PREFIX AND SUFFIX FAMILIES
FAMILY
PREFIX
OR
SUF
FIX
“Not”
prefix family
disuninimilirnonde-
“Position”
prefix family
preforemidinter-
not, opposite
not, opposite
not, opposite
not, opposite
not, opposite
not, opposite
not, opposite
opposite
post
“Over” and
“Under”
prefix
family
“Together”
prefix family
“Bad”
prefix family
superoversubcomconcomismal-
“Against”
prefix family
MEANING
anticontra-
EXAMPLE WORDS
dislike, disloyal, disentangle, disparity,
disrepute
 unafraid, unhappy, undefeated,
unsympathetic
 invisible, incurable, inappropriate, inedible,
infallible
 imperfect, impolite, imprecise, immobile,
immortal
 illogical, illegal, illiterate, illegible, illimitable
 irresponsible, irreplaceable, irresistible,
irrelevant
 nonfiction, nonstop, nonliving, nonviolent,
nonverbal
before
 preview, predawn, prehistoric, prepublication
before
 forewarn, foreleg, forenoon, forethought,
middle
foreshadow
between, among
 midnight, midair, midland, midlife, midterm
 intercity, intermix, interaction,
after
international, intergalactic
 postwar, posttest, postdate, postoperative
over, high, big,
 superheat, superhuman, superdeluxe,
extreme
supercompetitive
more than,
 oversleep, overload, overheat, overqualified,
too much
overexert
under, below
 subset, substation, subcontinent, subtropical
together, with
 compress, composition, compatriot,
together
compassion
together, with
 conform, concentric, conjoin, configure
 coauthor, cosign, coequal, cooperate
bad, wrong, not
 misuse, misread, misunderstand, mismanage,
misquote
bad, ill
 maltreat, malodor, malnourished,
maladjusted
against
 antifreeze, antibiotic, antisocial,
against, opposite
antipollution
 contraband, contradict, contraindicate,
contravene
Baumann & Edwards (2007)

“
Bumping Into Spicy, Tasty Words That Catch Your Tongue”
PREFIX AND SUFFIX FAMILIES
FAMILY
PREFIX
OR
SUF
FIX
“Number”
prefix family
unimono-
 one
 one
bitriquadpentadeccentsemi-







two
three
four
five
ten
hundred
half, part
retransdeexunder-





again, back
across, through
take away
out of, away from
low, too little
Other useful
prefixes
“Person”
suffix family
-ee
-er
-ian
-ist
-or
Other Useful
Suffixes
-ful
-able
-ible
-less
MEANING
EXAMPLE WORDS
 person who
 person/thing that
does something
 person that
does something
 person that
does something
 person/thing that
does something


unicycle, unicorn, unidirectional, unicellular
monorail, monosyllable, monogram, monotone,
monocle
bicycle, biweekly, bicolor, biplane, binomial
triangle, tricycle, tricolor, triathlon, tripod
quadrilateral, quadruplets, quadrennial,
quadrangle
pentagon, pentameter, pentagram, pentathlon
decagon, decade, decapods, decibel
centimeter, centipede, centennial, centigram
semicircle, semiyearly, semiprivate, semiretired
redi, reorder, rearrange, repostion, reconnect
transport, transatlantic, transmit, transfusion
defrost, deforest, deodorize, deflate,
deactivate
export, exhale, extinguish, exclude, excise
underweight, underachieve, underestimate,
underappreciated
employee, referee, trainee, interviewee
writer, teacher, composer, reporter, consumer

physician, pediatrician, technician, magician

therapist, optometrist,

actor, governor, dictator, juror, donor
 full of
 characterized by
 can be, worthy of
 inclined to
without, free of


joyful, beautiful, successful, delightful, pitiful
valuable, comfortable, dependable,
impressionable
terrible, responsible, reversible, compatible
helpless, hopeless, bottomless, expressionless
















Baumann, & Edwards (2007).
Bumping Into Spicy, Tasty Words That Catch Your Tongue”
TOP 30 ROOT WORDS AND MEANINGS
ROOT
MEANING
EXAMPLES
-ast(er)-(G)
star
asteroid, astronomy
-audi- (L)
hear
audible, audience
-auto- (G)
self
automatic, autopsy
-bene- (L)
good
benefit, benign
-bio- (G)
life
biography, biology
-chrono- (G)
time
chronic, synchronize
-dict- (L)
say
dictate, diction
-scrib-, -script- (L)
write
ascribe, script
-duc- (L)
lead, make
deduce, produce
-gen- (L)
give birth
gene, generate
-geo- (G)
earth
geography, geology
-graph- (G)
write
autograph, graph
-jur-, -jus- (L)
law
jury, justice
-log-, -logue- (L)
thought
logic, obloquy
-luc- (L)
light
lucid, translucent
-man(u)- (L)
hand
manual, manure
-mand-, -mend- (L)
order
demand, recommend
-mis-, -mit- (L)
send
missile, transmission
-omni- (L)
all
omnivorous
-path- (G)
feel
empathy, pathetic
-phon- (G)
sound
phonics, telephone
-photo- (G)
light
photograph, photon
-port- (L)
carry
export, portable
-qui(t)- (L)
quiet, rest
acquit, tranquil
-sens-, -sent- (L)
feel
resent, sensitive
-tele- (G)
far off
telecast, telephone
-phil- (G)
love
philosophy, bibliophile
-terr- (L)
earth
terrain, territory
-vac- (L)
empty
evacuate, vacate
-vid-, -vis- (L)
see
visible, video
http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/wordroots.htm