What Are Prefixes in English? Definition and Examples
What Are Prefixes in English? Definition and Examples
Prefixes are super important in English.
They’re like a special kind of affix that you stick at the start of a root word to make it mean something different.
Knowing about prefixes can really help you understand more words and get better at reading and writing.
In this post, I will talk about what prefixes are, and how they work, and give many examples to show you how they’re used in everyday language.
Definition of Prefixes
A prefix is a bunch of letters that you put at the start of a word to change what it means.
For example, the word “prefix” has the prefix “pre-“, which means “before.”
When you attach a prefix to a word, it can change the meaning in different ways like making it negative, showing something happening again, talking about time or place, or changing how the word works.
For example:
- Happy becomes Unhappy when you add the prefix “un-“, which means “not.”
- Cycle becomes Bicycle when you add the prefix “bi-“, which means “two.”
Types of Prefixes
There are several types of prefixes, each serving a different purpose.
Here are some common categories:
- Negative Prefixes
- Number Prefixes
- Position Prefixes
- Time Prefixes
- Degree or Size Prefixes
Let’s delve into each category with examples.
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Negative Prefixes
Negative prefixes are used to create a word with the opposite meaning.
Some of the most common negative prefixes are “un-“, “in-“, “im-“, “il-“, “ir-“, “dis-“, and “non-“.
Un-: When added to a word, “un-” gives it a negative meaning.
-
- Happy becomes Unhappy (not happy)
- Certain becomes Uncertain (not certain)
In-: This prefix also creates a negative meaning.
-
- Visible becomes Invisible (not visible)
- Complete becomes Incomplete (not complete)
Im-: Used before words starting with ‘m’ or ‘p’.
-
- Possible becomes Impossible (not possible)
- Mature becomes Immature (not mature)
Il-: Used before words starting with ‘l’.
-
- Legal becomes Illegal (not legal)
- Legible becomes Illegible (not legible)
Ir-: Used before words starting with ‘r’.
-
- Regular becomes Irregular (not regular)
- Responsible becomes Irresponsible (not responsible)
Dis-: Another common negative prefix.
-
- Agree becomes Disagree (not agree)
- Appear becomes Disappear (not appear)
Non-: Indicates absence or negation.
-
- Fiction becomes Nonfiction (not fiction)
- Sense becomes Nonsense (not making sense)
Number Prefixes
Number prefixes indicate quantities or order.
Common number prefixes include “uni-“, “bi-“, “tri-“, “quad-“, “penta-“, and “multi-“.
Uni-: Means “one”.
-
- Cycle becomes Unicycle (one wheel)
- Corn becomes Unicorn (one horn)
Bi-: Means “two”.
-
- Cycle becomes Bicycle (two wheels)
- Weekly becomes Biweekly (occurring every two weeks)
Tri-: Means “three”.
-
- Cycle becomes Tricycle (three wheels)
- Angle becomes Triangle (a shape with three angles)
Quad-: Means “four”.
-
- Cycle becomes Quadcycle (four wheels)
- Ruplet becomes Quadruplet (four offspring born at the same time)
Penta-: Means “five”.
-
- Gon becomes Pentagon (a shape with five sides)
- Grams becomes Pentagrams (a shape with five points)
Multi-: Means “many”.
-
- Task becomes Multitask (perform many tasks)
- Cultural becomes Multicultural (involving many cultures)
Position Prefixes
Position prefixes indicate location, direction, or placement.
Common position prefixes include “sub-“, “super-“, “inter-“, “intra-“, “pre-“, and “post-“.
Sub-: Means “under” or “below”.
-
- Marine becomes Submarine (a vessel that goes under the sea)
- Way becomes Subway (an underground railway)
Super-: Means “above” or “over”.
-
- Natural becomes Supernatural (beyond natural)
- Market becomes Supermarket (a large self-service store)
Inter-: Means “between” or “among”.
-
- National becomes International (between nations)
- Act becomes Interact (to act among others)
Intra-: Means “within” or “inside”.
-
- State becomes Intrastate (within a state)
- Mural becomes Intramural (within an institution, especially a school)
Pre-: Means “before”.
-
- Historic becomes Prehistoric (before recorded history)
- View becomes Preview (to view before)
Post-: Means “after”.
-
- War becomes Postwar (after the war)
- Graduate becomes Postgraduate (after graduating)
Time Prefixes
Time prefixes indicate when something happens. Common time prefixes include “pre-“, “post-“, “fore-“, “re-“, and “ex-“.
Pre-: Means “before”.
Post-: Means “after”.
-
- Modern becomes Postmodern (after modern times)
- Season becomes Postseason (after the season)
Fore-: Means “before” or “in front of”.
Re-: Means “again”.
Ex-: Means “former” or “out of”.
-
- President becomes Ex-president (a former president)
- Patriot becomes Expatriot (someone who has left their homeland)
Degree or Size Prefixes
Degree or size prefixes indicate the intensity, extent, or size of something.
Common degree or size prefixes include “super-“, “hyper-“, “mini-“, “micro-“, and “mega-“.
Super-: Means “above”, “beyond”, or “very”.
-
- Human becomes Superhuman (beyond human)
- Star becomes Superstar (a very famous star)
Hyper-: Means “over”, “excessive”, or “extreme”.
-
- Active becomes Hyperactive (excessively active)
- Sensitive becomes Hypersensitive (extremely sensitive)
Mini-: Means “small” or “little”.
-
- Car becomes Minicar (a small car)
- Skirt becomes Miniskirt (a short skirt)
Micro-: Means “small”.
Mega-: Means “large” or “great”.
-
- City becomes Megacity (a very large city)
- Byte becomes Megabyte (a large unit of digital information)
Examples in Sentences
To better understand how prefixes work in context, let’s look at some sentences with words that include prefixes.
- Un-: The solution remained unsolved despite their efforts.
- In-: The instructions were incomplete, making the task difficult.
- Bi-: She rides her bicycle to school every day.
- Pre-: We had a preview of the new movie before its official release.
- Post-: The postwar era brought many changes to the country.
- Re-: He had to rewrite the essay after receiving feedback.
- Super-: The supermarket offers a wide variety of products.
- Hyper-: The child was extremely hyperactive during the trip.
- Mini-: She bought a miniskirt for the summer party.
- Micro-: Scientists use microscopes to study microorganisms.
Importance of Prefixes in English
Prefixes play a crucial role in the English language for several reasons:
Vocabulary Expansion:
Learning prefixes can help you decipher the meanings of unfamiliar words, thereby expanding your vocabulary.
Word Formation:
Prefixes allow the creation of new words, which can enhance both written and spoken communication.
Precision in Language:
Using prefixes can make your language more precise and specific.
Comprehension:
Understanding prefixes can improve reading comprehension and the ability to infer the meaning of new words.
Tips for Learning Prefixes
Start Small:
Begin with common prefixes and gradually learn more complex ones.
Practice:
Use new words with prefixes in sentences to reinforce their meanings.
Flashcards:
Create flashcards with prefixes on one side and their meanings and examples on the other.
Reading:
Read a variety of texts to encounter words with prefixes in context.
Games and Quizzes:
Engage in word games and quizzes that focus on prefixes.
In Summary
Learning about prefixes is super important in English because they help change and make new words.
If you get good at using prefixes, you can make your vocabulary better, understand things more easily, and talk in a clearer way.
Just begin with the simple stuff, keep practicing, and before you know it, you’ll see how prefixes can make your language skills stronger.
