Prefixes and Suffixes

Most Common Prefixes

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red_c2_ar_l04_commpre

Name Date

G R A P H I C O R G A N I Z E R

anti- against antifreeze

de- opposite defrost

dis-* not, opposite of disagree

en-, em- cause to encode, embrace

fore- before forecast

in-, im- in infield

in-, im-, il-, ir-* not injustice, impossible

inter- between interact

mid- middle midway

mis- wrongly misfire

non- not nonsense

over- over overlook

pre- before prefix

re-* again return

semi- half semicircle

sub- under submarine

super- above superstar

trans- across transport

un-* not unfriendly

under- under undersea

*Most frequent. The four most frequent prefixes account for 97 percent of prefixed

words in printed school English.

Prefix Meaning Key Word

From Teaching Reading Sourcebook: For Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade by Bill Honig, Linda Diamond, and Linda Gutlohn. © 2000 by CORE.

Reproduced by permission of Arena Press.

Most Common Suffixes

Copyright © Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. This page may be photocopied for use with students.

red_c2_ar_l04_commsuf

Name Date

G R A P H I C O R G A N I Z E R

-able, -ible can be done comfortable

-al, -ial having personal

characteristics of

-ed* past-tense verbs hopped

-en made of wooden

-er comparative higher

-er, one who worker, actor

-est comparative biggest

-ful full

...