Prefixes & Suffixes, Compound words
Prefixes & Suffixes, Compound words
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!