English word prefixes and suffixes

👉 Prefix Meaning

Prefix is a letter or a group of letters that appears at the beginning of a word and changes the word’s original meaning.

Prefix Meaning Translation

English	Prefix is a letter or a group of letters that appears at the beginning of a word and changes the word’s original meaning.
Spanish	El prefijo es una letra o un grupo de letras que aparece al principio de una palabra y cambia su significado original.
French	Le préfixe est une lettre ou un groupe de lettres qui apparaît au début d’un mot et qui en modifie le sens initial.
Italian	Il prefisso è una lettera o un gruppo di lettere che appare all’inizio di una parola e cambia il significato originale della parola.
German	Eine Vorsilbe ist ein Buchstabe oder eine Gruppe von Buchstaben, die am Anfang eines Wortes erscheint und die ursprüngliche Bedeutung des Wortes verändert.
Portuguese	Prefixo é uma letra ou um grupo de letras que aparece no início de uma palavra e altera o significado original da palavra.
Russian	Префикс – это буква или группа букв, которая появляется в начале слова и изменяет его исходное значение.
Chinese	前缀是指出现在单词开头的一个字母或一组字母，它改变了单词的本义。
Japanese	接頭辞とは、単語の先頭に現れ、その単語の本来の意味を変える文字または文字群のことです。
Polish	Przedrostek to litera lub grupa liter, która pojawia się na początku słowa i zmienia jego pierwotne znaczenie.
Hungarian	Az előtag olyan betű vagy betűcsoport, amely egy szó elején jelenik meg, és megváltoztatja a szó eredeti jelentését.
Swedish	Prefix är en bokstav eller en grupp av bokstäver som står i början av ett ord och ändrar ordets ursprungliga betydelse.

👉 Suffix Meaning

What is the Suffix?

Suffix is a letter or a group of letters that is usually added onto the end of words, to change the way a word fits into a sentence grammatically.

Suffix Meaning Translation

English	Suffix is a letter or a group of letters that is usually added onto the end of words, to change the way a word fits into a sentence grammatically.
Spanish	El sufijo es una letra o un grupo de letras que se suele añadir al final de las palabras, para cambiar la forma en que una palabra encaja gramaticalmente en una frase.
French	Le suffixe est une lettre ou un groupe de lettres qui est généralement ajouté à la fin d’un mot, afin de modifier la façon dont ce mot s’intègre dans une phrase sur le plan grammatical.
Italian	Il suffisso è una lettera o un gruppo di lettere che di solito viene aggiunto alla fine delle parole, per cambiare il modo in cui una parola si inserisce grammaticalmente in una frase.
German	Ein Suffix ist ein Buchstabe oder eine Gruppe von Buchstaben, die normalerweise an das Ende von Wörtern angehängt wird, um die Art und Weise zu ändern, wie ein Wort grammatikalisch in einen Satz passt.
Portuguese	Sufixo é uma letra ou um grupo de letras que é normalmente adicionado no final das palavras, para alterar a forma como uma palavra se encaixa numa frase gramaticalmente.
Russian	Суффикс – это буква или группа букв, которые обычно добавляются в конец слова, чтобы изменить способ грамматического вставки слова в предложение.
Chinese	后缀是一个字母或一组字母，通常加在单词的末尾，以改变一个单词在语法上与句子的配合方式。
Japanese	Suffix（サフィックス）とは、通常、単語の末尾に付加される文字または文字群のことで、文法的に単語が文に収まる方法を変えるためのものです。
Polish	Sufiks to litera lub grupa liter, która jest zazwyczaj dodawana na końcu słowa, aby zmienić sposób, w jaki słowo pasuje do zdania pod względem gramatycznym.
Hungarian	Az utótag olyan betű vagy betűcsoport, amelyet általában a szavak végére illesztenek, hogy megváltoztassák a szó nyelvtani beilleszkedését a mondatba.
Swedish	Suffix är en bokstav eller en grupp av bokstäver som vanligtvis läggs till i slutet av ett ord för att ändra hur ett ord passar in i en mening rent grammatiskt.

Suffix Meaning Translation

Nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs all tend to use different suffixes, so this makes it a little easier to remember! Collectively, prefixes and suffixes are known as ‘affixes’.👉 Prefixes

Prefix Definitions

A prefix is a letter or a group of letters that attaches to the beginning of a word and helps to indicate or modify its meaning. An easy example would be the word ‘prefix’ itself! It begins with the prefix pre-, which means ‘before’.

It is quite important to understand what different prefixes mean as they can help to understand the meanings of any new vocabulary that you learn. However, you do need to be careful, as sometimes a prefix can have more than one meaning!

An example would be im-, this can mean ‘not’ or ‘into’.

Here is a list of the most common prefixes

👉 Prefix Examples

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLES
ante-	before	antenatal, anteroom, antedate
anti-	against, opposing	antibiotic, antidepressant, antidote
circum-	around	circumstance, circumvent, circumnavigate
co-	with	co-worker, co-pilot, co-operation
de-	off, down, away from	devalue, defrost, derail, demotivate
dis-	opposite of, not	disagree, disappear, disintegrate, disapprove
em-, en-	cause to, put into	embrace, encode, embed, enclose, engulf
epi-	upon, close to, after	epicentre, episcope, epidermis
ex-	former, out of	ex-president, ex-boyfriend, exterminate
extra-	beyond, more than	extracurricular, extraordinary, extra-terrestrial
fore-	before	forecast, forehead, foresee, foreword, foremost
homo-	same	homosexual, homonuclear, homoplastic
hyper-	over, above	hyperactive, hyperventilate
il-, im-, in-, ir-	not	impossible, illegal, irresponsible, indefinite
im-, in-	into	insert, import, inside
infra-	beneath, below	infrastructure, infrared, infrasonic, infraspecific
inter-, intra-	between	interact, intermediate, intergalactic, intranet
macro-	large	macroeconomics, macromolecule
micro-	small	microscope, microbiology, microfilm, microwave
mid-	middle	midfielder, midway, midsummer
mis-	wrongly	misinterpret, misfire, mistake, misunderstand
mono-	one, singular	monotone, monobrow, monolithic
non-	not, without	nonsense, nonentity, nondescript
omni-	all, every	omnibus, omnivore, omnipotent
para-	beside	parachute, paramedic, paradox
post-	after	post-mortem, postpone, post-natal
pre-	before	prefix, predetermine, pre-intermediate
re-	again	return, rediscover, reiterate, reunite
semi-	half	semicircle, semi-final, semiconscious
sub-	under	submerge, submarine, sub-category, subtitle
super-	above, over	superfood, superstar, supernatural, superimpose
therm-	heat	thermometer, thermostat, thermodynamic
trans-	across, beyond	transport, transnational, transatlantic
tri-	three	triangle, tripod, tricycle
un-	not	unfinished, unfriendly, undone, unknown
uni-	one	unicycle, universal, unilateral, unanimous

METRIC SYSTEM PREFIXES

nano-	0. 000 000 001
milli-	0. 001
centi-	0. 01
kilo-	1000
mega-	1000 000
giga-	1000 000 000
tera-	1000 000 000 000

Prefix nano-

The prefix nano- is used in the metric system. The prefix denotes a factor of one billionth.

Example:

• Nanometer

Prefix milli-

The prefix milli- is used in the metric system. It has only one use and it is to denote a factor of one thousandth.

Example:

• Millimeter

Prefix centi-

Centi- is a unit prefix in the metric system. It denotes a factor of one hundredth.

Examples:

• Centimeter, centigram, centiliter, etc.

