Affix Notes

Created by: Ms. Brezek

Affix
A word part that is attached to a base word or a root word that changes the meaning of the word.

2 kinds of affixes
Prefixes - A prefix is a word part that is attached to the beginning of a word.
prefix

Suffix - A suffix is a word part that is attached to the end of a word.

suffix

reviewing review

Root Words vs. Base Words

A root word is a word part that is left when the affixes are removed. Root words cannot stand alone. Example: except Prefix - ex root - cept (cept is not a word by itself, it cannot stand alone.) A base word is a word that can stand alone when the affixes are removed. Example: inside Prefix - in Base - side (side is a word, it can stand alone.)

Top 5 Prefixes
prefix
unrein-, im-, ir-, ill-

meaning
not, opposite of
again not

example
unable
reread Inactive, immature, irregular, illegal Dishonest

dis-

not, opposite of

en-, em-

cause to

enable, empower

Top 5 Suffixes
suffix
-s, -es
-ed

meaning
plurals (more than one)
past-tense verbs

example
cats, dishes
landed, smelled, wished

-ing

verb form happening right now

characteristic of person who

Laughing

-ly -er, -or

gladly painter, director, teacher

Top 5 Suffixes
suffix
-s, -es
-ed

meaning
plurals (more than one)
past-tense verbs

example
cats, dishes
landed, smelled, wished

-ing

verb form happening right now

characteristic of person who

Laughing

-ly -er, -or

gladly painter, director, teacher

How the meaning changes

If you can understand what the word read means, you can figure out what reread means. Re- means to do again, so reread means to read again. If you can understand what jump means, you can figure out what jumped means. -ed means it happened in the past, so someone must have jumped in the past.

Now
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