SUFFIXES AND PREFIXES

It’s helpful to have a good understanding of what prefixes and suffixes are.

Knowing their meanings and when they are generally used can help you figure out unknown words and can also help you make your writing better.

• Suffixes  are attached to the end of a word to form a new word or to alter the grammatical function of the original word.

• For example, the verb read can be made into the noun reader by adding the suffix -er; read can be made into the adjective readable by adding the suffix -able.

• Understanding the meanings of the common suffixes can help us deduce the meanings of new words.

A prefix comes before a root word and changes the meaning of a word.

For example, if you take the root word game and add a prefix, it becomes something different.

pregame- before the game

postgame- after the game

It’s helpful to know the meaning of a prefix to help you figure out a word. Take a look at the following prefixes and the root words they’re attached to.

un- means not: unhappy, untied

over- means excessive or completely: overconfident, overjoyed

A suffix goes at the end of a root word. It can tell you when something happened by changing the tense of a verb, modify the root word, or change the meaning.

run- running

strong- strongest

care- careless

Learning prefixes To learn prefixes and suffixes takes practice.

Be sure to use learning tools, like dictionaries and books that you read every day.

•The table below defines and illustrates 26 common suffixes.

Common SuffixesCommon SuffixesNOUN SUFFIXES

SUFFIXSUFFIX MEANINGMEANING EXAMPLEEXAMPLE

-acy state or quality privacy

-al act or process of refusal, rebutal

-ance, -ence

State or quality of maintenance, eminence

-dom place or state of being freedom, boredom, kingdom

-er, -or one who does something as a profession

protector, teacher, trainer

Common SuffixesCommon SuffixesNOUN SUFFIXESNOUN SUFFIXES

SUFFIXSUFFIX MEANINGMEANING EXAMPLEEXAMPLE

-ism-ism doctrine, beliefdoctrine, belief Communism, Communism, budhism, budhism, capitalismcapitalism

-ist-ist one whoone who chemist, typist, chemist, typist, biologist, biologist,

-ity,-ty-ity,-ty quality ofquality of veracityveracity

- ment - ment condition ofcondition of argumentargument

––nessness state of beingstate of being heavinessheaviness

NOUN SUFFIXESNOUN SUFFIXES––shipship position heldposition held fellowship, fellowship,

scholarshipscholarship

-tion -tion state of being state of being concession, concession, transitiontransition

Common SuffixesCommon Suffixes

We’re dancers!

I’M NOT A COMMUNIST. I’M

A PHILANTHROPIST

I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU ARE

AS LONG AS YOU SHARE YOUR OWN

STUFF!

VERB SUFFIXESVERB SUFFIXES

-ate -ate become become eradicateeradicate

-em-em becomebecome enlightenenlighten

-ify, -ify, -fy-fy

make or make or becomebecome

terrifyterrify

-ize, -ize, -ise-ise

becomebecome civilizecivilize

Common SuffixesCommon Suffixes

ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES

-able, -ible-able, -ible capable of beingcapable of being edible, presentableedible, presentable

-al-al pertaining topertaining to regionalregional

-esque-esque reminiscent ofreminiscent of picturesquepicturesque

-ful-ful notable fornotable for fancifulfanciful

-ic, -ical-ic, -ical pertaining topertaining to musical, mythicmusical, mythic

-ious, -ous-ious, -ous characterized bycharacterized by nutritious, nutritious, portentousportentous

-ish-ish having the quality having the quality ofof

fiendishfiendish

-ive-ive having the nature having the nature ofof

creativecreative

-less-less withoutwithout endlessendless

-y-y characterized bycharacterized by sleazysleazy

Common negative prefixes

• Un- Il- Ir- Dis-

• ACCEPTABLE – UNACCEPTABLE• CONSIDERATE – INCONSIDERABLE• POLITE – IMPOLITE • PROPER – IMPROPER• RESPECTFUL – DISRESPECTFUL• RESPONSIBLE – IRRESPONSIBLE • LEGAL – ILLEGAL • REAL – UNREAL

Many wordsstarting with m- and p- for their

negative with prefix im-.

Many words starting with r- form their

negative with the prefix ir-

For example, impossible, immobile, irreplaceable.

Exceptions: displeased, disrespectful

GO TO PAGE 53 AND DO EXERCISES E AND F

PLAY GAMES AND LEARN!• http://www.vocabulary.co.il/prefixes/high-school/hs-prefix-meaning-

match/

• http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/vocabulary-games/synonyms/find-the-synonym.html

• http://www.vocabulary.co.il/antonyms/high-school/pick-the-antonym-college-prep-words/

• http://www.vocabulary.co.il/antonyms/high-school/college-prep-word-antonyms/

• http://www.vocabulary.co.il/suffixes/high-school/suffixmeaning-match/

• http://www.vocabulary.co.il/suffixes/high-school/suffixmeaning-match/

CREDITS• http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/

comsuffixes.htm

• http://www.learninggamesforkids.com/vocabulary_games/suffixes-and-prefixes.html

• SLIDES BY TEACHER ANGELA CARVALHO – OUT/ 2012

• Images: Google images