What is Prefix and Suffix - Definition with Examples

Prefixes and suffixes are groups of letters added to words to change their meaning. A prefix comes at the beginning of a word, and a suffix comes at the end. These parts can not be used alone, but they help form new words from ones we already know.

By learning prefix and suffix words, students can easily understand the meaning of many words and use them better while reading or writing. Keep reading to learn the prefix and suffix meanings with simple examples.

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Prefix and Suffix Meaning

To understand many English words, knowing the prefix and suffix meanings becomes important. A prefix is a group of letters added at the beginning of a word. It changes the meaning of the word. For example, in the word unhappy, "un-" is the prefix, and it changes the meaning of "happy" to its opposite.

On the other hand, a suffix is added at the end of a word. It also changes the word’s meaning or how it is used in a sentence. For example, in the word kindness, "-ness" is the suffix that changes the adjective kind into a noun.

So, the answer to the commonly asked question "what is prefix and suffix?" is that they are short syllables that help create new words and make their meanings clearer.

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50 Examples of Prefixes and Suffixes

Prefix and suffix words are made by adding a group of letters before or after a root word, which changes the meaning of the original word. To understand prefix and suffix meaning better, it's helpful to look at real examples. That’s why, for students’ reference, here are 50 examples of prefixes and suffixes, along with the new words they form and what those words mean.

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25 Common Prefixes Examples with Word Meaning:

To know how prefixes change root words and their meanings, check out the prefixes examples given below.

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25 Common Suffix Examples with Word Meaning:

To understand how suffixes change the meaning of root words, here are 25 common suffix examples along with the new words they form and their meanings.

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Words with Both Prefix and Suffix Added

In English, adding both a prefix at the beginning and a suffix at the end of a word helps create many new words with different meanings. Learning these words can help students understand English better and use words correctly. To know the words with both prefix and suffix added, forming new words, check the table below.

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Rules to Follow While Adding Prefix and Suffix

In English, when a prefix or suffix is added to a word, some simple spelling rules must be followed. These rules help students form correct words and improve their vocabulary.

Rules for Adding Prefixes

1. Prefixes are usually added directly to the root word without changing its spelling. For example: happy becomes unhappy, and correct becomes incorrect.

2. In some cases, a hyphen is added between the prefix and the base word, especially with prefixes like non and ex. For example, non-violence, ex-serviceman, etc.

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Rules for Adding Suffixes

1. If the root word ends in a consonant (other than 'y'), the suffix can usually be added directly. For example: quick becomes quickly, and truth becomes truthful.

2. If the word ends in 'y' and there is a consonant before it, the 'y' is changed to 'i' before adding suffixes like -ness, -ly, or -al. For example: happy becomes happily, try becomes trial, etc.

3. Some words ending in 'y' do not follow this rule and keep the 'y'. For example: shy becomes shyly, sly becomes slyly, etc.

4. If a word ends in a silent 'e', the 'e' is dropped before adding a suffix that begins with a vowel. For instance: move becomes moving, love becomes lovable, etc.

5. There are exceptions where the 'e' is not dropped. For example, like becomes likeable, manage becomes manageable, etc.

6. When the suffix -tion or -sion is added to words ending in 'de' or 'te', the final consonant and the silent 'e' are often dropped. For example, divide becomes division, ignite becomes ignition, etc.

7. For words ending in 're' or 'se', sometimes an 'a' is added before adding the suffix -tion. For instance, admire becomes admiration, converse becomes conversation, etc.

8. When adding -er or -est to short adjectives (usually one-syllable), the final consonant is often doubled. For instance, big becomes bigger, hot becomes hottest, etc.

9. For words ending in 'y', adding -ness usually requires changing the 'y' to 'i'. For example, happy becomes happiness, lively becomes liveliness, etc.

10. Some words do not follow the above rule and keep the 'y'. For example, shy becomes shyness, dry becomes dryness, etc.

11. In a few cases, 'li' is added before 'ness.' Like clean becomes cleanliness, kind becomes kindliness, etc.

Rules for Adding Both Prefix and Suffix

When both a prefix and a suffix are added to a word, the same spelling rules apply for each. For instance, happy becomes unhappily, success becomes unsuccessful, etc.

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Prefix and Suffix Practice Questions

1. Complete the sentences by adding a suitable prefix or suffix to the word in brackets.

• a) The boy was very __________ (care) while crossing the road.

• b) They had to __________ (build) the old house after the flood.

• c) She looked very __________ (happy) after winning the prize.

2. Look at the word and tell whether it has a prefix or suffix.

• a) Unkind

• b) Fearless

• c) Replay

• d) Childhood

3. Add a prefix or suffix to each word to make a new word. Make sure the new word is meaningful.

• a) Use

• b) Friend

• c) Honest

• d) Clean

• e) Move

Answers:

1. Fill in the Blanks:

• a) Careful

• b) Rebuild

• c) Unhappy

2. Prefix or Suffix:

• a) Unkind: Prefix (un-)

• b) Fearless: Suffix (-less)

• c) Replay: Prefix (re-)

• d) Childhood: Suffix (-hood)

3. Form New Words:

• a) Reuse (prefix: re-)

• b) Friendly (suffix: -ly)

• c) Dishonest (prefix: dis-)

• d) Cleaner (suffix: -er)

• e) Movement (suffix: -ment)

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