Word-Building Resource • Prefixes
Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● a-
● aero-
● Afro-
● after-
● all-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● alt-
● ambi-
● Anglo-
● ante-
● anthropo-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● anti-
● arch-
● astro-
● audio-
● auto-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● be-
● bi-
● bio-
● by-
● car(n)-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● cardi(o)-
● cent(i)-
● cerebro-
● co-
● col-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● com-
● con-
● contra-
● cor-
● counter-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● cross-
● crypto-
● custom-
● cyber-
● de-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● deca-
● deci-
● demi-
● demo-
● dis-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● down-
● e-
● eco-
● ed-
● en-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● equi-
● ethno-
● Euro-
● ex-
● exa-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● extra-
● fore-
● fraken-
● Franco-
● fresh-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● ge-
● geo-
● giga-
● Graeco-
● great-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● hecto-
● hydro-
● hyper-
● hypo-
● il-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● ill-
● im-
● in-
● Indo-
● infra-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● inter-
● intra-
● ir-
● it-
● Italo-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● kilo-
● macro-
● mal-
● maxi-
● mega-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● meta-
● micro-
● mid-
● milli-
● mini-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● mis-
● mono-
● multi-
● nano-
● near-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● neo-
● neur(o)-
● new-
● non-
● off-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● oft-
● omni-
● out-
● over-
● palaeo-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● paleo-
● pan-
● para-
● photo-
● poly-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● post-
● pre-
● pro-
● prot(o)-
● pseud(o)-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● psych(o)-
● quadri-
● quasi-
● quinti-
● re-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● rent-a-
● retro-
● Romano-
● self-
● semi-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● septi-
● she-
● short-
● Sino-
● socio-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● step-
● sub-
● super-
● sur-
● techno-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● tele-
● thermo-
● top-
● trans-
● tri-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● uber-
● ultra-
● un-
● under-
● uni-
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
● up-
● ur-
● vice-
● with-
●
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
●
●
●
●
●
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
●
●
●
●
●
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
●
●
●
●
●
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
●
●
●
●
●
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
●
●
●
●
●
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Prefixes
Meanings
Examples
●
●
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Word-Building Resource • Suffixes
Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -‘s
● -a
● -ability
● -able
● -ably
● -accio
● -age
● -aholic
● -al
● -alia
● -ally
● -an
● -ana
● -ance
● -ancy
● -ant
● -arian
● -armed
● -ary
● -ate
● -athon
● -ation
● -ative
● -atively
● -ator
● -backed
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -baiting
● -based
● -basher
● -bashing
● -bearing
● -bedroomed
● -behaved
● -bellied
● -blooded
● -bodied
● -boned
● -bore
● -born
● -borne
● -bound
● -brained
● -breaker
● -breasted
● -brimmed
● -buster
● -capable
● -capped
● -celled
● -centric
● -centrism
● -chested
● -chinned
● -cidal
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -coated
● -coloured
● -conscious
● -cornered
● -covered
● -cratic
● -cy
● -d
● -degree
● -dimensional
● -dom
● -driven
● -eared
● -ed
● -edged
● -ee
● -eer
● -ēma
● -en
● -enabled
● -ence
● -ency
● -engined
● -enhancing
● -ent
● -epline
● -er
● -ery
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -ese
● -esque
● -ess
● -est
● -ette
● -eyed
● -faced
● -faceted
● -facing
● -field
● -filled
● -fingered
● -fired
● -flavoured
● -fold
● -footed
● -footer
● -former
● -free
● -friendly
