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What Is A Suffix

A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a root word that changes the word's meaning or part of speech. Common English suffixes include "-ed", "-ing", "-er", "-ly", and more. Adding suffixes to words can change their meaning and show how they are used grammatically. A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a root word that also changes the word's meaning. Examples of prefixes and their meanings are provided.

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465 views

What Is A Suffix

A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a root word that changes the word's meaning or part of speech. Common English suffixes include "-ed", "-ing", "-er", "-ly", and more. Adding suffixes to words can change their meaning and show how they are used grammatically. A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a root word that also changes the word's meaning. Examples of prefixes and their meanings are provided.

Uploaded by

dina171279
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© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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What is a suffix?

A suffix is a word ending. It is a group of letters you can add to the end of a root
word*
e.g. walking, helpful

*A root word stands on its own as a word, but you can make new words from it by
adding beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).
For example, 'comfort' is a root word. By adding the prefix 'dis' and the suffix 'able'
you can make new words such as 'discomfort' and 'comfortable'.

Adding suffixes to words can change or add to their meaning, but most importantly
they show how a word will be used in a sentence and what part of speech (e.g.
noun, verb, adjective) the word belongs to.

e.g. If you want to use the root word 'talk' in the following sentence:
I was (talk) to Samina.
You need to add the suffix 'ing' so that the word 'talk' makes better sense
grammatically:
"I was talking to Samina".

There are various suffixes we use. Probably the most common are 'ed' and 'ing'.
Here are some other suffixes and examples.

Suffix Example   Suffix Example


ed walk + ed = walked   ness happy + ness =
happiness
ing say + ing = saying   al accident + al = accidental
er tall + er = taller   ary imagine + ary = imaginary
tion educate + tion =   able accept + able =
education acceptable
sion divide + sion = division   ly love + ly = lovely
cian music + cian = musician   ment excite + ment =
excitement
fully hope + fully = hopefully   ful help + ful + helpful
est large + est = largest   y ease + y = easy

NB: Adding a suffix to some root words will change the spelling of the new word.
What is a prefix?

A prefix is a group of letters which you can add to the beginning of a root word* to
change the meaning of the word.  e.g. mis + fortune = misfortune

*A root word stands on its own as a word but you can make new words from it by
adding beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).
For example, 'comfort' is a root word. By adding the prefix 'dis' and the suffix 'able'
you can make new words such as 'discomfort' and 'comfortable'.

Prefix meanings:
Every prefix has a meaning, for example:
The prefix 'un' means 'not'
The root word 'clear' means 'bright', 'free from difficulty'

un + clear = unclear which means 'not clear' or 'dim', 'difficult to see or understand'

There are no rules to help you remember which prefix you should use, although
knowing the meaning of the prefix can help.
Here are some examples of prefixes and their meanings...

Prefix Meaning
mis means 'wrong' or 'badly'
e.g. 'misspelled' or misspelt means 'wrongly spelled'
sub means under
e.g. 'subway' means 'a way under the ground'
pre means 'before in time', 'in front of' or 'superior'
e.g. 'prepacked' means 'packed before'
un means not (there are also several other prefixes which mean not)
e.g. 'unhurt' means 'not hurt'
Complete the following questions.

Find the meaning of the following root and prefix

Root or Prefix Meaning


a, an
ab
acro
act
ad
alt
ambul
anima
ante
anti, ant
arm
audi
auto
be
bell
bene
bi
bio
cede, ceed, cess
chron
cide, cis
circum
clud, clus claus
con, com
contra, counter
cred
commun
cycl
de
dei, div
demo
dia
dict
dis, dys, dif
duc, duct
dyn, dyna
ecto
endo
equi
e, ex
exter, extra
flu, flux
flect, flex
graph, gram
hetero
homo
hyper
hypo
in, im
infra
inter, intro
intra
jac, ject
log, logo, loc. loq
mal
mega
meso
meta
meter
micro
mis
mit, miss
morph
multi
neo
non
omni
pan
para
per
peri
phon
phot
poly
port
re
retro
sanct
scrib, script
sect, sec
semi
spect
sub
super, supra
syn
tele
theo, the
therm, thermo
tract
trans
un
veh, vect, vey
vert, vers
ven, vent
verm
vita
vol
vita
able, ible
ance, ancy
ator
dom
ee
er, or
ful
ify
ification
ish
ism
ist
ize
ization
less
Root or Prefix
agon
alg
alter
am
ambi
anim
anthrop
eu
fore
ortho
post
pre
pro
proto
quasi
ultra
under
Root or Prefix Meaning
a, an not, without
ab away, down, from, off
acro high, tip, top
act do, move
ad to, toward
alt high
ambul to walk
anima soul, life
ante before
anti, ant against, opposite
arm weapon
audi to hear
auto self
be thoroughly
bell war
bene good, well
bi two
bio life, living
cede, ceed, cess to go, to yield
chron time
cide, cis to kill, to cut
circum around
clud, clus claus to close
con, com with, together
contra, counter against, opposite
cred to believe
commun to share
cycl circle, wheel
de from, down, away
dei, div God, god
demo people
dia through, across, between
dict speak
dis, dys, dif away, not, negative
duc, duct to lead, pull
dyn, dyna power
ecto outside, external
endo inside, within
equi equal
e, ex out, away, from
exter, extra outside of
flu, flux flow
flect, flex to bend
graph, gram to write
hetero other
homo same
hyper over, above
hypo below, less than
in, im not
infra beneath
inter, intro between
intra within, into
jac, ject to throw
log, logo, loc. loq word, speech, speak
mal bad, badly
mega great, million
meso middle
meta beyond, change
meter measure
micro small
mis bad, badly
mit, miss to send
morph shape
multi many
neo new
non not
omni all
pan all, whole, general, completely
para beside
per through, intensive
peri around
phon sound
phot light
poly many
port to carry
re back, again
retro backwards
sanct holy
scrib, script to write
sect, sec cut
semi half
spect to look
sub under, below
super, supra above
syn together
tele distance, from afar
theo, the God
therm, thermo heat
tract to drag, draw
trans across
un not
veh, vect, vey to carry
vert, vers to turn
ven, vent to come
verm worm
vita life
vol to will
vita life
able, ible able to be, capable of being
ance, ancy state of, process of
ator one who does [the verb]
dom condition, office, state
ee one who receives
er, or one who does [the verb]
ful filled with
ify to make into
ification process of making into
ish the nature of, resembling
ism doctrine, system, characteristic quality
ist one who performs; an adherent of an ism
ize to make into
ization the process of making into
less without, lacking
Root or Prefix Meaning
agon to struggle
alg pain
alter other
am friend
ambi both
anim alive
anthrop mankind
eu good, well
fore before, front
ortho straight
post after
pre before, in front of
pro forward
proto first, earliest
quasi approximately, resembling, to some degree
ultra beyond, extremely
under beneath, below, too little

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