Prefix kilo-

The prefix kilo- is a decimal unit prefix in the metric system. It denotes a multiplication of one thousand.

Examples:

• Kilogram, kilometer, kilojoule, kilobyte, kilobit, kiloohm, kilosecond, etc.

Prefix mega-

The prefix mega- can be used in two ways. The first is as a unit prefix in the metric system, and it describes one million units. The second is as an add-on for words to make them present something large.

Examples for metric system

• Megapixel, megahertz, megabyte, megawatt, megadeath, megaton, megameter, etc.

Examples for add-on:

• Mega-mass, mega-man, mega-important, mega-dope, mega-sized, etc.

Prefix giga-

The prefix giga- is used in the metric system to denote a factor of a billion. It is also commonly hyphenated in colloquial speech to describe something of great size.

Examples:

• Gigahertz, gigabyte, gigabit, giga-shroom, giga-power, giga-hamburger, giga-sized, etc.

Prefix tera- / Prefix for trillion

The prefix for trillion is tera-. Tera- is a unit prefix in the metric system.

Examples:

• Terawatt, terabyte, teralitre, terameter, terasecond, etc.

MEDICAL, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND SCIENCE PREFIXES

epi-	Biology and medicine – meaning: up, upon, over, etc.
para-	Science and medicine – meaning: on the side of, beside, etc.
endo-	Biology and Medicine – meaning: within
eu-	Biology and chemistry – meaning: good, well
intra-	Medicine and biology – meaning: within
hemi-	Medicine and biology – meaning: half
hetero-	Biology and social science – meaning: different, other
trans-	Chemistry and astronomy – meaning: across, over, beyond, etc.
sub-	Chemistry and science – meaning: under, below, beneath, etc.
poly-	Chemistry, biology, and music theory – meaning: many, much, etc.
tetra-	Chemistry, math, and geometry – meaning: four
iso-	Chemistry – meaning: equal
di-	Chemistry – meaning: two, twice, double
mono-	Chemistry and biology – meaning: singular, alone, one
hyper-	Science and astrology – meaning: abundant, exaggerated, etc.
hypo-	Medicine and biology – meaning: under
peri-	Biology and geography – meaning: around, about, etc.

Prefix epi-

The prefix epi- is of Greek origin. It describes something that is on, upon, over, near, at before, or after something else. It is used across many sciences and disciplines, and is most common in biology and medicine,

Examples:

• Epicenter, epiblast, epidemic, epicarp, epiderm, epidural, epigene, epistasis, epidermis, epitome, epigraph, epigram, epipod, etc.

Prefix para-

The prefix para- is most commonly attached to verbs, and verb phrases. It means at one side of, or on the side of, as well as meaning beside, side by side, beyond, past, or describes something defective or inactive. It is used commonly in sciences and medicine.

Examples:

• Paradigm, parabola, paradox, parasitic, parallax, parameter, paranoia, paranormal, paraphernalia, parapraxis, parasite, paralegal, etc.

Prefix endo-

Endo- is a very simple prefix, and it means within. It is commonly used in biology, medicine, and other sciences.

Examples:

• Endobiotic, endocarp, endocrine, endoderm, endogenous, endomitosis, endomorph, endorphin, endoplasm, endospore, endotherm, etc.

Prefix eu-

The prefix eu- stems from Greek. It means something good, or well. It is commonly used in biology, medicine, and chemistry.

Examples:

• Eulogy, eucalyptus, euchlorine, euglycemia, eukaryote, euthanasia, euglena, eupeptic, eupnea, euthyroid, euthropic, euploid, etc.

Prefix intra-

The prefix intra- simply means within, and it is often associated with the prefix inter-. It is used to form compound words. The prefix intra- is also commonly used in biology and medicine.

Examples:

• Intravenous, intradermal, intracranial, intrada, intracardiac, intraclonal, intracodon, intray, intraocular, intrauterine, intrahost, intrasient, intraset, etc.

Prefix hemi-

The prefix hemi- is a simple one, and it means half. It is most commonly used in medicine and biology.

Examples:

• Hemiparesis, hemiplegia, hemithorax, hemihelix, hemicarbonic, hemicerebral, hemicoronal, heminode, hemiparesis, etc.

Prefix hetero-

The prefix hetero- simply means different, or other. It’s most commonly encountered in medicine and biology, as well as sometimes in social sciences.

Examples:

• Heterocyclic, heteromorphism, heterosexual, heterozygous, heterodox, heterogene, heteropod, heterochromatic, heterolateral, heterodiagenic, etc.

Prefix trans-

The prefix trans- is originally from Latin, and it’s very versatile in its use. It means something across, over, beyond, through, or changing. It is also used in chemistry, and astronomy, to denote distance. It also refers to something on the other side of something, and is used to describe one’s gender if it doesn’t align with the biologically assigned sex. 

Examples:

• Transgression, translucent, transaction, transfixed, transatlantic, transcontinental, trans-Martian, trans-Neptunian, transsexual, transgender, translation, etc.

Prefix sub-

The prefix sub- comes from Latin and it is very simple, but versatile. It means under, below, beneath, slightly, nearly, imperfect, secondary, or subordinate. It is also commonly used in chemistry and other sciences.

Examples:

• Subject, subtract, subjugate, subnitrate, suboxide, subchloride, subplot, subcommittee, subvert, submerge, submarine, subscribe, subtropical, etc.

Prefix poly-

The prefix poly- means many, much, or in great number. It is very common in chemistry and biology, as well as music theory.

Examples:

• Polyandrous, polyethylene, polymorphic, polyglot, polymer, polyester, polycaliber, polycentric, polytonal, polychord, polycratic, etc.

Prefix tetra-

Tetra- is a numeral prefix, and it means four. It is used to denote a thing that consists of four parts. It is commonly used in various sciences, especially chemistry, math, and geometry.

Examples:

• Tetrameter, tetragon, tetrahelix, tetrahydride, tetraionic, tetrachloride, tetracube, tetracycline, tetraethyl, tetranuclear, etc.

Prefix iso-

The prefix iso- means equal. It is commonly used in chemistry to describe isometric compounds. It is also used in the formation of various compound words.

Examples:

• Isometric, isotope, isocyanic, isoalkene, isolate, isontropic, isoclonal, isocurve, etc.

Prefix di-

The prefix di- comes from Greek, and it means two, twice, or double. It is used in the formation of various compound words. It is commonly seen in chemistry.

Examples:

• Dipolar, disulfide, diatomic, dioxide, dialogic, diazepine, dicobalt, diacarboxyl, dibasal, dibenzonate, etc.

Prefix mono-

The prefix mono- means something singular, alone, or simply one. It is commonly used in various sciences.

Examples:

• Mononucleosis, monophonic, monogamy, monorail, monopoly, monotheism, monolayer, monohydrate, monotonous, monotone, monoplan, etc.

Prefix hyper-

The prefix hyper- comes from Greek. It is used to describe something that is abundant, it means over and denotes something in excess or something being exaggerated. It is used commonly in sciences to denote mass or space.

Examples:

• Hyperbole, hyperthyroid, hyperventilate, hypermass, hyperinflation, hyperactive, hypercatabolic, hyperchloric, hypercritical, hyperchronic, hyperlink, etc.

Prefix hypo-

Hypo is a very simple prefix that comes from Greek. It means under. It is commonly used in medical terms, as well as generally in sciences and various researches.

Examples:

• Hypodermic, hypoglycemia, hypochondria, hypoallergenic, hypothesis, hypocritical, hypocrite, hypocorism, hypogean, hypocaust, etc.

Prefix peri-

The prefix peri- comes from Greek. It means around, about, enclosing, surrounding, or near. It is commonly used in biology and geography.