● -ful
● -fully
● -fy
● -goer
● -going
● -grabbing
● -grader
● -grained
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -haired
● -hater
● -head
● -headed
● -hearted
● -heartedly
● -hood
● -humoured
● -hungry
● -hunter
● -ial
● -ially
● -ian
● -iana
● -ibility
● -ibis
● -ible
● -ibly
● -ic
● -ical
● -ically
● -ics
● -ide
● -ie
● -ify
● -in
● -in-waiting
● -induced
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -ing
● -ino
● -intentioned
● -ion
● -ish
● -ishly
● -ism
● -ist
● -ista
● -istic
● -ite
● -itis
● -ity
● -ive
● -ization
● -izationally
● -ize
● -k
● -led
● -legged
● -length
● -less
● -lessly
● -lessness
● -let
● -like
● -ling
● -load
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -ly
● -made
● -man
● -mania
● -mannered
● -mate
● -meister
● -ment
● -mental
● -minded
● -monger
● -mongering
● -most
● -mouthed
● -natured
● -necked
● -ness
● -nosed
● -o
● -occio
● -octane
● -odd
● -oholic
● -oid
● -ola
● -ological
● -ologist
● -ology
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -one
● -or
● -orientated
● -oriented
● -ory
● -osa
● -ous
● -ously
● -ousness
● -owned
● -pack
● -packed
● -penny
● -person
● -petalled
● -phile
● -phobe
● -phobia
● -piece
● -pitched
● -plated
● -pounder
● -powered
● -prone
● -proof
● -racked
● -rage
● -raiser
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -rate
● -rich
● -ridden
● -rimmed
● -roofed
● -roomed
● -ry
● -s
● -s’
● -saver
● -saving
● -scape
● -scope
● -scopic
● -seat
● -seater
● -seeded
● -seeking
● -sexed
● -shaped
● -shattering
● -ship
● -shooter
● -shouldered
● -shy
● -sided
● -sighted
● -sized
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -skin
● -sleeved
● -smelling
● -smith
● -soled
● -some
● -something
● -speak
● -speaking
● -spirited
● -spoken
● -spotter
● -spotting
● -stained
● -star
● -stemmed
● -ster
● -stopper
● -storm
● -style
● -tailed
● -tastic
● -tasting
● -tempered
● -textured
● -th
● -throated
● -tide
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -tiered
● -tight
● -time
● -to-be
● -toed
● -toned
● -tongued
● -toothed
● -ure
● -veined
● -ville
● -voiced
● -waisted
● -wallah
● -walled
● -ward
● -wards
● -ware
● -watcher
● -water
● -ways
● -wear
● -wheeled
● -wheeler
● -willed
● -winged
● -wise
● -woman
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Suffixes
Meanings
Examples
● -work
● -worthy
● -y
● -year
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
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Word-Building Resource • Topics
Topics
Examples of Prefixes
Examples of Suffixes
Biology
audio-, bio-, cardi(o)-, hydro-,
neur(o)-
-armed, -bellied, -blooded, -bodied,
-boned, -brained, -breasted, -celled,
-chested, -chinned, -coated, -eared, eyed, -faced, -fingered, -footed, haired, -headed, -legged, -necked, nosed, -petalled, -pitched, -seeded, shouldered, -sighted, -skin, stemmed, -tailed, -throated, -toed, toned, -toothed, -voiced, -waisted
Chemistry
hydro-
Clothing
-plated, -smith
-breasted, -brimmed, -necked, sleeved, -soled
Colours
-coloured
Communication
techno-, tele-
Computer
crypto-, cyber-, e-, info-
Crime & Law
-basher, -bashing, -breaker
Education
-former, -grader, -ics, -ological, ology, -year
Environment
eco-
Feelings
un-, under-
-aholic, -bound, -centric, -degree, free, -hater, -humoured, -hungry, less, -mania, -oholic, -phile, -phobe,
-phobia, -racked, -rage, -shy, spirited, -spotter, -spotting, tempered, -toned, -watcher
Finance &
-bedroomed, -free, -made, -penny, -
Business
ware, -work
Food & Drink
-bedroomed, -bodied, -flavoured, tasting
Measures &
centi-, kilo-, mega-, micro-, milli-,
-footer, -ful, -length, -load, -man, -
Quantities
thermo-
pack, -pounder, -scope, -scopic
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Topics
Examples of Prefixes
Medicine
Examples of Suffixes
-aholic, -born, -eyed, -head, -oholic,
-racked, -sighted, -toothed
Physics
hydro-
-eyed, -powered, -sighted
Plants & Animals
anthropo-, she-
-petalled, -vore, -vorous
Politics &
Euro-
Government
Religion
-arian, -ista, -ite
Sports & Games
-hunter, -seeded
Travel &
aero-
-driven, -nosed, -wheeled, -wheeler
thermo-
-storm
Transport
Weather &
Climate
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Topics
Examples of Prefixes
Examples of Suffixes
Word-Building Resource • Assimilation
Affixes
Variant Spellings
Examples
a-
an- before a vowel
anaemia
ab-
