Prefixes & Suffixes, Compound words
Easy Guide to Prefixes, Suffixes, and Compound Words: Enhance Your Vocabulary
Let's talk about prefixes and suffixes. They're like word helpers!
Prefixes:
Prefixes are little bits we add to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
For example, "un-" in "unhappy" changes "happy" to mean not happy.
| Prefix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Anti- | Against, opposite of | Antifreeze, antibiotic |
| Bi- | Two, twice, double | Bicycle, bilingual |
| Co- | Together, joint | Coexist, cooperate |
| De- | Reverse, remove, undo | Defrost, deactivate |
| Ex- | Out of, former | Exit, ex-president |
| In- (or Im-, Il-, Ir-) | Not | Inactive, impossible, illegal, irregular |
| Mis- | Wrongly, badly | Misunderstand, misbehave |
| Non- | Not | Nonfiction, nonstop |
| Over- | Too much, excessive | Overcooked, overreact |
| Post- | After | Postgraduate, postwar |
| Re- | Again, back | Rewrite, return |
| Sub- | Under, below | Submarine, subzero |
| Trans- | Across, beyond | Transport, transcend |
| Un- | Not, opposite of | Unhappy, unclear |
| Under- | Below, beneath | Underground, undersea |
Suffixes:
Suffixes, on the other hand, are bits we add to the end of a word. They can change the word's meaning, too.
Like "-er" in "teacher" changes "teach" into a person who teaches.
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -able | Capable of, able to be | Comfortable, manageable |
| -al | Pertaining to, relating to | Cultural, seasonal |
| -ed | Past tense or past participle | Walked, finished |
| -er | One who performs an action | Teacher, runner |
| -est | Most, superlative form | Tallest, fastest |
| -ful | Full of, characterized by | Beautiful, helpful |
| -ic | Pertaining to, like | Economic, poetic |
| -ing | Verb form, present participle | Running, swimming |
| -ion | Action or condition | Completion, connection |
| -ish | Somewhat, like | Childish, yellowish |
| -less | Without, lacking | Fearless, homeless |
| -ly | Like, manner | Quickly, happily |
| -ment | Action, process, result | Movement, development |
| -ness | State or quality | Happiness, kindness |
| -ous | Full of, characterized by | Dangerous, famous |
| -s | Plural marker | Books, cars |
| -y | Characterized by, inclined to | Sunny, rainy |
Compound words
Compound words are pretty cool! They're like two words holding hands to make a new word with a brand-new meaning. Take "snow" and "man" — put them together and you've got "snowman"! It's not just any snow or any man; it's a special kind of man made out of snow.
| Compound Word | Components | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Blackboard | Black + board | A board that is black in color |
| Sunflower | Sun + flower | A flower that faces or follows the sun |
| Firefighter | Fire + fighter | Someone who fights fires |
| Playground | Play + ground | An area designed for children to play |
| Waterfall | Water + fall | A natural flow of water over a cliff or rocks |
| Butterfly | Butter + fly | A flying insect with colorful wings |
| Snowball | Snow + ball | A ball made of snow |
| Toothbrush | Tooth + brush | A brush used for cleaning teeth |
| Raincoat | Rain + coat | A coat worn to protect from rain |
| Greenhouse | Green + house | A structure for growing plants in a controlled environment |
| Moonlight | Moon + light | Light from the moon |
| Bookshelf | Book + shelf | A shelf for storing books |
| Breakfast | Break + fast | The first meal of the day, breaking the overnight fast |
| Doorbell | Door + bell | A bell attached to a door for signaling |
| Headphones | Head + phones | Devices worn over ears for listening to audio |
Sometimes compound words are written together like "sunflower," and sometimes they're written with a space like "school bus." But no matter how they're written, they're all about two words teaming up to create something new and exciting!
