PREFIX & SUFFIX

PREFIX
 Common Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
a-, an- without, lack of, not amoral, acellular, abyss,
achromatic, anhydrous
ante- before, earlier, in front of antecedent, antedate,
antemeridian, anterior
anti- against, opposite of anticlimax. antiaircraft,
antiseptic, antibody
auto- self, same autopilot, autobiography,
automobile, autofocus
circum- around, about circumvent, circumnavigate,
circumscribe
 PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE
co- with, together copilot, coworker, coexist, coauthor

com-, con- together, with companion, commingle, contact,

concentrate
contra-, contro- against, opposite contradict, contrast, contrary, controversy

de- down, off, away from devalue, deactivate, debug, degrade,

deduce
dis- not, apart, away disappear, disagreeable, disbar, dissect

en- put into, cover with enclose, entangle, enslave, encase

ex- out of, from, former extract, exhale, excavate, ex-president

extra- beyond, outside, more than extracurricular, extramarital, extravagant

hetero- different, other heterosexual, heterodox, heterogeneous

homo-, homeo- same, alike homonym, homophone, homeostasis,

homosexual
 PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE
hyper- over, more, beyond hyperactive, hypersensitive, hypercritical

il-, im-, in-, ir- not, without illegal, immoral, inconsiderate, irresponsible

in- in, into insert, inspection, infiltrate

inter- between, among intersect, interstellar, intervene,

interpenetrate
intra-, intro- within, inside intravenous, intragalactic, introvert

macro- large, prominent macroeconomics, macrostructure, macrocosm

micro- very small microscope, microcosm, microbe

mono- one, single, alone monocle, monogamy, monotony

non- not, without nonentity, nonaggressive, nonessential

omni- all, every omniscient, omnivorous, omniscient,

omnidirectional
 PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE

post- after, behind postmortem, posterior, postscript,

postoperative

pre-, pro- before, forward precede, predict, project, prologue

sub- under, lower submarine, subsidiary, substandard

sym-, syn- same time, together symmetry, symposium, synchronize,

synapse

trans- across, beyond, through transmit, transaction, translation, transfer

tri- three, every third tricycle, trimester, triangle, triathlon

un- not, lacking, opposite of unfinished, unskilled, ungraceful,

unfriendly

uni- one, single unicorn, unicellular, unicycle, unilateral

Prefix IN
 Exercise 1
Identify the five words with prefixes in the following paragraph, and write their meanings on a
separate sheet of paper.
At first, I thought one of my fuzzy, orange socks disappeared in the dryer, but I could not find it in
there. Because it was my favorite pair, nothing was going to prevent me from finding that sock. I
looked all around my bedroom, under the bed, on top of the bed, and in my closet, but I still could
not find it. I did not know that I would discover the answer just as I gave up my search. As I sat
down on the couch in the family room, my Dad was reclining on his chair. I laughed when I saw
that one of his feet was orange and the other blue! I forgot that he was color-blind. Next time he
does laundry I will have to supervise him while he folds the socks so that he does not
accidentally take one of mine!
 Exercise 2
Add the correct prefix to the word to complete each sentence. Write the word on your own sheet
of paper.
1. I wanted to ease my stomach ________comfort, so I drank some ginger root tea.
2. Lenny looked funny in his ________matched shirt and pants.
3. Penelope felt ________glamorous at the party because she was the only one not to wear a
proper dress.
4. My mother said those ________aging creams do not work, so I should not waste my money
on them.
5. The child’s ________standard performance on the test alarmed his parents.
6. When my sister first saw the meteor, she thought it was a ________natural
phenomenon.
7. Even though she got an excellent job offer, Cherie did not want to ________locate to
a different country.
8. With a small class size, the students get to ________act with the teacher more
frequently.
9. I slipped on the ice because I did not heed the ________cautions about watching
my step.
10. A ________combatant is another word for civilian.
SUFFIX
Inflectional Suffixes
Suffix Part of Speech Inflected Grammatical Function Example Words

hear→hears
“-s” Verbs Forms the third-person singular for most verbs.
run→runs

bank→banks
“-s” Nouns Changes most nouns from singular to plural.
car→cars
approach→approac
Forms the third-person singular for verbs ending in a hes
sibilant sound (/s/, /z/, /ʧ/, or /ʃ/) created by the catch→catches
“-es” Verbs
endings “-ss,” “-z,” “-x,” “-sh,” “-ch,” or “-tch,” as well as do→does
verbs ending in a consonant + O. go→goes

coach→coaches
Forms the plural for nouns ending in a sibilant sound
watch→watches
“-es” Nouns (/s/, /z/, /ʧ/, or /ʃ/) as created by the endings “-ss,” “-
dish→dishes
z,” “-x,” “-sh,” “-ch,” or “-tch.”
box→boxes

ask→asked
Forms the past simple tense and past participle of most
“-ed” Verbs burn→burned
verbs.
dare→dared
Suffix Part of Speech Inflected Grammatical Function Example Words

be→been
Forms the past participle of some irregular
“-en” Verbs drive→driven
verbs.
eat→eaten
ox→oxen
Changes certain irregular nouns from
“-en” Nouns child→children
singular to plural.
brother→brethren
build→building
Forms the present participle of verbs (as well
“-ing” Verbs care→caring
as the gerund form.)
hear→hearing
big→bigger
Forms the comparative degree for
“-er” Adjectives and Adverbs fast→faster
many adjectives and adverbs.
happy→happier

