What are Affixes?
Affixes are word parts added to the beginning or end of a base word to change its meaning.
Prefix
word part at the BEGINNING
word part at the BEGINNING
Suffix
word part at the END
word part at the END
What is a Base Word?
A base word is a complete word that can stand alone.
Examples:
- help is a base word (you can say "help" by itself)
- play is a base word (you can say "play" by itself)
- kind is a base word (you can say "kind" by itself)
The Strategy
When you see a long word:
- ✋ Cover the beginning → Look for a PREFIX
- ✋ Cover the end → Look for a SUFFIX
- 👀 Look at what's left → Find the BASE WORD
- 📖 Read it: prefix + base word + suffix
Example: unhelpful
un
+
help
+
ful
Cover "un-" → helpful (I see "help"!)
Cover "-ful" → unhelp (I see "help"!)
Base word = help
Read: un (not) + help + ful (full of) = "not full of help"
PREFIXES (Beginning of Words)
Common Prefixes That Mean "NOT" or "OPPOSITE"
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| un- | not, opposite of | unhappy, unlock, unfair, unkind, unsafe, unpack, untie, unclear, unwell, unequal | not happy, opposite of lock, not fair |
| in- | not | invisible, incomplete, incorrect, inactive, indirect, informal, insecure | not visible, not complete |
| im- | not (before m, p) | impossible, impatient, immature, imperfect, impolite, immobile | not possible, not patient |
| il- | not (before l) | illegal, illegible, illogical, illiterate | not legal, not readable |
| ir- | not (before r) | irregular, irresponsible, irrelevant, irrational | not regular, not responsible |
| dis- | not, opposite of | disagree, dishonest, dislike, disconnect, disappear, disobey, distrust, disrespect | not agree, opposite of honest |
| non- | not | nonfiction, nonstop, nonsense, nonprofit, nonverbal | not fiction, not stopping |
Prefixes That Mean "AGAIN" or "BACK"
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| re- | again, back | replay, rewrite, redo, return, review, reread, rebuild, repaint, recycle, rethink | play again, write again, do again |
Prefixes About BEFORE, AFTER, and TIME
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| pre- | before | preview, preheat, prepay, preschool, prehistoric, pretest, prejudge, preorder | view before, heat before |
| post- | after | postgame, postseason, postwar, postpone, postscript | after the game, after the season |
| fore- | before, in front | forecast, forehead, foresee, foreground, foreshadow | tell before (weather), see before |
Prefixes About PLACE or POSITION
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| sub- | under, below | submarine, subway, subtract, submerge, subheading, subzero | under the sea, under ground |
| super- | above, over, beyond | superhero, supermarket, supernatural, supersize, supervise | above normal hero, above normal size |
| inter- | between, among | interact, international, interrupt, interview, internet, interstate | act between, between nations |
| trans- | across, beyond | transport, translate, transfer, transform, transcontinental | carry across, across the continent |
| over- | too much, above | overflow, overeat, overhead, overlap, overjoyed, overtime | flow too much, eat too much |
| under- | below, not enough | underwater, underground, underestimate, underpaid, underline | below water, below ground |
| mid- | middle | midnight, midday, midpoint, midweek, midterm, midsummer | middle of night, middle of day |
Prefixes About NUMBER or SIZE
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| uni- | one | unicycle, uniform, unite, universe, unique, unison | one wheel cycle, one form |
| bi- | two | bicycle, biweekly, bilingual, binoculars, bisect | two wheels, two languages |
| tri- | three | triangle, tricycle, tripod, triple, trio, triathlon | three angles, three wheels |
| multi- | many | multiply, multimedia, multicultural, multicolor | many times, many cultures |
| semi- | half, partly | semicircle, semifinal, semitruck, semiconductor | half circle, half of final |
Other Important Prefixes
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| mis- | wrong, badly | mistake, misbehave, misspell, misunderstand, misplace, mislead | wrong take, behave badly |
| anti- | against | antifreeze, antibacterial, antisocial, antibiotic | against freezing, against bacteria |
| co- | with, together | cooperate, coexist, coworker, copilot, coauthor | work together, exist together |
| ex- | out, former | exit, export, explore, exhale, ex-president | go out, send out, former president |
SUFFIXES (End of Words)
Suffixes That Make VERBS (Action Words)
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ed | past tense | jumped, walked, played, looked, wanted, called | happened in the past |
| -ing | happening now | jumping, walking, playing, looking, wanting, calling | happening right now |
| -en | to make, to become | frighten, strengthen, brighten, darken, widen, shorten | make frightened, make strong |
Suffixes That Make NOUNS (People, Places, Things)
