is not wrong, but it looks a little unwieldy. If you feel the same way, go
for anti-aircraft.)

The following words are all correct with or without a hyphen. Remember though, the
guiding principle is avoiding the hyphen if you can.
Proactive
Prehistoric

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Ultraviolet
2.1.2 Use a hyphen with a proper noun
If your prefix sits before a proper noun, you should use a hyphen. Examples:
un-British
pro-Nazi
2.1.2 Do not allow the same vowel to double up

If the prefix ends in the same vowel that the root words starts with, separate them with
a hyphen. Examples:
semi-industrious
re-enter
ultra-argumentative
However, particularly when the vowel is an o, if you can bear how the word looks
without a hyphen and your spellchecker lets it through, then omit the hyphen.
coordinate
cooperate
coowner
(Your spellchecker (or dictionary) will not let you have coowner.)

2.1.3 You can let different vowels double up

When a prefix ends in a vowel and the root word starts with a different vowel, it is usual
to omit the hyphen. Examples:
proactive
reactivate
semiautonomous

(However, if your spellchecker doesn't like it or you cannot bear how it looks, go for a
hyphen. For many, semiautonomous looks too unwieldy.)

2.1.4 Use a hyphen with Ex and Self

The prefixes ex and self are usually followed by a hyphen. Examples:

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ex-husband
self-aware
2.1.5 Eliminate ambiguity every Time
If the unhyphenated version could be confused with a different word, add the hyphen.
(This is most common with the prefix re. Examples:

re-cover / recover
(If there were no hyphen in re-cover, it could be confused with recover, meaning return
to a normal state.)

re-press / repress
(If there were no hyphen in re-press,Could be confused with repress, meaning subdue
with force.)

Here are some very common prefixes that don’t usually have hyphens after them:

anti bi co
contra counter de
extra infra inter
intra micro mid
multi non over
peri post pre
pro proto pseudo
re semi sub
super supra trans
tri ultra un
under whole

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 3. Teaching English prefixes

Objectives
• Preteach the terms root word and prefix
• Check for understanding of new words
created by using prefixes
• Review difficult vocabulary
• Summarize the Re-Explore story

Before the Lesson

Preview Vocabulary
Explain, act out, and define the challenging vocabulary your students will encounter in
this lesson. Then have students complete a vocabulary word card for each term. A
reproducible vocabulary word card template can be found on page xx.

biweekly—happening either twice a week or every two weeks. (Use a calendar to explain biweekly.)

blinked—closed and opened the eyes. (Demonstrate blinking and have the students blink their eyes.)
I blinked my eyes.

disbelief—thought that something is not true. (Ask students if they have ever seen a home
makeover program on television. Explain what happens in this type of show.) When the family comes
home and sees how different their house looks, they do not believe it is the same house! They are in
disbelief.

impossible—not able to happen. (Pick up a book). I can pick up this book. It is possible. (Try to pick up
your desk.) I cannot pick up this desk. It is impossible, not possible.

misread—read incorrectly. (Read a sentence from a book and make a mistake.) I misread. I read it
wrong.

misunderstood—failed to understand; thought wrong. I thought I knew what you had said, but I was
wrong. I misunderstood you.

pregame—happening before a game. The show starts before the game. It is a pregame show.

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restart—start over; start again. (Do a simple math problem on the board. Make a mistake.) I made
a mistake, so I need to restart the math problem. I need to start again. (Do the math problem over,
solving it correctly this time.)

refill—fill again. (Pretend to fill a glass.) I filled the glass. (Now pretend to dump it out.) I
dumped out the water. (Pretend to fill the glass again.) I filled it again. I refilled the glass.

Preteach Academic Vocabulary and Concepts (prefixes)

Preteach the academic vocabulary: root word, base word, and prefix using
a five-column chart such as the one below.