Examples:

• Periphery, periscope, pericranial, peridigital, perifacial, perimeter, peripatetic, perimorph, periodontal, periosteum, perihelion, etc. 

Chemistry Prefixes

In chemistry prefixes are used to name various compounds. These prefixes denote the number of a given element within a compound.

Prefixes:

• 1 – mono, 2 – di, 3 – tri, 4 – tetra, 5 – penta, 6 – hexa, 7 – hepta, 8 – octa, 9 – nona, 10 – deca

Examples:

• Nitrogen trihydride, copper sulfate pentahydrate, bicarbon sulfate, etc.

GRAMMATICAL PREFIXES

de-	Privation, removal, separation, etc.
inter-	In between, among, together, etc.
pro-	Affinity to something, advancing, etc.
ex-	Our of, from, without
un-	Not, opposite meaning of the original word
re-	Again, repeating, back, etc.
mis-	Mistaken, wrong, incorrect, etc.
con-	Together, joined, etc.
pre-	Before, prior to, in front of, etc.
im-	Change meaning to the negative form of the original
ad-	To, towards, joining, etc.
anti-	Against, in opposition of something, etc.
auto-	Self, same, spontaneous, etc.
pan-	All, union of branches
dia-	Through, completely, going apart, etc.
neo-	New, fresh, young, etc.
post-	Behind, after, later, etc.
ab-	Away from
bi-	Twice, two
co-	Together, jointly, mutually
en-	Confine something in a place, etc.
fore-	Before, in front, superior
retro-	Before, backwards
tele-	Distance, measuring distance
be-	To exist
an-	Without, lacking, not

Prefix de-

The prefix de- is of Latin origin. It is used to indicate privation, removal, separation, negation, descent, reversal, or intensity. The prefix de- is also added to verbs in order for them to mean the opposite of what they originally mean.

Examples:

• Decide, dehumidify, degrade, detract, deduce, decompose, decentralize, desensitize, deconstruct, demoralize, defrost, destroy, etc. 

Prefix inter-

The prefix inter- comes from Latin. It describes something that is between, among, in the midst of, mutual, reciprocated, together, or active during an event. The prefix can be used to modify various types of words.

Examples:

• Interact, intercede, interlude, intercept, intersect, intercom, interim, interject, intermediate, international, internet, interrupt, intertwine, interview, etc.

Prefix pro-

Pro- is a very versatile prefix. It is used to describe an affinity for something. It can also describe priority in space and time, as well as denoting advancing, or indicating substitution. 

Examples:

• Pro-British, pro-Communist, proactive, provision, prologue, proceed, produce, protract, procrastinate, proactive, prohibit, provoke, pronounce, etc.

Prefix ex-

The prefix ex- is simple to use, because it is most commonly hyphenated. It means out of, from, utterly, thoroughly, not, or without, and can indicate a former status or title.

Examples:

• Ex-wife, ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, ex-member, ex-president, ex-convict, exodus, exhume, ex-husband, ex-Christian, etc.

Prefix un-

The prefix un- is simple to use because it only means not. It can be attached to all forms of words in order for them to mean the opposite of what they originally do.

Examples:

• Unfair, unemployed, unseen, unfeeling, uninformed, undisputed, unheard, unrest, unable, unhappy, uncooked, unzip, etc.

Prefix re-

The prefix re- is originally from Latin. It means again, or describes something that is being repeated, and it can also mean back, or backwards to denote a regression.

Examples:

• Regenerate, refurbish, reimburse, revert, retract, retype, reconsider, revolt, renew, reveal, redistribute, reconcile, restock, etc.

Prefix mis-

Mis- is a very versatile prefix, and can be applied to many different types of words. It means ill, mistaken, wrong, incorrect, and in general has a negative context.

Examples:

• Mistake, mishap, misinformed, misaligned, misspell, misread, misuse, mispronounce, mishear, mistrial, misprint, mistrust, misbehavior, etc.

Prefix con-

The prefix con- is used with nouns, adjectives, and some verbs. It means together, joined, as well as denoting a group of people, ideas, or things.

Examples:

• Confirm, congregation, congenial, console, converge, consult, confederation, conjoined, conjecture, confluence, contingent, conflate, etc.

Prefix pre-

The prefix pre- stems from Latin, and it is applied to various different words. It means before, predating, prior to, in advance of, or in front of.

Examples:

• Prelude, preset, prevent, prepay, preschool, prewar, prefrontal, prenatal, predetermined, prehistoric, pretrial, preheat, precaution, etc.

Prefix im-

The prefix im- is a negative prefix, which means it is used to change the meaning of a word into a negative. It can be applied to many different types of words, most notably nouns and adjectives.

Examples:

• Impossible, impatient, imperfect, immature, impurity, impartially, immobilized, immaculate, impassive, imperil, etc.

Prefix ad-

The prefix ad- comes from Latin. It means towards, to, with regard to, or in relation to. It can also describe addition, or joining.

Examples:

• Administer, advertise, adhere, addition, adrenal, admonish, adgerminal, addental, adoral, adjoin, etc.

Prefix anti-

The prefix anti- means against, opposite of, or in opposition of something. It is used to form compound words that mean the opposite of their original meaning. It is also commonly hyphenated.

Examples:

• Antiseptic, anti-hero, antidote, antifreeze, antisocial, antiviral, antibiotic, antibody, antiwar, anti-government, antisocial, antiaircraft, etc.

Prefix auto-

The prefix auto- means self, same, spontaneous, or self-sufficient. It is used to create compound words, and can be used on various types of words.

Examples:

• Autobiography, automotive, autopilot, autograph, automobile, automatic, autonomy, autocratic, autocorrect, autodidact, etc.

Prefix pan-

The prefix pan- comes from Greek. It means all, and it implies the union of branches or groups. It is often hyphenated, and can be used to create various compound words.

Examples:

• Panacea, panoply, pantheism, pantonality, pan-Christian, pan-Slavic, panorama, pansexual, pan-African, etc.

Prefix dia-

The prefix dia- stems from Greek. It means passing through, thoroughly, completely, going apart, or opposed in the moment. It is a very diverse prefix and is used in different compound words.

Examples:

• Diabetes, dialect, diabolic, diagnosis, dialysis, diagram, diaspora, dialogue, diaper, diarrhea, diameter, diagonal, etc.

Prefix neo-

The prefix neo- comes from Greek. It means new, fresh, young, or recent. It is often hyphenated, and can be used to create various compound words.

Examples:

• Neolithic, neo-Baroque, neoformative, neonatal, neo-socialist, neoclassical, neoclassicism, neo-fascist, neoglacial, neo-Hellenic, neocosmic, etc. 

Prefix post-

The prefix post- comes from Latin. It means behind, after, later, subsequent to. It is used in various compound words, and it can be often hyphenated.

Examples:

• Postdoctoral, postscript, postmodern, postgraduate, post-Victorian, postcolonial, post-coital, posthumous, postpone, postwar, post-Elizabethan, posterior, etc.

Prefix ab-

The prefix ab- comes from Latin. It is a simple prefix and it means away from. It’s used commonly in with various types of words.

Examples:

• Abdicate, absolve, absolute, absorb, abject, abhor, abjure, abort, absorb, abnormal, abrasive, abominable, ablation, etc.

Prefix bi-

The prefix bi- is very simple and it means twice, or two. It is used in various compound words.

Examples:

• Biracial, biceps, biannual, bilingual, bipedal, billion, binoculars, bicycle, bipartisan, bisect, bimonthly, bicarbonate, bifurcate, etc.

