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 (or 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 |
Suffixes
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 |