Root Prefix New Meani Prefix Meaning

Word Word ng

read re- reread to read again

again

(Write the word reread on the board.) Let’s determine the meaning of
reread. (Write the action word read underneath root word in the chart.)
This is the root word. The word we start with. (Act out the word

by opening a book to the first page.) I will read the first page. ( Close the
book.) I want to read the book again. I will reread.

(Write re- in the second column.) This is the prefix. It comes before the
root word. It changes the meaning of the word.

(Write reread in column three.) This is the new word, because we added
the prefix re- to the base word.

Reread means “to read again.” (Write read again in column four. Write
again in column five.) The prefix re- means “again.”

(Complete the chart using each vocabulary word from the Preview

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 Vocabulary section.)

(After a few examples, work together with the students to fill out the
chart by asking questions.) What is the root word? What is the prefix?
How did the word change? What does the word mean now? What does
the prefix mean?

Assess Understanding

(Complete the eLL explore Prefixes I activity with students. As

students work with you, ask comprehension questions.) How did
this word
change? What does the word mean now? What does the prefix mean?
How did the prefix change the word?

(After you have completed eLL explore Prefixes I with students, have
students try to complete eLL explore Prefixes II independently.)

Explain and Expand

minilesson.

During the Lesson

Explore I
(Complete explore I together. Ask questions as you go through the activity with
students.) What is the root word? What is the prefix? How did the word change?
What does the word mean now? What does the prefix mean?

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Explore II
(Review the following words from the Preview Vocabulary section: biweekly,
blinked, disbelief, impossible. Then complete explore II, allowing appropriate
support for students. Depending on their level of understanding, you can
complete the activity together with students, pair up students, or have students
try the activity independently.)

Re-Explore
(Before completing the Re-Explore activity, have students echo-read
each sentence in the paragraph. Then summarize the paragraph using
simple vocabulary.) Muffin is a dog. Muffin wanted to go outside for a
walk. Muffin barked and jumped up and down. Dad misunderstood,
didn’t understand what Muffin wanted. So Muffin dragged, or pulled, his
leash into the living room, where Dad sat. Dad wanted

to watch the pregame show, the show that started before the game
began, but he knew Muffin wanted to go outside for a walk. Dad and
Muffin took a long walk, and then Dad watched the game. (Check for
understanding by asking questions.) What is Muffin? What did Dad
misunderstand? What did Muffin want? What did Dad miss? What did
Dad and Muffin do together?

I. A. Directions:
1. Match the prefix to its meaning.
2. Circle the correct answer.

example: bi– a. same b. twice (two times) c. wrong

1. dis– a. not b. after c. again

2. im– a. not b. before c. wrong

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 3. mis– a. correctly b. wrongly c. after

4. pre– a. before b. not c. wrongly

5. re– a. correctly b. again c. after

B. Directions:
1. Write the prefix in parentheses ( ) before the root word in the New Word
column.
2. Write the meaning of each new word in the Meaning column.

Root Word New Word Meaning

example: (mis–) understood misunderstood not understood

1. (bi–) weekly

2. (dis–) belief

3. (im–) possible

4. (re–) read

5. (re–) start

6. (re–) fill

7. (pre–) game

8. (mis–) read

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 3. A. Directions Match the prefix to its meaning.
4. Color in the correct circle.

1. bi-  same  twice  wrong

2. dis-  not  after  again

3. im-  not  before  wrong

4. mis-  correctly  wrongly  after

5. pre-  before  not  wrongly

6. re-  correctly  again  after

B. Directions
1. In the New Word column, combine
the prefix and the root word to form a
new word.
2. Write the meaning of the new word in the Meaning column.

Prefix Root Word New Word Meaning

example: mis- understood misunderstood not understood

1. bi- weekly

2. dis- belief

3. im- possible

4. re- read

5. re- start

6. re- fill

7. pre- game

8. mis- read

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During the Lesson

Explore I
(Complete explore I together. Ask questions as you go through the activity with
students.) What is the root word? What is the prefix? How did the word change?
What does the word mean now? What does the prefix mean?