Prefix co-

The prefix co- means together, jointly, or mutually, and it is used with various nouns, adjectives, or verbs. It can also be hyphenated sometimes.

Examples:

• Cohabitation, coauthor, copilot, co-conspirator, co-manage, coexist, coaxial, co-captain, co-creator, co-anchor, etc.

Prefix en-

The prefix en- stems mainly from French. It means to confines something in a place, or to gather in a place, as well as to cause something or someone o be in a specific place. It is a very versatile prefix used in many different compound words.

Examples:

• Enslave, entrust, enthrone, entomb, enshrine, encircle, enclose, entwine, encapsulate, entangle, enable, endear, encase, etc.

Prefix fore-

The prefix fore- is fairly simple, and it means before, in front, or superior. It is used with various types of words.

Examples:

• Forehead, forefront, forecast, forefathers, foreman, foremost, foreground, foreshadow, foresee, foreword, forebode, etc.

Prefix retro-

The prefix retro- comes from Latin. It means before, or backwards. It is commonly used with various types of words.

Examples:

• Retroactive, retrograde, retrospective, retrogress, retrorocket, retroscape, retroglossal, retrogene, retrodiagnose, etc.

Prefix tele-

The prefix tele- means distant, or refers to a transmission over distance. It is most commonly used with nouns and adjectives.

Examples:

• Television, telesales, telephone, teleplay, telegraph, telemarketing, teleguide, telegram, telekinesis, telemonitor, etc.

Prefix be-

Be-, as a separate word, means to exist. Be- as a suffix comes from Old English, and has been used in the English language ever since. It was first used in the formation of verbs, but has since expanded in use.

Examples:

• Befriend, bewitch, besiege, beguile, become, berate, bejewel, bewail, bedazzle etc.

Prefix an-

An- is another Old English prefix. It is used to shift words into a negative meaning. This means that the words usually describe something without, lacking, or just simply means not.

Examples:

• Anoxia, anastral, anegoic, anethical, anhistorical, aniconic, anisomeric, anisotomic, anotia, anuria, etc.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What are the prefix words?

Prefixes are words that don’t mean anything on their own. They only serve to change the meaning of the word they are attached to. Prefixes, because of that, are not really words.

Prefixes are attached to the start of other words.

Example:

• DIS-

DISbelief, DISpleasure, DISconnect

DIS, by itself, does not mean anything. When it’s combined with another word it changes the meaning.

Some prefixed are words that have a meaning on their own, but they are short and can be attached to other words.

Words with the prefix for?

The prefix for is very old, and it comes from Scandinavian languages. It was adopted by the English language and has been used for ages. Usually, the prefix for is added to words when they are supposed to describe something that ends up being worse than it started.

Many words that have the prefix for are old, and are not used very commonly today.

Examples:

• Forbear, forbuy, forcut, fordo, forswearer, forgather, forhang, forlet, forlive, forset, forslow, forstop, fortear, fortread, forwarn, forwork, etc.

Other words are used in English regularly, and the prefix has been integrated into the word. In some words an E has been added between the suffix and the rest of the word. In other modern versions the prefix has remained the same

Examples:

• Forebode, forego, forefather, forbidden, forsake, foreshadow, foreskin, forsworn

Prefix Herbicide

Prefix herbicide is an American product that is manufactured in the US, and used to treat various types of grass. It is a selective herbicide and can be applied to different types of grassy terrain, as well as come crops. PREFIX is the name of manufacturer.

Are prefix allowed in scrabble?

Prefixes by themselves are not allowed in Scrabble. This means that just putting any prefix such as post-, pre-, neo-, eb-, or others, is not allowed.

However, you can use words that are built with prefixes. Only complete words are allowed in Scrabble. This means that you can use postmodernism, instead of just modernism.

Can prefix be a noun / verb / plural?

Prefixes as grammatical elements are not complete words. They cannot be any type of word except a prefix. Prefixes are used to change words and are always added to another type of words.

The only case when prefixes are complete words is when two or more words are hyphenated together. Some examples are jet-black, tar-runway, hot-blooded, and others. In this case, two full words are connected with a hyphen.

Prefix and Postfix

Prefix and postfix are terms used in programming and coding. They are connected to operators and operands. Each appears in a different situation, and achieves different results.

A prefix is an expression where the operator appears in the expression before the operands. This is then called a prefix expression.

A postfix appears in an expression when the operator appears in the expression after the operands. This is then called a postfix expression.

Prefix and postfix expressions are used in C++, Java, and C#.

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A suffix is a letter or a group of letters that is usually attached to the end of a word to form a new word, as well as alter the way it functions grammatically.

Words with Suffixes

Depending on whether it is a noun, verb, adjective or adverb, a different suffix would be required. For example, the verb read can be altered to become the noun reader by adding the suffix ­-er. The same verb can also be turned into the adjective readable by adding the suffix –able.

It is just as important to understand the definitions of suffixes as prefixes, because they too help us to deduce the meanings of any new words that we learn. I have listed some of the most common suffixes below:

👉 Suffix Examples

SUFFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE
NOUN SUFFIXES
-acy	state or quality	democracy, accuracy, lunacy
-al	the action or process of	remedial, denial, trial, criminal
-ance, -ence	state or quality of	nuisance, ambience, tolerance
-dom	place or state of being	freedom, stardom, boredom
-er, -or	person or object that does a specified action	reader, creator, interpreter, inventor, collaborator, teacher
-ism	doctrine, belief	Judaism, scepticism, escapism
-ist	person or object that does a specified action	Geologist, protagonist, sexist, scientist, theorist, communist
-ity, -ty	quality of	extremity, validity, enormity
-ment	condition	enchantment, argument
-ness	state of being	heaviness, highness, sickness
-ship	position held	friendship, hardship, internship
-sion, -tion	state of being	position, promotion, cohesion
VERB SUFFIXES
-ate	become	mediate, collaborate, create
-en	become	sharpen, strengthen, loosen
-ify, -fy	make or become	justify, simplify, magnify, satisfy
-ise, -ize	become	publicise, synthesise, hypnotise
ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES
-able, -ible	capable of being	edible, fallible, incredible, audible
-al	having the form or character of	fiscal, thermal, herbal, colonial
-esque	in a manner of or resembling	picturesque, burlesque, grotesque
-ful	notable for	handful, playful, hopeful, skilful
-ic, -ical	having the form or character of	psychological, hypocritical, methodical, nonsensical, musical
-ious, -ous	characterised by	pious, jealous, religious, ridiculous
-ish	having the quality of	squeamish, sheepish, childish
-ive	having the nature of	inquisitive, informative, attentive
-less	without	meaningless, hopeless, homeless
-y	characterised by	dainty, beauty, airy, jealousy
ADVERB SUFFIXES
-ly	related to or quality	softly, slowly, happily, crazily, madly
-ward, -wards	direction	towards, afterwards, backwards, inward
-wise	in relation to	otherwise, likewise, clockwise

So as you can see, affixes can dramatically change the definitions of words. Knowing the various prefixes and suffixes along with their meanings can really help you to understand how words are used, and also how they should be spelled.

Although these groups of letters (affixes) are important and assist with forming words, they are not words in their own right and cannot stand alone in a sentence.

If they are printed or written alone, then they should have a hyphen before or after them to demonstrate that they are to be attached to other letters to form words (the way I have listed them in the above tables).

