Prefixes in English: 40 Should-know Letter Combos That Change the That means of Phrases
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Prefixes are combos of letters that go earlier than a root phrase to alter its which means.
Studying a number of prefixes means you’ll be able to be taught a whole lot of latest phrases simply!
Take into consideration the prefix un-, which suggests “not” and seems in phrases like unblissful (not blissful), unin a position (not in a position), unwell-liked (not well-liked) and unpure (not pure).
English prefixes may also help you develop your vocabulary quick and talk higher on the whole.
Plus, understanding prefixes helps you determine the meanings of unfamiliar phrases.
On this put up, you’ll be taught 40 prefixes in English to place you heading in the right direction.
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40 Widespread Prefixes in English
Listed here are 40 frequent prefixes together with their definition and two or three examples of phrases that comprise every prefix. As we talked about earlier than, examine this record and add different instance phrases as you discover them!
The highest 10 most typical English prefixes are pre-, re-, semi-, sub-, super-, trans-, un-, under-, dis- and ir-.
Prefix | That means | Examples |
---|---|---|
Ambi- | Each | ambidextrous (able to utilizing each your proper and left fingers) ambivalent (open to each or a number of interpretations of one thing) |
Anti- | Towards | antidote (a remedy that acts in opposition to poison) antihero (an unlikely hero, a hero who goes in opposition to the norm) |
Astro- | Star | astronomy (the examine of stars) astronaut (an individual skilled to journey to the stars) |
Bi- | Two | biannual (two occasions a 12 months) bicycle (a automobile with two wheels) binoculars (a viewing instrument with two lenses) |
Co- | Collectively | cohabitate (reside collectively) cofunction (work collectively) |
Con- | Towards, reverse | contradict (to say the reverse factor as another person) conentrance (to go in opposition to somebody or one thing) |
De- | Down | descend (to go down) deflate (to be emptied, taken down) |
Dis- | Reverse, not | disseem (to do the reverse of seem; to fade) disglad (not glad) |
Em- | To make, put into | emenergy (to make highly effective) embrace (to put right into a hug) |
Further- | Greater than | furtherbizarre (greater than bizarre, particular) furthervagant (extra elaborate than it must be) |
Fore- | Earlier than, entrance | foresee (to see earlier than it occurs) forehead (the entrance of the pinnacle) |
Hetero- | Totally different | heterosexual (interested in a completely different intercourse) heterogeneous (used to explain a bunch of many completely different issues) |
Hind- | After, again | hindsight (to see or perceive after one thing occurred) hindquarters (again legs of an animal) |
Homo- | Identical | homogeneous (of the similar form) homosexual (interested in the similar intercourse) homonym (two phrases which might be pronounced the similar) |
Im- | Reverse, not | imattainable (not attainable) imsensible (not sensible) |
In- | Reverse, not | infull (not full) insuitable (not suitable) |
Inter- | Between | internationwide (between nations) interenergetic (motion between folks or objects) |
Mal- | Dangerous, fallacious | maloperate (features wrongly) malicious (dangerous or evil) |
Mid- | Center | midlevel (the center level) midevening (the center of the evening) |
Mis- | Incorrect | mismatch (an individual whose perspective or persona is fallacious for a bunch) mistake (to do one thing fallacious) |
Mono- | One | monotheistic (perception in one god) monocle (glasses for simply one eye) |
Non- | With out | nonsense (with out sense) nonfiction (with out components of fiction) |
On- | Close to, related | online (related to the web) onlooker (somebody watching from close by) |
Pan- | All | panorama (a whole view of all the realm) pandemic (a illnesses that covers all of a rustic or the world) |
Ped- | Foot | pedal (a lever operated by your foot) pedestrian (an individual strolling on foot) |
Submit- | After | put uppartum (after beginning) put upscript (an added word after a letter) |
Pre- | Earlier than | prerepair (letters that come earlier than a phrase to alter its which means) prewarning (taking warning earlier than one thing occurs) preview (a partial view earlier than you see the remainder of one thing) |
Professional- | Ahead, for | professionalceed (to maneuver ahead) professional-government (for the federal government) |
Re- | Once more | repeat (say it once more) rego to (go to once more) reassemble (construct once more) |
Semi- | Half | semicircle (half a circle) semi-formal (midway between informal and formal) |
Sub- | Beneath | subzero (beneath zero) submarine (a vessel that travels beneath water) |
Sur- | Over | surcross (to go over what was anticipated) suractual (weird, to be over what’s regular) |
Trans- | Throughout, modified | transportation (to journey throughout an area) transkind (a change in look) |
Tri- | Three | tricycle (a automobile with three wheels) triangle (a form with three sides) |
Twi- | Two | twins (two folks born on the similar time) twice (taking place two occasions) |
Extremely- | Past | extremelysonic (a frequency past human listening to) extremelyviolet (past the spectrum of human imaginative and prescient) |
Un- | Reverse, not | unaccomplished (not accomplished) uncomfy (not comfy) unplausible (not plausible) |
Uni- | One | unicorn (a fictional horse with one horn) unicycle (a automobile with solely one wheel) |
Beneath- | Not sufficient | belowstaffed (not sufficient workers) belowcarry out (to not carry out effectively sufficient) |
Up- | Larger, higher | upraise (to raise one thing or somebody larger) upstairs (the larger stage of a home) |
The way to Be taught Prefixes in English
Prefixes are hidden in a whole lot of phrases you hear each day, however how will you follow them?
Research a listing
One concept is to check a listing of frequent prefixes, just like the record we shared above.
It may be useful to memorize these prefixes and their definitions.
If you happen to consider another instance phrases that use these prefixes, you’ll be able to add them to the record to follow.
As you proceed to check English, you’ll be able to add any new prefixes you’ve discovered to the record as effectively. Ensure that to additionally write down instance phrases so you’ll be able to follow utilizing the brand new prefix.
Discover prefixes in your leisure
One other technique to examine is to follow discovering prefixes in English conversations, motion pictures, books, magazines and movies. Write down any phrases with prefixes and attempt to guess what the phrase means earlier than you utilize a dictionary.
Whenever you’re watching motion pictures, collection or different kinds of movies, use subtitles so it’s simpler to identify these little phrases.
The film scenes, trailers and comedy sketches on FluentU have interactive subtitles that provide you with extra info on prefixes, like definitions and different movies that function them.
Use on-line quizzes and assets
To see how a lot you’ve discovered, it may be useful to take a quiz about prefixes. There are numerous quizzes on the market so that you can use. For instance:
- ProProfs has a quiz that focuses on the definitions of prefixes. It has questions like: “Which prefix means “not”?” with multiple-choice solutions. It is a nice technique to examine prefixes on their very own.
- English Media Lab focuses on phrases with prefixes as a substitute of simply the definitions. This quiz is a barely larger stage. It may make it easier to see if you happen to’ve improved and take a look at your information of prefixes and vocabulary on the whole.
- The prefixes and suffixes quiz on Quizizz is for superior learners. This quiz is concentrated on grammar and asks questions on find out how to use prefixes. These are additionally multiple-choice questions, and you may create a free account to see the right solutions to every query.
Now that you just’ve discovered these 40 prefixes, it’s time to follow what you’ve discovered. Follow utilizing prefixes in dialog, and hear for when different English audio system use them.
Very quickly, you’ll understand you can decide the meanings of a whole lot of new vocabulary phrases.
By simply studying these prefixes, you’re effectively in your technique to mastering the English language.
Obtain:
This weblog put up is obtainable as a handy and transportable PDF that you just
can take wherever.
Click on right here to get a replica. (Obtain)
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