Learn common English suffixes and prefixes!

Prefixes and Suffixes are parts of words that change their meaning. For example, “prefix” has a prefix! It’s “pre-,” which clarifies that we are talking about something happening before.

They are a tool you can use to build your vocabulary in two ways:

1. Once you learn “agree,” you can quickly learn: “disagree,” “agreeable,” and even “disagreeable!”

2. If you encounter a word in a text or on an exam that you aren’t sure about, but you see a prefix or suffix, congratulations: you know more than nothing about the word! That means that if you were using our flashcard strategy, you can already put this word on the first rung of your Confidence Ladder!

So let’s get started with some common prefixes and suffixes.

Common Prefixes

Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.

• un- Not, opposite of. e.g. Unhappy, Unfinished. “Unhappy”= not happy

• re- Again. e.g. Rewrite, Rebuild. "Rewrite" = write again

• pre- Before. e.g. Preview, Predict. "Preview" = view before

• dis- Not, opposite of. e.g. Disagree, Disconnect. "Disagree" = not agree

• mis- Wrongly. e.g. Misunderstand, Misplace. "Misunderstand" = understand wrongly

• in-/im-/il-/ir-Not. e.g. Incomplete, Impossible, Illegal, Irregular. "Impossible" = not possible

• over- Too much. e.g. Overcook, Overreact. "Overcook" = cook too much

• under-Too little. e.g. Underestimate, Underpaid. "Underestimate" = estimate too little

• sub-Below, under. e.g. Submarine, Subconscious. "Submarine" = under the sea

• inter-Between. e.g. International, Interact. "International" = between nations

Common Suffixes

Suffixes are added to the end of a word.

• able/-ible. Capable of. e.g. Lovable, Incredible. "Lovable" = able to be loved. BONUS: “incredible” has a prefix and a suffix. It means “Not able to be believed.”

• -er/-or. Someone who does. e.g. Teacher, Actor. "Teacher" = someone who teaches

• -less. Without. e.g. Hopeless, Careless. "Hopeless" = without hope

• -ness. State of being. e.g. Kindness, Sadness. "Kindness" = state of being kind

• -ment. Action or result. e.g. Agreement, Improvement. "Agreement" = the result of agreeing

• -tion/-sion. Act or state. e.g. Celebration, Decision. "Decision" = the act of deciding

• -ous. Full of. e.g. Dangerous, Ambitious. "Dangerous" = full of danger

• -ive. Tending toward. e.g. Creative, Active. "Creative" = tending to create

• -ly In a certain way. e.g. Quickly, Happily. "Quickly" = in a quick way

• -ful Full of. e.g. Hopeful, Careful. "Hopeful" = full of hope

Use these words to help move some words up your Confidence Ladder! If you don’t already have flashcards, you can download 100 free, plus a template to make your own in the same size!