MEDICAL, BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, AND SCIENCE SUFFIXES:

-itis	Medicine – meaning: infection, inflammation
-pathy	Medicine – meaning: have a condition
-penia	Medicine – meaning: deficiency
-tomy/otomy	Medicine and biology – meaning: condition, procedures, etc.
-logy	Science and medicine – meaning: various branches of science
-lysis	Biology and science – meaning: decomposition, loosening, etc.
-osis	Biology – meaning: infection, condition, state, etc.
-centisis	Medicine – meaning: surgical puncture
suffixes for pain	Medicine and biology

Suffix -itis

The suffix –itis is commonly used in medicine. It describes a type of infection, condition, inflammation, or some medical diagnoses.

Examples:

• Appendicitis, arthritis, barotitis, bronchitis, cerebritis, colitis, conjunctivitis, encephalitis, gastritis, hepatitis, meningitis, etc.

Suffix -pathy

The suffix -pathy comes from Greek, and is commonly used in medicine. It means to suffer from a disease, or have a condition.

Examples:

• Biopathy, cerebropathy, colopathy, dyspathy, eupathy, genopathy, homeopathy, immunopathy, leucopathy, mazopathy, neuropathy, osteopathy, stomatopathy, etc.

Suffix -penia

The suffix -penia is common in medicine. It means to have a deficiency of something.

Examples:

• Calcipenia, cytopenia, enzymopenia, kaliopenia, lipopenia, neutropenia, sarcopenia, sideropenia, etc.

Suffix -tomy / -otomy

The suffixes -tomy or -otomy are often used in biology and medicine. They refer to medical conditions, diagnoses, procedures, or operations.

Examples:

• Anatomy, autotomy, craniotomy, episiotomy, hysterotomy, laparotomy, lobotomy, tracheotomy, polytomy, rumenotomy, tenotomy, uvulotomy, etc.

Suffix -logy

The suffix –logy is commonly used in sciences, and medicine. It refers to various branches of science, or to a body of knowledge. It can also denote collection of stories and discourses.

Examples:

• Trilogy, duology, mythology, archaeology, anthropology, theology, paleontology, toxicology, gynecology, biology, Egyptology, ethnology, neurology, etc.

Suffix -lysis

The suffix -lysis of common biology, various sciences, and academics in general. It refers to decomposition, loosening, breaking down, separation, or decomposition.

Examples:

• Analysis, adipolysis, dermolysis, biolysis, catalysis, dialysis, plasmolysis, radiolysis, tenolysis, sonolysis, virolysis, streptolysis, etc.

Suffix -osis

-Osis is a very common suffix in biology. -Osis means to be infected with something, or means a condition, state, abnormal process, and disease.

Examples:

• Asbestosis, cyanosis, fibrosis, hypnosis, ketosis, mitosis, neurosis, osteoporosis, psychosis, stenosis, thrombosis, tuberculosis, etc.

Suffix -centisis

General surgical punctures are described with the suffix -centisis. This suffix is used to denote that a specific part of the body has been surgically punctured. It can be used with almost any body part.

Examples:

• Abdominocentisis, paracentesis, arthrocentesis, celiocentesis, lumbarocentesis, thoracentesis, etc.

Suffixes for Pain

In order to describe pain through the use of a suffix you can use any medical suffix to present the condition. There is no specific suffix that denotes a type of pain. Instead, you can use a variety of suffixes to describe a specific type of condition, or pain in a specific area.

Suffix examples:

• -algia, -cardia, -emia, -itis, -lysis, -oma, -osis, -pathy, etc.

Word examples:

• Fibromyalgia, neuralgia, tachycardia, enamia, hypoglycemia, arthritis, meningitis, paralysis, blastoma, glaucoma, proctosis, neuropathy, etc.

LIST OF NAME SUFFIXES / SUFFIX OF A NAME

Names can have suffixes depending on the person’s academic honors, religious affiliation, political title, or family status.

Academic honors examples:

• Bachelor’s degree: John Doe, A.B, B.A., B.A., Hons, B.S., B.E., B.F.A., B.Tech., L.L.B, B.Sc., etc.
• Master’s degree: John Doe, M.A., M.S., M.F.A., LL.M, M.L.A., M.B.A., M.Sc., M.Eng etc.
• Professional doctorate: John Doe, J.D., M.D., D.O., Pharm.D., D.Min., etc.
• Academic doctorate: John Doe, Ph.D., Ed.D., D.Phil., D.B.A., LL.D, Eng.D., etc.

Political and religious title examples:

• Order of the British Empire: John Doe, O.B.E
• Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire: John Doe, K.B.E
• Doctor of Divinity: John Doe, D.D.
• Esquire: John Doe, Esq.
• Attorney: John Doe, CSA

The suffix Jr. is used after names. It means that a person is the offspring of a father with the same name. Some famous examples are Martin Luther King Jr., Cuba Gooding Jr. Sammy Davis Jr., John F. Kennedy Jr. and others.

Family status examples:

• John Doe, Jr.
• John Doe, Sr.

GRAMMATICAL SUFFIXES:

-ism	Practice, action, principle, etc.
-ous	Form of possession
-al	Kind of, pertaining to, etc.
-ist	Specific action, specific value, doctrine, etc.
-able	Capability, susceptible of, fit for, etc.
-ic	Something has a characteristic of something else
-ion	Action, condition
-tion	Action or result of something
-ed	Past tense, adjectives from nouns or verbs, compound verbs
-ly	Repeated in intervals
-ment	Actions, results
-ness	Quality, state
-er	Specific action, job, origin, etc.
-ate	Group of people, office, institution, etc.
Pertaining to	-as, -al, -ar, -ary. -ic, -ical, -ous, and -ile

Suffix -ism

The -ism suffix comes from Ancient Greek. It is used to form action nouns from verbs. They mean some kind of practice, action, principles, doctrines, devotion, adherence, etc.

Examples:

• Baptism, aphorism, criticism, Lutherism, Protestantism, Palamism, atheism, fanaticism, capitalism, nationalism, romanticism, vegetarianism, Atticism, Americanism, racism, sexism, heterosexism, daturism, rheumatism, etc.

Suffix -ous

The suffix -ous is used for adjectives. It means that something is full, or a form of possession. It also means that something has a given quality.

Examples:

• Dangerous, famous, various, enormous, courageous, jealous, glorious, superfluous, obvious, hideous, tremendous, curious, etc.

Suffix -al

The suffix -al is commonly used to make adjectives out of nouns. It means kid of, pertaining to, having a form or character of something.

Examples:

• Seasonal, sensual, official, commercial, individual, spiritual, annual, essential, celestial, usual, racial, intellectual, financial, classical, etc.

Suffix -ist

The suffix –ist is used for nouns. It means a person who performs a specific action, produces something specific, plays a specific instrument, holds a specific value, has a specific doctrine, and others.

Examples:

• Archaeologist, activist, evangelist, anthropologist, capitalist, communist, Marxist, fascist, nationalist, conformist, machinist, novelist, cyclist, masochist, etc.

Suffix -able

The suffix -able is commonly used for adjectives. I refers to someone or something that is capable of something, susceptible of, fit for, tending or given to something.

Examples:

• Movable, amendable, breakable, flammable, amicable, pleasurable, impressionable, payable, reportable, detestable, capable, punishable, fashionable, taxable, etc.

Suffix -ic

The suffix -ic is used to create adjectives out of other words. It originally comes from Greek and Latin, and it means that something, or someone, has the characteristic of something else.

Examples:

• Acidic, episodic, comedic, melodic, nomadic, periodic, idiotic, psychotic, patriotic, athletic, poetic, magnetic, emphatic, kinetic, prosthetic, chaotic, narcotic, academic, economic, etc.

Suffix -ion

The suffix -ion is of Latin origin. It denotes and action or condition, and it is often used to form nouns out of adjectives.

