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