Explore II
(Review the following words from the Preview Vocabulary section: biweekly,
blinked, disbelief, impossible. Then complete explore II, allowing appropriate
support for students. Depending on their level of understanding, you can
complete the activity together with students, pair up students, or have students
try the activity independently.)

4. Implications for English language teaching

English morphology includes knowledge of both derivational and

inflectional morphemes. While an awareness of inflectional morphology
develops grammatical accuracy, an awareness of derivational morphology
plays a significant role in promoting students’ vocabulary knowledge. Nagy
and Anderson (1984) estimate that 60% of the unknown words which
English readers encounter in texts have meanings that may be predicted
on the basis of their component morphemes. Similarly, Kieffer and Lesaux
state that students who understand how words are created by joining
suffixes, prefixes, and roots have greater breadth of vocabulary. This
aspect of MA is linked directly to students’ ability to build up their
vocabulary. This is largely because the large majority of English words
have meanings that can be deciphered based on the separate parts of the
word . It is also fair to suggest that MA may be particularly useful for
acquiring academic vocabulary.

Although many researchers find it difficult and complex to define

academic vocabulary, they agree that this domain includes words which

24
1) are used as tools for academic purposes, 2) carry abstract meanings,
3) originated in Latin/Greek, 4) are polysemous, 5) include cross-
disciplinary words as well as discipline- or domain-specific words, and 6)
are used for grammatical metaphor (Kieffer & DiFelice Box, 2013).

Thus, learners with well-developed derivational MA who meet such words

as empowerment, productivity, or decentralization may be better able to
deduce meaning by understanding their relationship with the more
common words power, produce, and center, thereby broadening their
vocabulary items. Studies carried out on reading and MA reveal that in
many instances students with the ability to break words into their
meaningful parts not only build up their vocabulary but also have a better
comprehension of reading and therefore build up their skills in writing
(Kieffer and Lesaux, 2007; Karimi, 2012).
An awareness of derivational morphemes often gives students an
indication of word meaning and thus acts as a guide in enabling better
comprehension of words and texts (Kieffer & Lesaux, 2012b). It has also
been argued that morphological awareness shares a link with a student’s
ability to, not only describe complex words, but also indicate his/her ability
with regard to reading comprehension and writing (Ginsberg et al., 2011).

A critical awareness of both morphology as well as phonology has an

impact on language learners’ ability to both listen and speak efficiently in
English. Indeed there is a relationship between learners’ knowledge of the
base form of the word and their ability to recognize words efficiently
enough to be able to speak in a coherent manner.

Given that morphology pays a critical role in aiding language learners

effectively pick up vocabulary, a keen knowledge of derivational
morphemes will aid them in significantly improving their listening and
speaking skills as well. Indeed, language learners benefit significantly from
the use of morphology to critically determine word meanings that are
crucial towards ensuring that they improve their listening and speaking
skills. Moreover, MA aids the students in detecting semantic irregularities

25
and therefore has a greater understanding of the meaning associated with
different words in English. This is significant since it impacts on their
pronunciation skills (Kieffer & Lesaux, 2009).

Drawing upon previous research reports and studies, some authors

propose instructional strategies that can be used to promote students’ MA
in language classrooms. These can be summed up as follows: • Teaching
morphology explicitly as a separate component of vocabulary instruction.
• Promoting learners’ morphological awareness as a cognitive strategy
through explicit steps in which learners: 1) recognize that they do not know
the word, 2) analyze the word for recognizable morphemes, both in the
roots and suffixes, 3) think of a possible meaning based upon the parts of
the word, and 4) check the meaning of the word against the context. •
Teaching learners to recognize the use of prefixes, suffixes, and roots, and
how words are transformed. • Teaching learners true cognates – words
with similar spelling and meanings in English and the native language – to
help their reading comprehension. (Kieffer & Lesaux; 2009; Yopp, Yopp &
Bishop, 2009; Kieffer & Lesaux; 2012a, 2012b; Kieffer & DiFelice Box,
2013) When language teachers introduce their learners to these strategies
such as recognizing morphemes in reasonably common vocabulary,
learners may be able to apply their knowledge of morphology to words
they are not familiar with or familiar but encounter in a different
morphological form.

