Prefix
A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word. For example, the word “unhappy” consists of the prefix “un-” [which means “not”] combined with the root (stem) word “happy”; the word “unhappy” means “not happy.”A Short List of Prefixes:
| PREFIX |
MEANING |
EXAMPLES |
| de- |
from, down, away reverse, opposite |
decode, decrease |
| dis- |
not, opposite, reverse, away |
disagree, disappear |
| ex- |
out of, away from, lacking, former |
exhale, explosion |
| il- |
not |
illegal, illogical |
| im- |
not, without |
impossible, improper |
| in- |
not, without |
inaction, invisible |
| mis- |
bad, wrong |
mislead, misplace |
| non- |
not |
nonfiction, nonsense |
| pre- |
before |
prefix, prehistory |
| pro- |
for, forward, before |
proactive, profess, program |
| re- |
again, back |
react, reappear |
| un- |
against, not, opposite |
undo, unequal, unusual |
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Suffix
A suffix is a group of letters placed after the root of a word. For example, the word flavorless consists of the root word “flavor” combined with the suffix “-less” [which means “without”]; the word “flavorless” means “having no flavor.”A Short List of Suffixes:
| SUFFIX |
MEANING |
EXAMPLES |
| -able |
able to, having the quality of |
comfortable, portable |
| -al |
relating to |
annual, comical |
| -er |
comparative |
bigger, stronger |
| -est |
superlative |
strongest, tiniest |
| -ful |
full of |
beautiful, grateful |
| -ible |
forming an adjective |
reversible, terrible |
| -ily |
forming an adverb |
eerily, happily, lazily |
| -ing |
denoting an action, a material, or a gerund |
acting, showing |
| -less |
without, not affected by |
friendless, tireless |
| -ly |
forming an adjective |
clearly, hourly |
| -ness |
denoting a state or condition |
kindness, wilderness |
| -y |
full of, denoting a condition, or a diminutive |
glory, messy, victory, |
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How my heart sings 