Essential Guide to Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

Understanding Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

Prefixes

Prefixes are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. Here are some common prefixes:

1. Anti-, Counter-, Contra-: Opposed to, against
2. Bi-: Having two
3. Circum-: Around, about
4. Com-, Con-, Col-, Cor-: With, together
5. En-: To change to
6. Ex-: Former, previous
7. In-, Im-, Il-, Ir-, Un-: Not, not having, lacking
8. Non-: Not, lacking
9. Per-: All over, very
10. Pre-: Before
11. Trans-: Across, beyond, through
12. Uni-: Single, one
13. Ab-: Away, from
14. Ad-: Motion to, increase in
15. De-: Down, away
16. In-, Im-: In, into
17. Inter-: Between
18. Mis-: Wrong, wrongly
19. Post-: After
20. Pro-: Favoring, forward, for
21. Re-: Again, back
22. Semi-: Half, partly
23. Sub-: Less, beneath, somewhat, later
24. Super-: Over, above, beyond

Roots

Roots are the core of a word, carrying the primary meaning. Here are some common roots:

1. Aud: Hear, listen
2. Dict: Say
3. Fer, Port: To carry
4. Form: Having the form
5. Mov, Mob, Mot: Move
6. Plic: Fold
7. Scrib, Scribe, Script: Write
8. Spec, Spect, Spic: Look
9. Tact: Touch
10. Cogn: Know
11. Ject: Throw
12. Nat: Birth
13. Pop, Popu: People
14. Pos, Pose: Put
15. Rupt: Break
16. Sect: Cut
17. Tract: Draw
18. Voc, Voke: Call

Suffixes

Suffixes are added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical function. Here are some common suffixes:

1. -able, -ible: Able to be
2. -al: Result of, act of (noun)
3. -ate: Cause to be or have (verb)
4. -er, -or: One who does (noun)
5. -full, -y: Full of, having a lot of (adjective)
6. -hood: Condition/group of (noun)
7. -ion, -tion, -ation, -ition: Act of, result of, state of (noun)
8. -ism: An action or its result of (noun)
9. -ist: Believer in something, member of a profession (noun)
10. -less: Not having, without (adjective)
11. -ly: In the manner, degree of (adverb)
12. -ness: State or condition of (noun)
13. -al, -an, -ese, -ish, -ous: Related to something from somewhere (adjective)
14. -ant, -ent: Agent or cause of (noun)
15. -ance, -ence: Quality of (noun)
16. -ary, -ery, -ory: Relating to (adjective)
17. -ate: Cause to be or have (verb)
18. -ity: Quality or condition of (noun)
19. -ive: Having the nature of (adjective)
20. -ize, -en, -ify: Make or become (verb)
21. -ment: Means of, result of, state of (noun)
22. -ship: Quality, condition, status, skill
23. -some: Having the quality of producing (adjective)
24. -ure: Action, process, result (noun)