RN
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G53 IYS Suffixes, Prefixes and Root Words.doc WW/E1.1/E1.2
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the learning centre
R VIC
/E2.1/E2.2/E3.1/E3.2, WW/L1.1-L2.1
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Suffixes, Prefixes and Root Words
Many longer words are not so difficult to learn if you can break them up into manageable and
memorisable chunks.
Prefixes and suffixes are a part of many English words and once you become familiar with them
they can help in making difficult words seem less formidable.
The main part of the word is its root. A prefix is an extra bit at the beginning and suffix is an
extra bit at the end.
Usually when you add A PREFIX you do not change the root word:
e.g.
mis – mistrusted
misfortune
misspent
mistreat
misrepresent
SUFFIXES such as –ed or –ing begin with a vowel and generally are added without causing
changes.
e.g.
jump jumped
think thinking
walk
walking
Other words will require change when a suffix is added:
e.g.
trim
trimming
win
winning
commit committing
Many words use prefixes and suffixes at the same time:
e.g.
connect
disconnected
commission decommissioning
The following exercises offer some work on this area. Many books offer much more if you want
to explore this further.
Exercise
Use a good dictionary to look up words beginning with these prefixes:
trans ……………………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
il …………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
mis ……………………………………………………………………………………………...
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
dis ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
inter …………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Page 1 of 2
RN
E
R
L
EA
E
S
E
G53 IYS Suffixes, Prefixes and Root Words.doc WW/E1.1/E1.2
S
the learning centre
R VIC
/E2.1/E2.2/E3.1/E3.2, WW/L1.1-L2.1
PREFIX
ab
MEANING
away from
acou
hearing
ad
alb
to, near,
toward
white
ambi
both sides
ante
before
anti
against
aqua
of water
auto
self
bi
two, double
centi
hundred
chromo
colour
circum
around
co
together
com
with/together
con
with/together
contra
against
demi
half
*ex
dis
out of or
outside
divide/split in
two
not or away
dys
painful/difficult
fore
before/in front
hemi
half
hetero
other/different
homo
same
di
/
EXAMPLES
abnormal
abdicate
acoustic
PREFIX
hydro
MEANING
of water
hyper
too much
adventure
advance
albumen
albino
ambiguous
ambidextrous
antenatal
anteroom
antithesis
antibiotic
aquatic
aquarium
autobiography
automobile
bicycle
bifocals
centipede
centimetre
chromatic
monochrome
circumstance
circumference
co-operate
correlation
compare
compact
connect
conjunction
contradict
contraceptive
demigod
demitasse
external
extreme
dichotomy
digress
disperse
dissonance
dyspepsia
dyslexia
forecast
forehead
hemisphere
hypo
too little
in
not
infra
beneath
inter
between
intra
within
iso
equal
mal
bad
manu
hand
mega
large
macro
large
micro
small
mis
wrong
multi
many
non
not
omni
all
photo
light
pre
before
pro
for or forward
re
again or back
sub
under
super
above
trans
across
heterogeneous
heterosexual
homogenise
homosexual
un
not or in
reverse
one
uni
EXAMPLE
hydrogen
hydrometer
hyperbole
hyperactive
hypochondria
hypothermia
Insensitive
indiscriminate
infrastructure
infrared
intermediate
intercom
intravenous
intramural
isotherm
isotope
malicious
malevolent
manufacture
manipulate
megastore
megabyte
macrobiotic
macrocosm
microscope
microcosm
misspell
misrepresent
multifarious
multifaceted
nonentity
nondescript
omnipotent
omnivorous
photograph
photosynthesis
precocious
preamble
promotion
progression
refurbish
regress
submarine
subtext
superior
superlative
transport
transept
unnecessary
unnatural
unilateral
unify
*
When ‘ex’ is used to mean former, it is hyphenated, e.g. ex-wife, ex-colleague
•
Use a dictionary and write 10 sentences each of which includes one prefixed word.
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