Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots
A prefix is a group of letters attached to the beginning of a word to partly demonstrate its definition.
A root word is a base or stem of a word that conveys meaning.
Root or Prefix
ab
ad
ante
anti
aqua
aud
auto
bene
cede, ceed
chron
circum
co, con, com
cogni
counter, contra
cred
de
dic, dict
dis
gamy
gress
inter
mega
mis
mort
multi
non
path
poly
post
pre
pro
re
retro
scrib
spect
super
syn, sym
trans
Meaning
away (from)
to, toward
before
against, opposed
water
hear
self
well, good
go, move
time
around
together, with
know
against, opposite
believe
from, away
say
apart, from, away
marriage
go, move
between
big
wrong, wrongly
death
many
not
feeling, suffering
many
after
before
forward
back, again
backward
write
see, look
over, above
with, together
across
Example
absent
adhere
anteroom
antipathy
aquatic
auditory
automatic
beneficial
proceed, recede
chronological
circumference
cooperate, conspiracy
recognize
counteract, contrary
credential
depart
dictate
distract
monogamy
progress
interrupt
megaphone
mistake
mortality
multitude
nonadjustable
apathy
polygamy
postpone
preamble
propel
return, redo
retrospect
transcribe
spectator, inspect
superior, supersonic
synchronize, symmetry
transport
BCCC Tutoring Center Rev. 7/15
A numerical prefix indicates how many there are of a particular thing.
Prefix
uni
mono
du, duo
bi
tri
tetra
quad
penta
quint
sex
hex
sept
oct
nov
dec
cent
hect
mil
kil
semi
hemi
demi
Meaning
one
one
two
two
three
four
four
five
five
six
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
hundred
hundred
thousand
thousand
half
half
half
Example
uniform
monologue
duet
biped
triangle
tetrameter
quadruplets
pentagon
quintet
sexagenarian
hexagon
septet
octopus
novena
decade
percent
hectogram
millimeter
kilometer
semicircle
hemisphere
demitasse
A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to adjust its meaning or change its part of
speech.
Suffix
able, ible
al
ar, er, or
ful
ish
ist
less
logy
ous
ness
ly
est
ion, tion, ation, ition
Meaning
able to
pertaining to
one who
full of
like, close to
one who
without
study of
full of
state of, condition of
characteristic of
most, comparative
act, process
Example
readable, excusable
musical, facial
teacher, actor
hopeful, careful
foolish, twentyish
psychologist, dentist
hatless, fearless
cosmetology, biology
cancerous, zealous
kindness, happiness
quickly, happily
biggest, funniest
attraction, citation
BCCC Tutoring Center Rev. 7/15