Prefixes: Important Word Parts
 What is a prefix?
A. A word part at the end of a word
B. A word part in the middle of a word
C. A word part at the beginning of a word
Prefixes: Important Word Parts
 What is a prefix?
C. A word part at the beginning of a word
Prefixes change words!
locked
Can you get into
a locked door?
Let’s add a prefix
un locked
Can you get into
an unlocked
door?
How did the prefix change
meaning of the word?
un-
The prefix was un-.
Un- changes the
meaning of a word.
Tell your partner
how unlocked is
different from
locked.
How did the prefix change
meaning of the word?
The prefix un- means “the opposite of”
or “not”
So, when the door is unlocked, we could
also say that it is “the opposite of locked”,
or “not locked”
Adding the prefix changes what the word
means
Let’s look at another word
pack
What does it
mean to pack
a suitcase?
Let’s look at another word
un pack
What does it
mean to
unpack a
suitcase?
Let’s look at another word
un pack
Unpack
means “the
opposite of”
pack
Some questions!
Which would you
rather eat?
a ripe apple
an unripe apple
Some questions!
Which would you
rather eat?
a ripe apple
Ready to eat
an unripe apple
Not ripe, not ready
Some questions!
Which would you
rather eat?
Spoiled food
Unspoiled food
Some questions!
Which would you
rather eat?
Spoiled food
Rotten, bad
Unspoiled food
Not rotten, not bad
What do you know so far?
On your paper, explain what a
prefix is
Come up with at least three other
words that have the prefix “un”
Another prefix
What does
expensive
mean? Talk
about it with
your partner.
expensive
Another prefix
in expensive
Let’s add the
prefix in-.
How does
this change
the meaning
of the word?
Another prefix
in expensive
Inexpensive means
“not expensive”, or
“the opposite of
expensive”. The
prefix in- can mean
the same thing as the
prefix un-
The prefix inSometimes, the prefix in- has the same
meaning as unThink about these words:
Inexpensive (not expensive)
Inexperienced (not experienced)
Independent (not dependent)
Be careful with inDoes indoor
mean “the
opposite of
door”?
Be careful with inDoes indoor
mean “the
opposite of
door”?
No! In- does not always have
the same meaning as un-. You
have to read carefully.
What meaning of in- do you see?
invertebrate
Does in- mean
“not” in this
word?
Or does it
mean
“inside”?
What meaning of in- do you see?
invertebrate
An invertebrate is a creature
that does NOT have a
backbone. So we see that the
meaning of in- is “not”.
Let’s review
Talk about these questions with a
partner.
– What is a prefix?
– What are some prefixes that we
have learned about so far?
A new prefix
Non- is another prefix.
Like un-,
non- means “not” or
“without”
Using the prefix nonThe prefix
non- is
used in a
slightly
different
way from
un-
To understand this, let’s
look at milk!
Using the prefix nonMilk often
has the fat
removed to
make it
healthier
It wouldn’t make sense
to use “un-fat” milk,
because that would
mean that the milk is
the opposite of fat
Using the prefix nonInstead, we
use the prefix
“non-” to
show that the
milk has had
the fat
removed
nonfat
Other words with “non-”
What do these
words mean?
nonliving
nonstop
nonfiction
nonsense
Prefix or not?
Let’s look for prefixes in some words. Be
careful! Not every word will actually have a
prefix.
unhappy
Prefix or not?
Let’s look for prefixes in some words. Be
careful! Not every word will actually have a
prefix.
unhappy
This word shows the prefix un-.
It means “not happy” or “the
opposite of happy”
Prefix or not?
introduction
There is no prefix here.
“Introduction” does not mean
“the opposite of troduction”
Prefix or not?
none
This does not have a prefix. “None”
does not mean “without e” (But it
would be pretty funny!
Prefix or not?
inedible
Prefix or not?
inedible
This word has the prefix in-.
It means “not edible” or “not
able to be eaten”
What have you learned?
What is a prefix?
What are some prefixes that
mean “not”?
How do prefixes
change words?