In order to enhance their students’ MA, language teachers can implement

a variety of activities (e.g., semantic maps; cut, mix, and match; find the
word; find the word that begin with un-) that can be adjusted to suit each
age group. For example, they could start morphology instruction for young
learners with simple words and go on with more complex words (Graves,
2006; Yopp et al., 2009). They could embark on this instruction for
adolescents and adults with morphologically more complex words. See
Appendix A for a list of common English morphemes that teachers can
include in vocabulary instruction activities for promoting morphological
awareness of English learners.

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 5. Vocabulary Building

Affixes and roots

Adding affixes to existing words (the base or root) to form new words is
common in academic English. Prefixes are added to the front of the base
(like dislike), whereas suffixes are added to the end of the base
(active activate). Prefixes usually do not change the class of the base word,
but suffixes usually do change the class of the word.

The most common prefixes used to form new verbs in academic English are: re-
, dis-, over-, un-, mis-, out-. The most common suffixes are: -ise, -en, -ate, -(i)fy. By
far the most common affix in academic English is -ise.

Verbs

e.g. prefix + verb verb

Prefix Meaning Examples

restructure, revisit, reappear, rebuild,

re- again or back
refinance

reverses the meaning of the disappear, disallow, disarm, disconnect,

dis-
verb discontinue

over- too much overbook, oversleep, overwork

reverses the meaning of the

un- unbend, uncouple, unfasten
verb

mis- badly or wrongly mislead, misinform, misidentify

out- more or better than others outperform, outbid

be- make or cause befriend, belittle

co- together co-exist, co-operate, co-own

de- do the opposite of devalue, deselect

fore- earlier, before foreclose, foresee

inter- between interact, intermix, interface

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 pre- before pre-expose, prejudge, pretest

sub- under/below subcontract, subdivide

trans- across, over transform, transcribe, transplant

underfund, undersell, undervalue,

under- not enough
underdevelop

Exercise

e.g. Suffix used to form verbs with the meaning "cause to be".

Suffix Example

-ise stabilise, characterise, symbolise, visualise, specialise

-ate differentiate, liquidate, pollinate, duplicate, fabricate

-fy classify, exemplify, simplify, justify

-en awaken, fasten, shorten, moisten

Exercise

Nouns

The most common prefixes used to form new nouns in academic English
are: co- and sub-. The most common suffixes are: -tion, -ity, -er, -ness, -ism, -ment,
-ant, -ship, -age, -ery. By far the most common noun affix in academic English is -
tion.

e.g. prefix + noun noun

Prefix Meaning Examples

anti- against anticlimax, antidote, antithesis

auto- self autobiography, automobile

bi- two bilingualism, biculturalism, bi-metalism

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co- joint co-founder, co-owner, co-descendant

counter-argument, counter-example, counter-

counter- against
proposal

dis- the converse of discomfort, dislike

ex- former ex-chairman, ex-hunter

hyper- extreme hyperinflation, hypersurface

in- the converse of inattention, incoherence, incompatibility

in- inside inpatient,

inter- between interaction, inter-change, interference

kilo- thousand kilobyte

mal- bad malfunction, maltreatment, malnutrition

mega- million megabyte

mis- wrong misconduct, misdeed, mismanagement

mini- small mini-publication, mini-theory

mono- one monosyllable, monograph, monogamy

neo- new neo-colonialism, neo-impressionism

out- separate outbuilding,

poly- many polysyllable

pseudo- false pseudo-expert

re- again re-organisation, re-assessment, re-examination

semi- half semicircle, semi-darkness

sub- below subset, subdivision

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 more than,
super- superset, superimposition, superpowers
above

