Prefixes and suffixes usage
- 1. Prefixes and Suffixes How do they change words?
- 2. Antonyms • An antonym is a word that is the opposite meaning of another. It comes from the Greek prefix “anti” for opposite and the suffix “onym” for name. • Sometimes, an antonym can be easily made by adding a prefix.
- 3. Examples of antonyms that were made by adding the prefix “un” are: • Likely and unlikely • Able and unable • Fortunate and unfortunate • Forgiving and unforgiving
- 4. By adding the prefix “non” you can make these pairs: • Entity and nonentity • Conformist and nonconformist • Payment and nonpayment • Combatant and noncombatant
- 5. Adding the prefix “in” can make the following pairs: • Tolerant and intolerant • Decent and indecent • Discreet and indiscreet • Excusable and inexcusable
- 6. By adding a prefix to a verb, you can create a new verb: Prefix Meaning Examples re- again or back restructure, revisit, reappear, rebuild, refinance dis- reverses the meaning of the verb disappear, disallow, disarm, disconnect, discontinue over- too much overbook, oversleep, overwork un- reverses the meaning of the verb unbend, uncouple, unfasten mis- badly or wrongly mislead, misinform, misidentify out- more or better than others outperform, outbid be- make or cause befriend, belittle co- together co-exist, co-operate, co-own de- do the opposite of devalue, deselect fore- earlier, before foreclose, foresee inter- between interact, intermix, interface pre- before pre-expose, prejudge, pretest sub- under/below subcontract, subdivide trans- across, over transform, transcribe, transplant under- not enough underfund, undersell, undervalue,
- 7. If a prefix is added to a noun it creates another noun: Prefix Meaning Examples anti- against anticlimax, antidote, antithesis auto- self autobiography, automobile bi- two bilingualism, biculturalism, bi-metalism co- joint co-founder, co-owner, co- descendant counter- against counter-argument, counter-example, counter- proposal dis- the converse of discomfort, dislike ex- former ex-chairman, ex-hunter hyper- extreme hyperinflation, hypersurface in- the converse of inattention, incoherence, incompatibility
- 8. More examples of a prefix + noun creating a new noun: inter- between interaction, inter-change, interference kilo- thousand kilobyte mal- bad malfunction, maltreatment, malnutrition mega- million megabyte mis- wrong misconduct, misdeed, mismanagement mini- small mini-publication, mini-theory mono- one monosyllable, monograph, monogamy neo- new neo-colonialism, neo- impressionism out- separate outbuilding, poly- many polysyllable pseudo- false pseudo-expert
- 9. A suffix added to a verb (V) can create a noun Suffix Meaning Examples -tion -sion action/instance of V-ing alteration, demonstration expansion, inclusion, admission -er person who V-s something used for V-ing advertiser, driver computer, silencer -ment action/instance of V-ing development, punishment, unemployment -ant -ent person who V-s assistant, consultant student -age action/result of V breakage, wastage, package -al action/result of V denial, proposal, refusal, dismissal -ence -ance action/result of V preference, dependence, interference attendance, acceptance, endurance
- 10. A suffix added to a noun (N) can also create a noun Suffix Meaning Examples -er person concerned with N astronomer, geographer -ism doctrine of N Marxism, Maoism, Thatcherism -ship state of being N friendship, citizenship, leadership -age collection of N baggage, plumage
- 11. Believe it or not, a suffix added to an adjective (A) can create a noun Suffix Meaning Examples -ity state or quality of being A ability, similarity, responsibility, curiosity -ness state or quality of being A darkness, preparedness, consciousness -cy state or quality of being A urgency, efficiency, frequency