Examples:

• Acceleration, devotion, religion, ration, concentration, communion, diffusion, delusion, illusion, fabrication, hydration, meditation, infusion, levitation, gestation, reaction, invigoration, etc.

Suffix -tion

The suffix –tion is used to form nouns. They mean an action of something, or the result of something. 

Examples:

• Deletion, ignition, determination, resolution, action, justification, intersection, connection, gumption, communication, starvation, construction, relation, temptation, revolution, etc.

Suffix -ed

The suffix -ed is very versatile. It can be used in three different ways: 1) to form the past tense for weak verbs, 2) to form adjectives out of nouns or verbs to describe someone or something, 3) added to nouns or verbs in order to form compound adjectives that are hyphenated.

Examples:

• 1) Acted, danced, posted, lived, wanted, hated, played, tried, named, called, walked, talked, used, created, etc.
• 2) bearded, colored, angered, triggered, used, rugged, incorporated, incarcerated, floored, stoned, etc.
• 3) cone-shaped, green-tinted, loose-fitted, off-handed, amateur-produced, well-defined, etc.

Suffix -ly

The suffix -ly is added to various words depending on the purpose. It can be added to adverbs to form adjectives, or to nouns in order for them to mean something that is repeated in certain intervals.

Examples:

• Gladly, gradually, secondly, thirdly, essentially, boldly, bravely, carefully, generously, lowly, shortly, angrily, anxiously, suddenly, generally, etc.
• Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly

Suffix -ness

The suffix -ness is very common and is used often. It is used on adjectives and principles, in order to create abstract nouns that denote a quality or a state.

Examples:

• Happiness, kindness, darkness, preparedness, consciousness, effectiveness, callousness, laziness, loneliness, ugliness, fitness, dryness, baldness, etc.

Suffix -er

The suffix -er is used in many different ways, and is a common suffix in English. It can be attached to verbs in order to create an agent noun that describes a person doing a specific action. It can also be used to create nouns that describe a person’s job, location or origin, or a special characteristic.

Examples:

• Caterer, Icelander, southerner, villager, tattooer, cobbler, reader, rapper, creditor, auditor, editor, recruiter, rider, writer, educator, calculator, spectator, infiltrator, catcher, staffer, etc.

Suffix -ate

The suffix -ate is added often to nouns, adjective, and verbs. When it is added to nouns it denotes a group of people, an office or institution, or administrative region. When it is added to verbs it changes the verb to mean that something is caused to change. When added to adjectives it means that something is showing or full of something.

Examples:

• Electorate, caliphate, protectorate, consulate, magistrate, regulate, vacate, activate, disseminate, obfuscate, confiscate, passionate, considerate, obstinate, celibate, etc.

Suffixes that mean Pertaining To

There are multiple suffixes that mean something pertains to something else. These are: -as, -al, -ar, -ary. -ic, -ical, -ous, and -ile. Some words incorporate more than one suffix.

Examples:

• Clinical, surgical, conscious, versatile, necessary, sub-par, etc.

BANK ACCOUNT SUFFIX

What does Bank account Suffix mean?

Account numbers and card numbers are divided into sections. While the prefix denotes the bank issuing the card, the body is the account numbers, and the suffix is the account type.

The suffix is important because it lets the bank know which type of account is being used, and that way customers can’t access operations not approved for the type of account. The suffix is made up of two to three numbers.

Different numbers describe a different type of account. There are various types of accounts, and each has a unique number profile for a specific bank.

Examples:

• Cheque account – 00, Number 2 account – 02, Fixed account – 03, Savings account – 30, Credit card account – 40, Thrift club account – 50, Term deposit account – 81

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👉 Combining Forms

When you are learning the different types of prefixes, it is important to remember that not every word containing these combinations is a prefix. Sometimes words have ‘combining forms’, which look very similar to prefixes but work differently!

Let me explain….

As you know, a prefix is a letter or a group of letters that appears at the beginning of words, but it can also be removed from the base word, and the word would still be a word without it, even if the meaning changes.

For example, non- means ‘not’ or ‘without’, this is used in words such as ‘nonsense’. The word ‘sense‘ can be separated from the prefix and it would still be a word on its own, even if the meaning is different.

So, combining forms act as prefixes but are different, because the remaining letters cannot be separated to form an independent word.

Here are some examples of prefixes that are also ‘combining forms’:

PREFIX	MEANING	EXAMPLE	COMBINING FORM	MEANING	EXAMPLE
com-, con-	with, alongside	comprise, connote	com-, con-	with, jointly	companion, comrade, community
contra-	against	contraindicate	contra-	against	contraceptive, contradict
de-	opposite	devalue	de-	down, away	descend
ex-	former	ex-husband	ex-	out	exhort
a-	not, without	amoral	a-, an-	not, without	apathy, anaemic
in-	not	inconvenient	in-	into	inebriate, indulge
homo-	same	homograph, homophone	homo-	same	homogeneous
magn-	great	magnate	magn-	great	magnificent, magnanimous, magnitude, magnify
para-	beside	paragraph, paramedic	para-	beside	paradox
sub-	under	submarine	sub-	under	substitute
trans-	across	transnational, transparent	trans-	through, across	transmit, transcend
tri-	three	triangle, tripod	tri-	three	triceps, triathlon

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What are prefixes and suffixes, as well as infixes? First off,  an affix is an element such as a prefix or suffix that attaches to another word. We attach affixes (prefixes, suffixes, and infixes) to words in order to create new words.

Just by knowing the most common prefixes and suffixes, you can increase your vocabulary without having to learn any new words! Let’s take a look at the chart below.

Remember, prefixes go at the beginning of a word and suffixes at the end of a word.

A quick example of prefixes and suffixes in action

Word	Affix (prefix or suffix)	New word	Example
Verb:  doubt.	–	–	I doubt you’ll be able to resolve the problem.
Noun: doubt.	–	–	There are still many doubts, I’m afraid.
–	Adjectival suffix: –ful.	Doubtful.	I’m doubtful about your plans.
–	Adverbial suffix: –ly.	Doubtfully.	He worked doubtfully.
–	Adjectival suffix meaning “without” or “not having”: –less.	Doubtless.	We’re doubtless because we have no idea.
–	Prefix meaning “negation”: –un.	Undoubted.	I am the undoubted champion of the world.
–	Prefix meaning “negation”: –un + adverbial suffix: –ly.	Undoubtedly.	Undoubtedly, you were right.

By just knowing prefixes and suffixes, you can increase your vocabulary fivefold! As can be seen from the chart above using the word “doubt” of which we have five new words: doubtful, doubtfully, doubtless, undoubted and undoubtedly.