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| -er | person who, thing that | teacher, baker, player, runner, helper, computer, mixer | person who teaches, thing that mixes |
| -or | person who | actor, doctor, inventor, sailor, editor, conductor | person who acts, person who invents |
| -ist | person who | artist, scientist, dentist, pianist, tourist, journalist | person who makes art, person who studies science |
| -ian | person who | musician, magician, librarian, comedian, electrician | person who plays music, person who does magic |
| -ness | state of being | happiness, kindness, darkness, sadness, sickness, weakness | state of being happy, state of being kind |
| -ment | state of, result | movement, payment, enjoyment, excitement, improvement | act of moving, act of paying |
| -tion / -sion | act of, state of | action, creation, discussion, decision, celebration, information | act of acting, act of creating |
| -ity / -ty | state of, quality | equality, safety, loyalty, honesty, penalty, certainty | state of being equal, state of being safe |
| -ship | state of, skill | friendship, leadership, citizenship, ownership, scholarship | state of being friends, skill of leading |
Suffixes That Make ADJECTIVES (Describing Words)
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ful | full of | helpful, careful, beautiful, powerful, hopeful, peaceful | full of help, full of care |
| -less | without | hopeless, helpless, careless, harmless, endless, fearless | without hope, without help |
| -ous | full of, having | dangerous, famous, nervous, generous, curious, marvelous | having danger, having fame |
| -ive | having quality of | active, creative, effective, attractive, expensive | having action, having creativity |
| -al | relating to | musical, natural, personal, national, seasonal, fictional | relating to music, relating to nature |
| -ic | relating to | athletic, historic, scientific, dramatic, fantastic, elastic | relating to athletics, relating to science |
| -able / -ible | able to be, can be | readable, washable, comfortable, visible, flexible, possible | can be read, can be washed |
| -y | having, full of | sunny, rainy, cloudy, messy, dirty, sleepy, funny | having sun, full of rain |
| -ly | in a certain way (when added to adjective) | quickly, slowly, happily, carefully, quietly, loudly | in a quick way, in a slow way |
Suffixes That Change Meaning or Form
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples | What It Means |
|---|---|---|---|
| -ly | in a way | quickly, slowly, happily, carefully, softly, easily | in a quick way, in a careful way |
| -est | most | fastest, biggest, smallest, tallest, happiest, brightest | most fast, most big |
| -er | more (comparison) | faster, bigger, smaller, taller, happier, brighter | more fast than, more big than |
| -ward | direction | forward, backward, upward, downward, toward, inward | direction forward, direction back |
Words with BOTH Prefix AND Suffix
Some words have BOTH a prefix and a suffix!
Strategy:
- Find the prefix (beginning)
- Find the suffix (end)
- Read the base word in the middle
| Word | Prefix | Base | Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| unhelpful | un- | help | -ful | not full of help |
| unsuccessful | un- | success | -ful | not full of success |
| disagreement | dis- | agree | -ment | state of not agreeing |
| repainting | re- | paint | -ing | painting again |
| unkindness | un- | kind | -ness | state of not being kind |
| preview | pre- | view | none | view before |
| disconnected | dis- | connect | -ed | not connected (past) |
| unbelievable | un- | believe | -able | not able to be believed |
| prehistoric | pre- | history | -ic | before history |
| multinational | multi- | nation | -al | relating to many nations |
Spelling Changes to Watch For!
Sometimes the base word changes spelling when you add a suffix:
| Base Word | + Suffix | New Word | What Changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| happy | + -ness | happiness | y → i |
| easy | + -ly | easily | y → i |
| hope | + -ing | hoping | drop the e |
| big | + -er | bigger | double the g |
| run | + -ing | running | double the n |
| ice | + -y | icy | drop the e |
The base word is still there - it just looks a little different!
Quick Steps for ANY Word
- 👀 Look at the BEGINNING → Is there a prefix?
- 👀 Look at the END → Is there a suffix?
- 👀 Look at the MIDDLE → What's the base word?
- ✅ Cover the affixes → Read the base word
- ✅ Add back the affixes → Read the whole word
Example: uncomfortable
Beginning: un- (not)
End: -able (able to be)
Middle: comfort
Meaning: not able to be comforted / not comfortable
Practice Tips
When you see a long word:
1. Cover the prefix with your finger
2. Cover the suffix with your other finger
3. Read the base word
4. Add the prefix back
5. Add the suffix back
6. Read the whole word!
Remember!
- Prefixes change meaning
- Suffixes change meaning AND sometimes how you use the word
- The base word is the heart of the word
- This strategy makes LONG words EASY!
You've got this! 💪