Forms the superlative degree for big→biggest

“-est” Adjectives and Adverbs
many adjectives and adverbs. fast→fastest*
Derivational Suffixes
■ Suffixes that form nouns
■ Suffixes that form verbs
■ Suffixes that form adjectives
■ Suffixes that form adverbs
Suffixes that form nouns
Suffix Suffix meaning Attaches to Example words
“-al” An action or process. Verbs approve→approval
A person or thing performing or capable of a bake→baker
“-er” Verbs
particular action. compose→composer
1. A state, quality, or condition. adult→adulthood
“-hood” Nouns
2. A group sharing a state, quality, or condition. boy→boyhood

A state, condition, action, process, or practice, or Verbs ending in “-

“-ication” amplify→amplification
the result thereof. fy”
1. An action, process, or practice. active→activism
1. Verbs
“-ism” 2. A state, condition, or quality. antagonize→antagonism
2 & 3. Adjectives
3. A doctrine, theory, or set of guiding principles. exorcize→exorciism
adjust→adjustment
“-ment” An action or process, or the result thereof. Verbs
bereave→bereavement
“-ness” A state, condition, trait, or measurement thereof. Adjectives alert→alertness

A state, condition, action, process, or practice, or act→action

“-tion” Verbs
the result thereof. affect→affection
Suffixes that form verbs

Suffix Suffix meaning Attaches to Example words

1. To become or cause to black→blacken

become. 1. Adjectives broad→broaden
“-en”
2. To come or cause to 2. Nouns cheap→cheapen
have.

To make or cause to ample→amplify

“-ify” Adjectives, nouns
become. beauty→beautify

To become or cause to
apology→apologize
become; to do or make
“-ize” Adjectives, nouns capital→capitalize
that to which the suffix is
civil→civilize
attached.
Suffixes that form adjectives
Suffix Suffix meaning Attaches to Example words

“-able” Possible; capable of; suitable for. Verbs adore→adorable

“-al” Having the characteristics of or relating to. Nouns artifice→artificial

1. Full of; characterized by. 1. Nouns beauty→beautiful

“-ful”
2. Tending or able to. 2. Verbs care→careful
“-ic” Having the characteristics of or relating to. Nouns poetry→poetic

1. Typical of, similar to, or related to.

2. Of or associated with (a particular nationality, region, book→bookish
“-ish” Nouns
or language). boy→boyish
3. Inclined to or preoccupied with.
“-less” Lacking; deprived of; without. Nouns aim→aimless
pretense→pretentious
“-ous” Possessing; characterized by; full of. Nouns
poi
1. Characterized by; consisting or having the quality of;
1. Nouns mess→messy
“-y” filled with.
2. Verbs rain→rainy
2. Tending or inclined to.
Suffixes that form adverbs
Suffix Suffix meaning Attaches to Example words

1. In a certain or specified 1. Adjectives abrupt→abruptly

“-ly” manner. 2. Nouns (units of calm→calmly
2. At that interval of time. time) day→daily

“-ways/-wise”
(“-wise” is much more
1. In a specified manner,
common, especially in clock→clockwise
direction, or position.
American English, business→businesswise
2. With reference or in Nouns, adjectives
except with the edge→edgewise (occasio
regard to. (sometimes
root side, which almost nally: edgeways)
hyphenated)
always
becomes sideways)
back→backward
In a specified direction or Nouns, adjectives, down→downward
“-ward”
position. adverbs east→eastward
fore→forward
Instructions
For each sentence below, study the one word that's in bold print. See if you can identify
the root word (or base) along with any prefixes and/or suffixes that are attached to it.
After you have filled in all the blanks, compare your answers with those below.

We watched a preview of the new Pixar movie.

Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
The dancing cat was seen by more than two-million YouTube viewers.
Root: ____________
Suffix: ____________
The teacher handed out paper hearts to the students who had done extra work.
Root: ____________
Suffix: ____________
The magician made the rabbit disappear.
Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
At the end of his performance, the magician made a graceful bow to the audience.
Root: ____________
Suffix: ____________
Shyla asked the magician for his autograph.
Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
Because of the lightness of the breeze, the sailboat moved quite slowly.
Root: ____________
Suffix: ____________
Despite the heaviness of his backpack, Jack raced up the hill.
Root: ____________
Suffix: ____________
Some dogs are shy or unfriendly, and they might bark or snap if you try to pet them.
Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
Suffix: ____________
Esther quickly reopened the door and called for her cat.
Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
Suffix: ____________
We stood on a bluff overlooking the ocean.
Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
Suffix: ____________
In today's world, no part of the globe is unreachable.
Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
Suffix: ____________
My father never let anyone see him dressed informally.
Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
Suffix: ____________
Everyone thought that Mr. Darcy was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world.
Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
Suffix: ____________
Preschoolers should have plenty of opportunities to run, play, and listen to stories.
Root: ____________
Prefix: ____________
Suffix: ____________
WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO LEARN
PREFIX AND SUFFIX?
Examples

■ Anhydrous
■ Distress
■ Unprecedented
■ Mis-demeanour
■ Redo
■ Anti-capitalist
■ Counter-revolutionary
■ Non-conformist
■ Impassable
■ Impermeable