Have you ever wonder what those prefixes and suffixes we link up to words actually mean?
Native English speakers use these letters that go before and after words all day long, usually without a thought to their definitions. But we do use them for a reason: they alter the meaning of the word.
For instance, if someone is being careless, a native English speaker would be quick to say, “Hey, stop acting carelessly,” without hesitating to recall that the suffix –ly means “in the matter of.”
But, oh those poor English learners. It takes time to memorize all of our prefixes and suffixes and learn which to attach to what word. (A unicycle is quite different from a tricycle, you know.) It also doesn’t help that English, being that it is the bastard child of multiple European languages, adopted its prefixes and suffixes from Latin, Greek, and Old French.
In any case, we are right here.
To brush up on your skills, below is a collection of prefixes and suffixes and their meanings.
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
| a- | not | atypical |
| anti- | against | antifascist |
| bi- | two | biannual |
| counter- | against, opposite | counterfeit |
| de- | remove, reverse | deregulate |
| dis- | opposite, reverse, not | disagree |
| extra- | beyond, outside | extraterrestrial |
| fore- | before | forefather |
| in- | not | invisible |
| inter- | between | intermingle |
| mal- | bad | maltreatment |
| mis- | not, wrong | miscomprehend |
| neo- | new | neoconservative |
| non- | not | nonstarter |
| over- | excessive | overspend |
| post- | after | postscript |
| pre- | before | precolonial |
| proto- | first, primitive | prototype |
| re- | repeat | reread |
| sub- | under | submarine |
| tele- | distant | teleport |
| trans- | across | transcontinental |
| tri- | three | tricycle |
| un- | remove, reverse | untie |
| uni- | one | unilateral |
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
| -able | capable of | inflatable |
| -ant | type of person | assistant |
| -athon | long-lasting | marathon |
| -cide | killing | infanticide |
| -dom | state of being | freedom |
| -er | doer of an action | worker |
| -ery | type of work | bakery |
| -ess | female of | heiress |
| -esque | reminiscent of | picturesque |
| -ette | small version of | kitchenette |
| -fest | indulgence in | chatfest |
| -fy | to make | electrify |
| -hood | state, quality | childhood |
| -ible | ability | reliable |
| -ish | a little | squeamish |
| -ism | condition or doctrine | feminism |
| -ist | type of person | florist |
| -less | without | penniless |
| -ly | in a manner of | quickly |
| -ous | full of | joyous |
| -wash | changing the appearance of | whitewash |
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