Prefixes & Suffixes

Learn how adding letters to the start or end of a word changes its meaning.

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Try each question. If you're stuck, leave it and come back. The answer key is on the last page.

1
Add a prefix to make the opposite: ___happy ___happy (meaning not happy)
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2
Match each prefix to a word to make a new word. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: un-, re-, dis-, mis- Right: kind, write, agree, spell
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3
What does the suffix '-ful' mean in the word 'hopeful'? A) full of B) without C) again D) not
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4
Add a suffix: care + ___ = without care care + ___ = without care
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5
Match each word to its correct suffix meaning. Match each item on the left to one on the right. Left: enjoy + ment, sad + ness, slow + ly, thank + ful Right: the state of enjoying, the state of being sad, in a slow way, full of thanks
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6
Which prefix means 'do again'? A) re- B) un- C) dis- D) mis-
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7
Complete the sentence: The magician made the rabbit ___appear (vanish from sight). The magician made the rabbit ___appear.
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8
What happens to the word 'hope' when you add '-less' AND '-ly'? A) hopelestly B) hopelessly C) hoplessly D) hopelesley
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9
The word 'uncomfortable' has both a prefix and a suffix. The prefix is ___ and the suffix is ___. The prefix in 'uncomfortable' is ___.
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10
Which word uses a prefix AND a suffix correctly? A) unhappyness B) unhappiness C) unhappieness D) unhapyness
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Answer key

Prefixes & Suffixes · for parents and teachers

1
un
The prefix 'un-' means 'not'. Adding it to 'happy' makes 'unhappy' (not happy).
2
un- → kind; re- → write; dis- → agree; mis- → spell
unkind (not kind), rewrite (write again), disagree (not agree), misspell (spell wrongly).
3
full of
The suffix '-ful' means 'full of'. Hopeful means full of hope.
4
less
The suffix '-less' means 'without'. Careless means without care.
5
enjoy + ment → the state of enjoying; sad + ness → the state of being sad; slow + ly → in a slow way; thank + ful → full of thanks
Suffixes change what a word means: -ment and -ness make nouns, -ly makes adverbs, -ful makes adjectives.
6
re-
The prefix 're-' means 'again'. Replay = play again, redo = do again, rewrite = write again.
7
dis
The prefix 'dis-' means 'not' or 'opposite'. Disappear means the opposite of appear.
8
hopelessly
hope + less = hopeless, then hopeless + ly = hopelessly. The 'e' in hope stays because '-less' starts with a consonant.
9
un
'Uncomfortable' = un (prefix meaning 'not') + comfort (root word) + able (suffix meaning 'can be'). Not able to be comforted.
10
unhappiness
un + happy + ness: the 'y' changes to 'i' before adding '-ness', giving us 'unhappiness'.