VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES

Prefixes and Suffixes are two basic ways of forming new words from existing ones. While a
prefix is the part of a word or some letters added at the beginning of an existing word to change its
meaning, a suffix is that added at the end of a word to still form a different word.

Knowledge of prefixes and suffixes enables you to guess the meaning of unknown words when you
cannot use a dictionary. In other words, knowledge of them helps you to increase your vocabulary and
form antonyms of words.

‘Pre-‘in the word ‘prefix ‘is a prefix added before the word ‘fix’; Pre- means ‘before’, so ‘prefix’ means
wat is fixed before another thing, in this case, before a word.

Prefixes are of various kinds. However, you must be careful- a word must exist before you can call what
is attached before it, a prefix. Look at these two examples:

1. Preach
2. Prearrange

‘Pre’ in 1 is not a prefix. Remove that and you have ‘-ach’ which is not a word. ‘Pre’ in 2 is a prefix.
Remove it and you have ‘arrange’ which is a word. Its meaning changes with the addition of ‘pre-‘ to
arrange ahead of time’

Prefixes are of two types – (1) those that form antonyms, known as Reversative Prefixes and (2) those
that form Word Extension and new meanings. Study the following prefixes. They are Reversative
prefixes. Helping to form antonyms.

REVERSATIVE PREFIXES

Word Antonym

Use of dis- -

Trust distrust

Enchanted disenchanted

Order ------------

Approval --------

Use of im-

Word antonym

Mature immature

Polite ---------

Possible -----------

Practicable ------------
Patient -----------

Use of il-

Legitimate illegitimate

Literate illiterate

Legal ----------

Liberal -----------

Use of in-

Accurate inaccurate

Adequate -----------

Capable -----------

Competent -----------

Compatible ------------

Use of anti-

Clockwise -----------

Social -----------

Climax ------------

Coagulant --------

Depressant --------

Use of un-

Interesting -----------

Believable ----------

Healthy unhealthy

Prefixes - Word Extension

These are prefixes that form new words with new meanings. For example: ‘mis-‘ when this Prefix is
added to a word it means something has been done wrongly or badly: mis-+ behave =misbehave;
mis+understand =misunderstand; complete the table below:

Quote ---------

Calculate ----------

Read ---------

There are many other prefixes, as English language is rich in prefixes:

‘be’

Head - behead

Friend -----------

Grudge ---------

Guile beguile

‘Arch- ‘

Angel --------

Enemy --------

Other examples are:

‘mal- ‘means something has been badly or wrongly e.g. mal+ treat= maltreat, mal+ function etc.

‘Super-’ prefix (implying over, superior, extremely: e.g. supernatural, superhuman, superstore,
superimpose etc.

‘ex-‘ means ‘former’ e.g. ex- president ;ex- permanent secretary; ex-governor etc.

‘fore’ may mean ‘before’ or ‘in advance ‘e.g. foreknowledge, forewarn, etc.

Find the meaning of the following prefixes:

Counter-, multi-, ante-, mono-, bi-,

SUFFIXES

Suffixes are the word-elements added at the end of a stem to realise another word. Suffixes usually
change the grammatical classification of a word. Examples: -ness, -ment, -er, -s.

Types of Suffix

Suffixes are of two types : derivational and inflectional.