sur- over and above surtax

tele- distant telecommunications,

tri- three tripartism

ultra- beyond ultrasound

under- below, too little underpayment, under-development, undergraduate

vice- deputy vice-president

Exercise

e.g. Suffix added to a verb (V), noun (N) or adjective (A) noun

Suffix Meaning Examples

-tion alteration, demonstration

action/instance of V-ing
-sion expansion, inclusion, admission

person who V-s advertiser, driver

-er
something used for V-ing computer, silencer

-ment action/instance of V-ing development, punishment, unemployment

-ant assistant, consultant

person who V-s
-ent student

-age action/result of V breakage, wastage, package

-al action/result of V denial, proposal, refusal, dismissal

-ence action/result of V preference, dependence, interference

-ance attendance, acceptance, endurance
action/instance of V-ing bribery, robbery, misery
-ery/-ry
place of V-ing refinery, bakery

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 Suffix Meaning Examples

-er person concerned with N astronomer, geographer

-ism doctrine of N Marxism, Maoism, Thatcherism

-ship state of being N friendship, citizenship, leadership

-age collection of N baggage, plumage

Suffix Meaning Examples

-ity state or quality of being A ability, similarity, responsibility, curiosity

-ness state or quality of being A darkness, preparedness, consciousness

-cy state or quality of being A urgency, efficiency, frequency

Exercise

Adjectives

Many adjectives are formed from a base of a different class with a suffix (e.g. -
less, -ous). Adjectives can also be formed from other adjectives, especially by
the negative prefixes (un-, in- and non-).

The most common suffixes are -al, -ent, -ive, -ous, -ful, -less.

e.g. Suffix added to verbs or nouns adjective

Suffix Example

-al central, political, national, optional, professional

-ent different, dependent, excellent

-ive attractive, effective, imaginative, repetitive

-ous continuous, dangerous, famous

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 -ful beautiful, peaceful, careful

-less endless, homeless, careless, thoughtless

-able drinkable, countable, avoidable,

Exercise

e.g. negative + adjective adjective

Prefix Examples

un- unfortunate, uncomfortable, unjust

im-/in-/ir-/il- immature, impatient, improbable, inconvenient, irreplaceable, illegal

non- non-fiction, non-political, non-neutral

dis- disloyal, dissimilar, dishonest

Exercise

Mixed

e.g. base with both prefix and suffix

Adjectives: uncomfortable, unavoidable, unimaginative, inactive, semi-circular

Nouns: disappointment, misinformation, reformulation

Word formation

Formal written English uses nouns more than verbs. For

example, judgement rather than judge, development rather
than develop, admiration rather than admire.

There appeared to be evidence of differential treatment of children.

This is reflected in our admiration for people who have made something of their lives,
sometimes against great odds, and in our somewhat disappointed judgment of those who
merely drift through life.

All airfields in the country would be nationalized, and the government would continue
with the development of new aircraft as recommended by the Barbizon Committee.

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Associated with nominalization is the occurrence of prepositional phrases,
introduced by of:

judgment of those

treatment of children

development of new aircraft

-tion is the most common suffix used in this way. For example: alteration,
resignation.

However others are: -ity ability, similarity, complexity; -ness blindness, darkness,
preparedness; -ment development, encouragement; -ship friendship; -age mileage; -
ery robbery, bribery; -al arrival; -ance assistance, resemblance.