List of common prefixes

ante-	before	antenatal, anteroom, antedate,
anti-	against, opposing	antibiotic, antidepressant, antidote, antifreeze
circum-	around	circumstance, circumvent, circumnavigate
co-	with, together	co-worker, co-pilot, co-operation, co-worker
de-	off, down, away from	devalue, defrost, derail, demotivate, deactivate
dis-	opposite of, against	disagree, disappear, disintegrate, disapprove
em-, en-	cause to, put into	embrace, encode, embed, enclose, engulf
epi-	upon, close to, after, central point	epicentre, episcope, epidermis
ex-	former, out of, no longer with	ex-president, ex-boyfriend, exterminate
extra-	More of, beyond	extracurricular, extraordinary, extra-terrestrial
fore-	before, beginning	forecast, forehead, foresee, foreword, foremost
homo-	same, two equal things	homosexual, homonuclear, homoplastic
hyper-	over, above, excess of	hyperactive, hyperventilate
il-, im-, in-, ir-	not, to negate, negative	impossible, illegal, irresponsible, indefinite
im-, in-	into, within	insert, import, inside
infra-	beneath, below	infrastructure, infrared, infrasonic, infraspecific
inter-, intra-	between	interact, intermediate, intergalactic, intranet
macro-	large, big version	macroeconomics, macromolecule
micro-	small, tiny, petite	microscope, microbiology, microfilm, microwave
mid-	middle, centre point	midfielder, midway, midsummer
mis-	wrongly, not correct	misinterpret, misfire, mistake, misunderstand
mono-	one, singular	monotone, monobrow, monolithic
non-	not, without	nonsense, nonentity, nondescript
omni-	all, every, all places	omnibus, omnivore, omnipotent
para-	beside	parachute, paramedic, paradox
post-	after,	post-mortem, postpone, post-natal
pre-	before, beginning	prefix, predetermine, pre-intermediate
re-	again, repeat	return, rediscover, reiterate, reunite
semi-	half,	semicircle, semi-final, semiconscious
sub-	under, below	submerge, submarine, sub-category, subtitle
super-	above, over, above	superfood, superstar, supernatural, superimpose
therm-	heat, temperature	thermometer, thermostat, thermodynamic
trans-	across, beyond	transport, transnational, transatlantic
tri-	three	triangle, tripod, tricycle
un-	not, to negate, negative	unfinished, unfriendly, undone, unknown
uni-	one,	unicycle, universal, unilateral, unanimous

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List of common suffixes

-acy	state or quality	democracy, accuracy, lunacy, fallacy
-al	the action or process of	remedial, denial, trial, criminal,
-ance, -ence	state or quality of	nuisance, ambience, tolerance
-dom	place or state of being	freedom, stardom, boredom
-er, -or	person or object that does a specified action	reader, creator, interpreter, inventor, collaborator, teacher, terminator
-ism	doctrine, belief, theory	Judaism, scepticism, escapism, cynicism
-ist	person or object that does a specified action	Geologist, protagonist, sexist, scientist, theorist, communist, physicist
-ity, -ty	quality of	extremity, validity, enormity, absurdity
-ment	condition, state of being	enchantment, argument, agreement
-ness	state of being, condition	heaviness, highness, sickness, staleness
-ship	position held	friendship, hardship, internship,
-sion, -tion	state of being	position, promotion, cohesion, creation
VERB SUFFIXES
-ate	become	mediate, collaborate, create, mandate
-en	become	sharpen, strengthen, loosen
-ify, -fy	make or become	justify, simplify, magnify, satisfy, clarify
-ise, -ize	become	publicise, synthesise, hypnotise
ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES
-able, -ible	capable of being	edible, fallible, incredible, audible, comprehensible, doable
-al	having the form or character of	fiscal, thermal, herbal, colonial,
-esque	in a manner of or resembling	picturesque, burlesque, grotesque
-ful	notable for, possess a skill	handful, playful, hopeful, skillful,
-ic, -ical	having the form or character of	psychological, hypocritical, methodical, nonsensical, musical
-ious, -ous	characterised by	pious, jealous, religious, ridiculous, malicious
-ish	having the quality of, being slightly of something	squeamish, sheepish, childish,
-ive	having the nature of	inquisitive, informative, attentive, native
-less	without, zero	meaningless, hopeless, homeless
-y	characterised by	dainty, beauty, airy, jealousy, hardly, dandy
ADVERB SUFFIXES
-ly	related to or quality	softly, slowly, happily, crazily, madly, hopefully
-ward, -wards	direction, movement	towards, afterwards, backwards, inward, downward
-wise	in relation to	otherwise, likewise, clockwise

How prefixes and suffixes work

‘Affix’ is basically the umbrella term for all prefixes, suffixes, and infixes, (infixes are rare in English but very common in Spanish).

One really needs to understand prefixes (attached to the beginning of the word) and suffixes (attached to the end of the word) in order to speak English really well.

Correct implementation of prefixes and suffixes will allow you to completely alter or change the meaning of a word with ease and without having to change the whole sentence.

Moreover, there are not too many prefixes and suffixes, however, the problem resides in the fact that there is no rule to their correct implementation.

For example, the prefix ‘im’ negates ‘polite’ and not ‘in’, therefore, the correct negation for the adjective ‘polite’ is ‘impolite’.

The prefix ‘im’, just like all other prefixes, must be learned by heart or by memory, but nevertheless, it’s really not difficult to remember! Below, I’ll outline correct affix usage (prefix and suffixes) with examples.

Remember, affixes alter: verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

See also:

Advanced grammar:

• Articles (a/an, the, zero article)
• Pronouns: subject, object and possessive
• Question tags
• English conditionals
• Interrogatives in English
• Determiners
• Phrasal verbs
• Reported and direct speech
• Punctuation: apostrophes, colons, semi-colons, commas, dashes, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks, and quotation marks
• Numbers: cardinal, ordinal, and Roman numbers
• The verb: “get”
• ‘Get’ vs. ‘go’ and ‘got’ vs. ‘gotten’
• Copular verbs
• Cleft sentences
• Subjunctive in English
• Vulgar and taboo in English
• Ellipsis
• Split infinitive
• Emphasis with inversion
• Gerunds in English
• To + infinitive
• Bare infinitive
• British and American spelling

Suffixes and Prefixes are described along with the definition, meaning, examples, list, rules, uses, etc. All the concepts will be cleared in this session. There are an ever-increasing number of words in the English language. In addition to enhancing your vocabulary, learning new words can be overwhelming. However, if you know English prefixes and suffixes, you will learn many new words and gain a greater understanding of language.

It’s like learning a code when you master common prefixes and suffixes. Having cracked the code, you can not only spell words more accurately, but also recognize and perhaps even define unfamiliar words as well. Let’s explore Suffixes and Prefixes!

Let’s try to understand the basics of suffix and prefixes with examples.

Suffix and Prefix Basics

The English vocabulary is vast! We all know that, don’t we? But without an extensive stock of vocabulary, how can you improve your skills with the language? Well, expanding your vocabulary is not an easy task; you need to read a lot before your stock of words will reach a certain level.

• But what if you get some tricks to not only effectively use the language but also expand your vocabulary rapidly?
• Sounds interesting?

Well, this is exactly what you can do with suffix and prefix. So what are they exactly, and how do they function?

The Function of Suffix and Prefix

This is exactly what this post is all about. Thanks to the nature of the English language, just adding two letters before or after a particular word can change the meaning of the original word and create a new word altogether. These extra letters that you can add before or after any particular words are called suffix and prefix. But can you add these letters for every word in the English language?

In this post, we are going to find out all these answers regarding suffix and prefix. Read on as we talk about the definition, rules, and examples of suffix and prefix and how you can use them to expand your vocabulary. So without any further ado, let’s get started.

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What is The Definition Of Suffix And Prefix?

Well, before we move on to the definition of suffix and prefix, you need to understand where they occur in a word? Usually, the suffix and prefix will be added as per the root of every word. Now, the question arises what a root of a word is?

Well, to put it simply, a root of a word is nothing but the shortest base form of a word. For example, if we take the word ‘Video’, the root of the word is ‘vid’. The suffix and prefix will be added to the root of the word. This is how the meaning of the word will be determined after the change.

Suffix and Prefix with Examples

Let’s try to understand suffix and prefix with examples!

Let’s know about word formation before suffix and prefix.

Define Word Formation

A derivation and composition process results in words in a language. This is known as Word Formation.

Define Suffix: What is Suffix?

