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Prefixes and Suffixes

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This presentation will look at how prefixes and suffixes can help us to understand and spell words.

Prefixes and suffixes

Words are full of patterns and rules.

Prefixes and suffixes help to create patterns in words.


A prefix is a letter or group of letters that is fixed in front of the root of a word. The prefix changes the meaning of the word.

struct (build)

construct

destruct

obstruct

Knowing what the prefixes mean can help our understanding of unfamiliar words. In this example, the prefixes are:con = with/together; de = down; ob = in the way.

Prefixes

con

de

ob


Look at these words. The prefixes are in orange.

inaccurate

impolite

illegal

unhelpful

irregular

What is the effect of the prefix in each case?

The prefixes in, im, il, un, and ir all mean not. So by using these prefixes, the meaning of the words changes – to the opposite meaning.

These are antonym prefixes. Antonym means ‘opposite’ and they make the original word into its opposite.

Can you think of other prefixes which do the same?

Antonym prefixes


Antonym prefixes


Latin and Greek prefixes


Prefixes


A suffix is a group of letters which is added to the end of a word, and which changes the meaning of the word.

play

+ er

+ ed

+ ing

player

played

playing

Knowing how suffixes work can help our understanding of words and their spelling.

Suffixes


Suffixes


Look at what happens when we add suffixes to a word ending in e (in this example, hope).

hope

+ ed

+ ing

+ ful

+ less

hoped

hoping

hopeful

hopeless

Can you work out the rule?

If the suffix begins with a vowel, the e is usually dropped. If the suffix begins with a consonant, the e remains.

Note: words ending in a soft ce or ge usually keep the e before able and ous, e.g. knowledgeable, courageous.

With these two, the e is dropped before adding the suffix.

With these two, the e remains and the suffix is added.

Suffixes for words ending in e


Now look what happens when we add suffixes to words ending in consonant + y.

happy

+ er

+ ly

+ est

+ ness

happier

happily

happiest

happiness

Can you see what is happening?

The y changes to an i and then the suffix is added.

So for words ending in consonant + y, the y changes to an i before the prefix is added. (With a vowel + y word, just add the suffix.)

Suffixes for words ending in y


Suffixes


Look what happens when we add full to a word.

full becomes ful

Remember what happens with words ending in y.

care

waste

help

+ full

+ full

+ full

beauty

plenty

+ full

+ full

careful

wasteful

helpful

beautiful

plentiful

The y changes to i before adding ful.

-ful suffixes


Many words have endings like these. They make a shun sound. Here are some examples.

cian, sion and tion suffixes

Words ending in -tion, the most common of the ‘shun’ words.

Words ending in -sion. The root word ends in d/de or s/se.

Words ending in -cian usually indicate jobs/people.

detention

fiction

action

instruction

collision

extension

fusion

explosion

optician

dietician

magician

Can you think of any more?


cian, sion and tion suffixes

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