Understanding Suffixes and Prefixes

Suffixes and prefixes are essential components of English vocabulary. They are added to the beginning (prefix) or end (suffix) of a base word to change its meaning or grammatical function. In this lesson, we’ll explore what suffixes and prefixes are, their types and meanings, and how to use them effectively to expand your vocabulary and improve your language skills. By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of how suffixes and prefixes work and how to apply them in your writing and speaking.

Introduction to Suffixes and Prefixes

Definition of Suffixes and Prefixes

• Prefix: A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a base word to change its meaning. For example, adding the prefix “un-“ to the word “happy” creates the word “unhappy,” which means “not happy.”
• Suffix: A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a base word to change its meaning or grammatical function. For example, adding the suffix “-ness” to the word “happy” creates the word “happiness,” which refers to the state of being happy.

Why Suffixes and Prefixes Matter

Suffixes and prefixes are powerful tools for expanding your vocabulary. They allow you to:

• Create new words from existing ones.
• Understand the meaning of unfamiliar words by breaking them down.
• Improve your reading comprehension and writing skills.

Examples of Suffixes and Prefixes

• Prefix Example: “Re-“ (again) + “do” = “redo” (do again).
• Suffix Example: “Quick” + “-ly” = “quickly” (in a quick manner).

Common Prefixes

Prefixes are added to the beginning of a base word to change its meaning. Here are some of the most common prefixes, their meanings, and examples:

List of Common Prefixes

Prefix	Meaning	Example
un-	not	unhappy, unlock
re-	again	redo, rewrite
pre-	before	preview, preheat
dis-	not, opposite of	disagree, disappear
mis-	wrongly	misunderstand, misbehave
over-	too much	overeat, overwork
under-	too little	underestimate, undercook
in-	not	inactive, incomplete
im-	not	impossible, impolite
il-	not	illegal, illogical
ir-	not	irregular, irrelevant

Examples in Sentences

• She was unhappy with the results. (not happy)
• He decided to redo his homework. (do again)
• The chef preheated the oven. (heated before)
• I disagree with your opinion. (do not agree)
• She misunderstood the instructions. (understood wrongly)

Common Suffixes

Suffixes are added to the end of a base word to change its meaning or grammatical function. Here are some of the most common suffixes, their meanings, and examples:

List of Common Suffixes

Suffix	Meaning	Example
-ly	in a certain manner	quickly, happily
-ness	state or quality of	happiness, kindness
-ment	action or process	movement, development
-able	capable of	comfortable, readable
-less	without	hopeless, fearless
-ful	full of	joyful, helpful
-er	person or thing that does	teacher, runner
-est	superlative form	fastest, tallest
-ing	present participle	running, singing
-ed	past tense	walked, talked
-s/-es	plural or third person	books, goes

Examples in Sentences

• She ran quickly to catch the bus. (in a quick manner)
• His happiness was contagious. (state of being happy)
• The movement of the train was smooth. (action of moving)
• This book is readable. (capable of being read)
• She felt hopeless after the loss. (without hope)
• He is a helpful person. (full of help)
• The teacher explained the lesson. (person who teaches)
• This is the fastest car. (superlative form of fast)
• They are running in the park. (present participle)
• She walked to school yesterday. (past tense)
• The books are on the table. (plural form)

How Suffixes and Prefixes Change Word Meanings

How Prefixes Change Word Meanings

Prefixes are added to the beginning of a base word to change its meaning. They often create words with opposite meanings or indicate time, quantity, or direction. Here’s how prefixes work:

• Negative Meaning: Adding “un-“ to “happy” creates “unhappy” (not happy).
• Repetition: Adding “re-“ to “do” creates “redo” (do again).
• Time or Order: Adding “pre-“ to “heat” creates “preheat” (heat before).

How Suffixes Change Word Meanings

Suffixes are added to the end of a base word to change its meaning or grammatical function. They can turn nouns into adjectives, verbs into nouns, or indicate a state or quality. Here’s how suffixes work:

• Change Part of Speech: Adding “-ly” to “quick” creates “quickly” (adverb).
• Indicate State or Quality: Adding “-ness” to “happy” creates “happiness” (state of being happy).
• Create Agent Nouns: Adding “-er” to “teach” creates “teacher” (person who teaches).

Examples of Word Transformations

• Prefix Example: “Un-“ + “kind” = “unkind” (not kind).
• Suffix Example: “Kind” + “-ness” = “kindness” (quality of being kind).

Using Suffixes and Prefixes in Sentences

Examples of Sentences with Prefixes

• She was unhappy with the results. (not happy)
• He decided to redo his homework. (do again)
• The chef preheated the oven. (heated before)
• I disagree with your opinion. (do not agree)
• She misunderstood the instructions. (understood wrongly)

Examples of Sentences with Suffixes

• She ran quickly to catch the bus. (in a quick manner)
• His happiness was contagious. (state of being happy)
• The movement of the train was smooth. (action of moving)
• This book is readable. (capable of being read)
• She felt hopeless after the loss. (without hope)
• He is a helpful person. (full of help)
• The teacher explained the lesson. (person who teaches)
• This is the fastest car. (superlative form of fast)
• They are running in the park. (present participle)
• She walked to school yesterday. (past tense)
• The books are on the table. (plural form)

Practice Exercises

1. Add a prefix or suffix to the base word and use it in a sentence:
   • Base Word: agree
     • Prefix: disagree → I disagree with your opinion.
     • Suffix: agreement → We reached an agreement.
   • Base Word: happy
     • Prefix: unhappy → She was unhappy with the results.
     • Suffix: happiness → His happiness was contagious.
2. Identify the prefix or suffix in the following sentences and explain its meaning:
   • She misunderstood the instructions. (Prefix: mis- → wrongly)
   • The teacher explained the lesson. (Suffix: -er → person who teaches)

Practice Activities

Activity 1: Add Prefixes or Suffixes

Add a prefix or suffix to the base word to create a new word and use it in a sentence:

1. Base Word: do
   • Prefix: redo → He decided to redo his homework.
   • Suffix: doing → She is doing her homework.
2. Base Word: comfort
   • Prefix: discomfort → He felt a sense of discomfort.
   • Suffix: comfortable → The chair is very comfortable.

Activity 2: Identify the Meaning

Identify the meaning of the prefixed or suffixed word in the following sentences:

1. She was unhappy with the results. (not happy)
2. The teacher explained the lesson. (person who teaches)
3. He is a helpful person. (full of help)

Activity 3: Create Sentences

Create sentences using new words formed with prefixes and suffixes:

1. Prefix: “re-“ + “write” = “rewrite”
   • Sentence: She decided to rewrite her essay.
2. Suffix: “quick” + “-ly” = “quickly”
   • Sentence: He ran quickly to catch the bus.