3.5 Prefixes and Suffixes
The English language contains an enormous and ever-growing number of words. Enhancing your vocabulary by learning new words can seem overwhelming, but if you know the common prefixes and suffixes of English, you will understand many more words.
Mastering common prefixes and suffixes is like learning a code. Once you crack the code, you can not only spell words more correctly but also recognize and perhaps even define unfamiliar words.
Prefixes
A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a word to create a new meaning. The main rule to remember when adding a prefix to a word is not to add letters or leave out any letters. See Table 3.5.1 “Common Prefixes” for examples of this rule.
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| dis | not, opposite of | dis + satisfied = dissatisfied |
| mis | wrongly | mis + spell = misspell |
| un | not | un + acceptable = unacceptable |
| re | again | re + election = reelection |
| inter | between | inter + related = interrelated |
| pre | before | pre + pay = prepay |
| non | not | non + sense = nonsense |
| super | above | super + script = superscript |
| sub | under | sub + merge = submerge |
| anti | against, opposing | anti + bacterial = antibacterial |
Suffixes
A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word to create a new meaning. Study the suffix rules in the following boxes.
Rule 1
When adding the suffixes –ness and –ly to a word, the spelling of the word does not change.
Examples:
- dark + ness = darkness
- scholar + ly = scholarly
Exceptions to Rule 1
When the word ends in y, change the y to i before adding –ness and –ly.
Examples:
- ready + ly = readily
- happy + ness = happiness
Rule 2
When the suffix begins with a vowel, drop the silent e in the root word.
Examples:
- care + ing = caring
- use + able = usable
Exceptions to Rule 2
When the word ends in ce or ge, keep the silent e if the suffix begins with a or o.
Examples:
- replace + able = replaceable
- courage + ous = courageous
Rule 3
When the suffix begins with a consonant, keep the silent e in the original word.
Examples:
- care + ful = careful
- care + less = careless
Exceptions to Rule 3
Examples:
- true + ly = truly
- argue + ment = argument
Rule 4
When the word ends in a consonant plus y, change the y to i before any suffix not beginning with i.
Examples:
- sunny + er = sunnier
- hurry + ing = hurrying
Rule 5
When the suffix begins with a vowel, double the final consonant only if (1) the word has only one syllable or is accented on the last syllable and (2) the word ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant.
Examples:
- tan + ing = tanning (one syllable word)
- regret + ing = regretting (The accent is on the last syllable; the word ends in a single vowel followed by a single consonant.)
- cancel + ed = cancelled (The accent is not on the last syllable.)
- prefer + ed = preferred
Key Takeaways
- A prefix is a word part added to the beginning of a word that changes the word’s meaning.
- A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word that changes the word’s meaning.
- Learning the meanings of prefixes and suffixes will help expand your vocabulary, which will help improve your writing.
“8.4 Prefixes and Suffixes” from Putting the Pieces Together by Andrew M. Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.—Modifications: Removed Learning Objectives, Exercises, and Writing Application.
