Page 144 - (DK) Help Your Kids with Language Arts

142 SPELLING

Prefixes and suffixes SEE ALSO

106–107 Hyphens
PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES ARE COLLECTIVELY CALLED AFFIXES.   136–137 Morphemes
140–141 Roots
Words ending in -e or -y 146–147 
Prefixes are added to the start of a word and suffixes are added to
Words ending in -tion, -sion,
the end of a word. They can change a word’s meaning or its part of or -ssion 148–149 
speech, or—combined with a partial root word—create a new word. Words ending in -able or -ible 150–151 
Words ending in -le, -el, -al,
or -ol 152–153 
Prefixes Single and double
A prefix is added to the start of a root to change the meaning of that consonant words 154–155 
root or create a new word. For example, the root word do acquires
the opposite meaning when the prefix un- (meaning “not”) is added,
resulting in the word undo. When the prefix demo- (meaning “common
people” in Greek) is added to the partial root crat (meaning “rule” in
Greek), it results in the whole English word democrat. Other prefixes • Most prefixes are not separated
can be added to the root crat to form the English words aristocrat, from the root by a hyphen. However,
autocrat, and bureaucrat. ex- (as in “former”) and self- are
always followed by a hyphen.

Prefixes Meaning Examples Prefixes Meaning Examples
a-, an- not atypical, anonymous intro- in introduction
ab- away from abnormal mid- middle midway
ad- toward advance mis- wrongly misconception
al- all almost non- not nonsense
all- all all-knowing out- more than others outstanding
ante- before anteroom out- separate outhouse
anti- against antisocial over- too much overdo
be- make befriend para- beyond, beside paranormal
co-, col-, together cooperate, collaborate, per- through perform
com-, con- community, confidence post- after postwar
de- opposite detach pre- before premature
de- down decline pro- for proactive
dis- not disembark re- again reapply
em-, en- cause to embattle, enamor retro- back retrospective
ex- out of, from export se- away from segregate
ex- former ex-husband self- oneself self-confidence
extra- beyond extraordinary sub- under submarine
fore- before forearm super-, sur- over, above supernatural, survive
im-, in- in import, income sus- under suspect
im-, in-, not immature, incredible, trans- across transmit
ir- irrational ultra- beyond ultrasound
inter- among international un- not uncover
intra- within intramural under- beneath, below undermine