Prefix/Suffix Study

What are prefixes and suffixes? Discuss and share with a students around you.

Affixes The broad category that both suffix and prefix fall under. An additional element to a word.

Prefix A prefix is added to the front of a word to change its meaning Examples: Micro (microscope) Tri (tripod) De (devalue) The four most common prefixes account for over 95% of prefixed words. They are dis-, in-, re-, and un-.

Suffix A suffix is a letter or a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or to ensure it fits grammatically into a sentence. Examples: Tenderness (suffix- ness) Expensive (suffix- ive) Most Common Suffixes. The four most common suffixes account for over 95% of suffixed words. They are -ed, -ing, - ly, and -es.

Root Word A basic word to which affixes (prefixes and suffixes) are added is called a root word because it forms the basis of a new word. The root word is also a word in its own right. For example, the word lovely consists of the word love and the suffix -ly.

Root In contrast, a root is the basis of a new word, but it does not typically form a stand-alone word on its own. For example, the word reject is made up of the prefix re- and the Latin root ject, which is not a stand- alone word.

Why study/learn? How would communication be different without prefix/suffixes?