a- before b, m, p, v
avert
abs- before c, q, t
abscond, abstain
aceto-
acet- before a vowel
acetaldehyde
ad-
a- before sc, sp, st
ascend, aspire, astringent
ac- before c, k, q
accept, acquit, acquiesce
ad- before a vowel, d, h, m
af- before f
adapt, address, adhere, admire
affiliate, affirm
ag- before g
aggravate, aggression
al- before l
alleviate, allocate
an- before n
ap- before p
annihilate, annotate
apposite, apprehend
ar- before r
arrive, arrogate
as- before s
at- before t
assemble, assess
attend, attenuate
ana-
an- before a vowel
aneurysm
-an
-ane, usually with a distinction of sense
humane, mundane
(such as humane vs. human) but
sometimes with no corresponding form
in -an (such as mundane)
anti-
ant- before a vowel, h
Antarctic
apo-
ap- before a vowel, h
aphelion
auto-
aut- before a vowel
autoxidation
bromo-
brom- before a vowel
bromide
chloro-
chlor- before a vowel
chloracne
com-
com- before b, m, p, also occasionally
combine, command, company, compass,
before a vowel and f
comital, comfort
co- especially before a vowel, h, gn
col- before l
coalesce, cohabit, cognate
collocate, collude
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Affixes
Variant Spellings
Examples
cor- before r
corrode, corrugate
con- before c, d, f, g, j, n, q, s, t, v,
sometimes before a vowel
concord, condescend, confide,
cupro-
cupr- before a vowel
cuprammonium
dia-
di- before a vowel
dielectric
dis-
di- before l, m, n, r, s (followed by a
consonant), and v; also often shortened
digest, digress, direct, divert
before g and sometimes before j
ex-
en-
dif- before a vowel
diffraction, diffuse
de- in a few words from Old English
and Middle English
defer, demission, devise, descant
e- before b, d, g, j, l, m, n, v
ec- in a few words from Latin
elect, emit
ecstasy, eclipse, eccentric
ef- before
efface, effloresce
es- in a few words from Old French
escape
el- before l
em- before b, p, occasionally m
emblazon, emplacement
er- before r
en-
am-, an- in a few words from Middle
ambush, anoint
English
imbed, inclose, imbrue, impair, inquest
im-, in- alongside em-, enepi-
ep- before a vowel, h
eparch, ephod
gastro-
gastr- before a vowel
gastrectomy
haemo-
haem- before a vowel
haemangioma
histo-
hist- before a vowel
histidine
hydro-
hydr- before a vowel
hydraulic
hypo-
hyp- before a vowel
hypaesthesia
-ier
-yer especially after w
lawyer, sawyer
in-
i- in a few words beginning with gn
ignore, ignorant
il- before l
illustrate, illuminate
im- before b, m, p
imbibe, immure, impart
ir- before r
en- in a few words from Old French
irradiate, irrelative
enemy, envy
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Affixes
Variant Spellings
Examples
iodo-
iod- before a vowel
iodic
-ize
-ise reflecting a French influence
advertise, televise, compromise,
improvise, franchise, merchandise,
exercise
kerato-
kerat- before a vowel
keratectomy
lympho-
lymph- before a vowel
lymphangiography
meta-
met- before a vowel, h
metonym
mono-
mon- before a vowel, h
monamine, monarch
myo-
my- before a vowel
myalgia
nephro-
nephr- before a vowel
nephrectomy
ob-
o- in a few words beginning with m
omit
oc- before c
occasion, occlude
of- before f
op- before p
offend
oppress, oppugn
octoocta-
oct- before a vowel
octennial
oxy-
ox- before a vowel
oxazole
para-
par- before a vowel, h
paraldehyde, parody, parhelion
pheno-
phen- before a vowel
phenelzine
philo-
phil- before a vowel, h
philanthrope, philharmonic
proto-
prot- before a vowel, h
protamine
pseudo-
pseud- before a vowel, h
pseudepigrapha
re-
red- before a vowel, h
redact, redundant, redolent, re(d)dition,
other assimilated forms
redeem, redemption, redhibition,
redintegrate
render, rest, rally, rebel, relic, remnant,
ransom, rampart, rampire, rapport
septi-
sept- before a vowel
septangle
sexi-
sex- before a vowel or a consonant
sexennial, sexfoil
sub-
suc- before c
succeed, succussion
suf- before f
suffocate, suffuse, suffer; except: subfusc
sug- before g
suggest
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Affixes
syn-
Variant Spellings
Examples
sum- before m
summon
sup- before p
sur- before r
suppurate, suppose
surrogate; except: subrogate
sus- before c, p, t
susceptible, suspend, sustain, suspect
sy- before s, z
system, syzygy
syl- before l
syllogism, syllable
sym- before b, m, p
symbiosis, symmetry, symphysis
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