Prefixes and suffixes
Some words (root words) can have words or parts of words added to the beginning or end that
change their meaning.
If you add parts of words to the beginning of a word, it is called a prefix.
If you add parts of words to the end of a word, it is called a suffix.
The children were unhelpful to their mother
I ended up repainting the kitchen
Knowing about these parts of words is useful for spelling because they help you break down
longer words into smaller parts and they also give you clues about their meanings.
Prefixes
Prefix
Meaning
un-
means not or the opposite of the rest of the word: eg uneaten means not
eaten
dis-
also means not: eg disagreed means not agreed
re-
means again: eg redone means done again
pre-
means before e.g. predate means to come before
Suffixes
Suffix
Meaning
-s, -es
means more than one (plural): eg one book but many books.
-ing or -ed
shows when something happened - in the present (ing) or past (ed) tense:
eg I am working there now or I worked there last week
-er, -est
means more or the most of something: eg that drink was colder (more cold )
or that was the coldest drink (the most cold)
-ful or -less
shows there is a lot of something (hopeful - a lot of hope) or none of
something (hopeless - no hope)
re
paint
ing
prefix
suffix
root word
help
un
ful
prefix
suffix
root word