4. Everything you need to know about Prefixes and Suffixes

Prefixes and suffixes are super useful for customizing the meanings of words,
but what are they? A prefix is a group of letters (or an affix) that’s added to the
beginning of a word, and a suffix is an affix that’s added to the end of a word.
Prefixes modify the meaning of a word. They can make a word negative, show
repetition, or indicate opinion. Some suffixes add to or change a word’s
meaning. Others can signal the word’s part of speech or indicate verb tense.
Some Common Prefixes
Some of the most common prefixes in the English language are dis-, in-,
and un-, which make words negative. For instance, adding the prefix un- to the
word kind creates the word unkind, meaning not kind.
Another common prefix, re-, indicates repetition. For example, adding re- to the
word build means “to build again.”
Other prefixes can indicate position: Sub(meaning under or below) is found in
common words like subway and submarine. Supra- (which means above) often
appears in medical terminology, such as supraclavicular nerves, which lie on
top of veins and bones.
Rules for Adding Prefixes
When you add a prefix to a word, you shouldn’t change the spelling of the
original word or the prefix. The words disappear (a combination
of dis- and appear), unhappy, and undo all illustrate this guideline. Follow this
rule even if the spelling results in double consonants, such as in the
words misspell, irredeemable and cooperation.
You should use a hyphen when joining a prefix to a proper noun, as in pro-
American. There should always be a hyphen after the prefix self- (as in self-
esteem), and after the prefix ex- when it means former (as in ex-husband).
Hyphens can also prevent misreading, mispronunciation, or confusion with

33
other words. For example, you should hyphenate re-cover (to cover again) to
avoid confusing it with recover (to regain or repair).
Some Common Suffixes
Some common suffixes are -ed, -ing, and -ly. The suffix -ed changes verbs to
the past tense. In the sentence “Sandy shoveled the snow,” the -ed suffix
creates the past tense of the verb to shovel. The -ing suffix makes the verb take
place in the present, as in the following sentence: “Sandy is shoveling the
snow.”
The suffix -ly is commonly added onto adjectives to form adverbs (words that
describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs). Examples of adverbs with the -
lysuffix include joyfully, quickly, and loudly. The suffixes -s and -es make words
plural, as in foxes, lamps, and chairs.
Rules for Adding Suffixes
When you add a suffix to a word, the original word usually keeps its original
spelling. However, there are some exceptions to this rule: If the original word is
one syllable and ends with a single consonant, double the last letter. For
example, tipbecomes tipping or tipped, and run becomes running. If the word
ends in multiple consonants, as in the word bank, last letter doesn’t get
doubled.

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 Conclusions

From all these said what is understood is that the term prefix is related to
morphology, and it is a kind of affix. It comes before a root, a stem or a
base and does not change the part of speech of that word. It is also a kind
of bound morpheme, that is to say, it cannot be used in a sentence
separately. It has to be used with a free morpheme.

Language learners who can recognize how English words are formed by
joining prefixes, suffixes, and roots are more likely to acquire more words,
comprehend texts better, and in turn become more proficient in writing. A
number of researchers have argued that the use of derived words is key
to ensuring that learners are able to understand and practice vocabulary.

Language teachers can take up teaching morphological awareness in

the classroom as part of explicit language instruction by adopting some
instructional strategies that can be adjusted to suit each age group. One
way is to teach learners derivational morphology explicitly and make it
a distinct component of normal vocabulary instruction. Second, asking
learners to break down words into their morphemes is a “cognitive
strategy” that can be used to promote their morphological awareness
of English. Third, language teachers could teach their learners how
prefixes, affixes and roots are used to form new words form existing ones.
Beyond this are a number of cognate words with similar spelling and
meanings in English and the native language that may aid learners in
reading texts. To sum up, implications for teaching and learning are
significant as recent research reveals that learners with MA have
better language performance as well as larger vocabulary and better
comprehension. The contents of L2 vocabulary instruction lessons
should include teaching morphological awareness as in L1 literacy
development endeavors.

35
36
 References

Laurie Bauer, « Rare, obscure and marginal affixes in

English », Lexis [Online], 8 | 2014, Online since 09 January 2014,
connection on 08 August 2019.
URL : http://journals.openedition.org/lexis/304 ; DOI : 10.4000/lexis.304

Morphological Awareness And Some Implications For English Language

Teaching [Online] URL:
https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S187704281403777X?token=8D
C7D6E9FF962FE84C94D5EB975838EEF6E0D7547DFDDFF1C922E50
B04611459F731DB261A0216ECD87214018F533F3E

Prefix and Suffix Word List Reference URL:

https://eps.schoolspecialty.com/EPS/media/Site-Resources/downloads/articles/Prefix-
SuffixWordList.pdf

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