•Prefixes are letters
that are added to
the beginning of
a word.

For example
preschool
• The prefix is pre-
• The prefix pre means “before”
so the word preschool means
“before school”

A prefix
changes the
meaning of
a word.

Prefix Root Word New Word
im-
(not)
polite impolite
(not polite)
in-
(not)
complete incomplete
(not complete)
bi-
(two)
cycle bicycle
(two wheels)
non-
(not)
stop nonstop
(without stopping)
dis-
(not or opposite of)
agree disagree
(not agreeing)
re-
(again)
use reuse
(to use again)

•Suffixes are
letters added to
the end of a
word.

•A suffix also
changes the
meaning of a
word.

For example
careless
• The suffix is –less
• The suffix –less means
without so the word careless
means “without care”

Root Word Suffix New Word
home -less
(without)
homeless
(without a home)
cheer -ful
(full of)
cheerful
(full of cheer)
shyness -ness
(state or quality)
shyness
(condition of being shy)

Root Word Suffix New Word
farm -er
(someone who)
farmer
(someone who
farms)
act -or
(someone who)
actor
(someone who
acts)
bend
-able
(can be)
bendable
(can be bent)
reverse
-ible
(can be)
reversible
(can be reversed)

Root Words
• A root word is a real word.
• We make new words
from root words by adding
prefixes and suffixes.

•Sometimes the root
word is also called the
base word
(That is a USEful piece
of information!!)

For example
• In the word unhappy
the root word is happy
• In the word eventful
the root word is event

What’s the root word?
•wildly
•beautiful
•sleepily
•uncomfortable
• incomplete

What’s the root word?
• wildly
• beautiful
• sleepily
• uncomfortable
• incomplete
• wild
• beauty
• sleepy
• comfortable
• complete

Can you think of
any words with
prefixes and
suffixes?

Practice Makes Perfect!!
• http://www.funenglishgames.com/grammargames/prefixsuffix.html
• http://www.fekids.com/kln/noflash.html
• http://www.ezschool.com/Games/PrefixSuffix.html
• http://www.tv411.org/lessons/cfm/vocabulary.cfm?str=vocabulary&num=1&act=4&que
=1
• http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/spell_it_out.htm