Suffixes form new words by adding a prefix to a root word, except they are added at the end of the root word. By adding a suffix to the root word, one can change the meaning of that word slightly, but only a little, not opposite or negative as prefixes do, instead, one can change the class of the word, as in making a verb an adjective. 

Suffix refers to the group of letters that sits after the word and alters the meaning or qualifies the meaning of the original word. Like for example, ‘able’ is a suffix that can be used with the word ‘comfort’, and together they make ‘comfortable’, which qualifies the meaning of the original word.

So, comfort + able = comfortable.

Hence, ‘able’ is a suffix here.

Define Prefix: What is Prefix?

A prefix is a word that is added to the beginning of a root for the formation of a new word. There is no meaning to a prefix word on its own, but when added to a root word it changes its meaning. Prefixes make words negative, indicate opinions, or show repetition.

Prefix denotes the group of letters that sits before a word based on the root and alters or qualifies the meaning of the original word. For example, ‘de’ is a prefix that can be used with the word ‘code’, and together they form the opposite of the original word ‘decode’.

In case of uncomfortable, we see that un + comfortable = uncomfortable.

Here, ‘un’ is a prefix. Are you still not clear about the concept? Let’s take a look at some other examples.

Prefix Examples

Prefix examples are as follows,

• Non, un, im, in, il, ir = not, opposite = Nonsense, invalid, unhappy, unchanged.
• Re- = again = redo, replay, revisit.
• Mis = wrongly, not = misunderstand, misguide.
• De = reverse, remove = Deconstruct, destruct, detonate.
• Co, com, con = with, together = Compute, construct, contrive.
• Dis, dif, di = separation, away = Disbelief, Disown, Disorder, dissect.

Suffix Examples

Suffix examples are as follows,

• Er, or = showing comparison = Donner, teacher, cheater.
• Able, Ible = capable = Respectable, Formidable, Credible.
• D, ed = forming the past tense = Respected, Cheated, Fired, Aggravated.
• Ing = continuous tense = Running, Eating, Fighting, Working.
• Ment = State of result = Disappointment, Appointment.
• Ive = having the quality = Decisive, Creative, Divisive.

Check a NICE VIDEO from Shaw English Online,

Importance of Prefix & Suffix

You will be able to get through the Verbal Ability section of Competitive exams with ease if you are familiar with the usage of prefixes and suffixes in English. The English section of most government exams is considered a common and important part of the exam. To master the English section one needs to have a good grasp of English vocabulary and word formation. 

It aims therefore to provide knowledge on the formation of words in the English language by using examples to illustrate how prefixes and suffixes work. Additionally, you will be able to download the list of prefixes and suffixes for your own reference. 

Basic Rules for Suffix and Prefix

Always remember that neither suffix nor prefix can be used with every word. So before you use them, you need to keep in mind certain aspects. Below, I am listing them for your better understanding.

Suffix Rules

Rule#1: While using a suffix, you need to understand that sometimes they can have multiple meanings.

• For example, the suffix ‘er’. Sitting after the word, it can refer to the person who does the activity.
• Like ‘a dancer, a singer’. Sometimes, they can help establish a comparison as well, like ‘ faster, weaker, lower’.

Rule#2: When the suffix is used, sometimes, it can change the spelling of the word.

• For example, when the ‘ing’ suffix is used, the spelling of the word is bound to be changed.
• Like for ‘running. Swimming, fighting’. Another similar example can be ‘iness’ which is often applicable for words ending with ‘y’. In that case, ‘y’ is replaced by ‘I’.

Suffixes are also similar in meaning to many prefixes. In like manner with the suffix, ‘er’ indicates the action performed by a person when added to a word such as Teachers, gardeners, performers, etc. Comparative adjectives and adverbs are also modified by adding the suffix ‘er’. Fast is shortened to faster and soon becomes sooner, etc.

The spelling of the base word can change when a suffix is added. In general, these are the base words ending in y or e. For example, happy becomes happier, costly becomes costlier with the suffix ‘er’, manage become managing, make become making with the suffix ‘ing’.

Prefix Rules

Rule#1: Many prefixes also mean the same. Like for example, un-, in-, and non mean the same as ‘mis’ and ‘ir’.

Rule#2: Sometimes using the prefix changes the spelling by introducing double letters. Like for example, ‘unnatural’ ‘unnoticeable’.

Rule#3: Using the prefix will never alter the root of the original word. This is very important. Like for example, if you take the word ‘Live’ and add the prefix ‘re’, it will be ‘relive’, keeping the root of the word intact.

A hyphen (-) should be used when adding a prefix to a common noun. Examples include Pro-American or Anti-Religion. 

After self- and ex-prefixes, hyphen must be used, for example, self-desirable, self-disciplined, ex-husband, ex-employee etc.

If you add a prefix, you should not change the spelling of the original word or root word; for example: undo, disappear, irrelevant, cooperation, irrational, etc.

When adding a prefix, letters can be repeated.

Prefixes that end with an ‘a’ are used as they are, like atypical, amoral, etc. With prefixes that end with a vowel, the base word will use it as it is.

Following point number 3 (don’t change spelling) is generally recommended even if it results in double consonants after adding the prefix.

The word Uncle begins with a prefix, but it does not have a prefix added to it.

There are many prefixes that can mean the same thing, such as ‘in’, ‘im’, ‘un’ all of these prefixes mean ‘opposite of’ or ‘not’.

List of Suffixes and Prefixes

Suffixes and prefixes lists are tabulated,

Prefixes List

Prefix	Meaning	Examples
anti-	against,	antibiotic,
auto-	self	autobiography
co-	with	co-operation
de-	down	decrease
dis-	opposite of,	disagree, disapprove
ex-	former,	ex-president,
extra-	beyond,	extraordinary,
il-,	not	illegal,
im-,	not	impossible,
In-	not	indefinite
ir-	not	irresponsible,
in-	into	insert,
inter-,	between	interact,
micro-	small	microscope,
mis-	wrongly	mistake,
mono-	one,	monotone,
para-	beside	parachute,
post-	after	postpone,
pre-	before	prefix,
re-	again	react
semi-	half	semicircle,
super-	over	superfood,
therm-	heat	thermodynamics
trans-	across,	transport,
tri-	three	triangle
un-	against	unusual

Suffixes List

Suffix	Meaning	Examples
-al	Related or action	annual, criminal
-able	able to,	remarkable
-dom	state	freedom
-ence	quality	ambience
-er	in comparison	bigger,
-est	superlative	heaviest
-fy	make	justify
-ful	full of	houseful
-ible	to form adjective	terrible
-ily	To form adverb	happily,
-ing	action	driving
-ist	Person who acts	psychologist
-less	without,	Fearless, helpless
-ness	to express the state	hardness
-tion	state	position
-y	to express condition	noisy

Why Do You Need To Learn And Practice Suffix And Prefix?

As mentioned earlier as well, learning suffixes and prefixes will not only help you understand the grammatical elements better but will also help you expand your vocabulary too.

Keep in mind that suffix and prefix can only be used for certain words. Hence, you need to practice regularly to master the concept. Plus, as for everything related to English grammar, the more you read, the more you will learn. The same can be said for suffix and prefix as well.

• So, from now on, whenever you will read something in English, try to locate the words that are using suffixes or prefixes.
• Firstly, it will help you understand the usage better and refer to the points I have mentioned above about using them.
• Apart from that, you can also note down the words in a copy. This can be a great practice to improve your vocabulary and learn new words.

Conclusion

So, what else would you like to know about suffix and prefix? Should you have any further queries about them, then reach out to us, and we will surely get back to you to the best of our knowledge. Further Study you can refer below:

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