Name: ____________________________ Class: 7: ______

Prefixes and Suffixes

A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a base word / root word  and
changes its meaning.

Sam is happy about the results of the exam.

Sam is unhappy about the results of the exam.

Common Prefixes in English

Prefix Meaning Examples Meaning
Unwrapped Not wrapped
Dishonest Not honest
un-, dis-, non-, not, the opposite of, Nonprofit Not profit
im-, and il- lack of Immortal Not mortal
Illogical Not logical
Discomfort lack of comfort
re- again, back Reheat heat again
Supersonic Above the speed of sound
super- above, beyond
Superstructure Above the foundation
sub- below, under Subzero Below zero
fore- front, before Forenoon Before noon - morning
post- after Postwar After the war
Unicycle One-wheeled vehicle
uni- one
Uniform One (the same form)
bi- two Biweekly Every two weeks
tri- three Triangle Three-sided figure

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1- Determine which word with a prefix best matches the definition.

1- Every three months:

a. bimonthly
b. trimonthly
c. neither

2- Soil under the surface:

a. subsoil
b. supersoil
c. neither

3- To apply again:
a. reapply
b. preapply
c. neither

4- To write a date after today’s:

a. predate
b. postdate
c. neither

5- Two-winged airplane:

a. triplane
b. uniplane
c. neither

6- The front legs of an animal:

a. postlegs
b. forelegs
c. neither

7- not allowed by the law or against the law:

a. illegal
b. bilegal
c. neither

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2- Which word with a prefix best replaces the bolded words in the following
sentence?

A) Some people are born with talent that seems almost beyond the natural.

a. fantastic
b. unnatural
c. supernatural
d. none of the above

B) I’ve never seen a yellow undersea vehicle in my life.

a. submarine
b. supership
c. boat
d. none of the above

C) We thought the dog might be wounded when he began licking his front paw.

a. tripaw
b. foot
c. forepaw
d. none of the above

D) Our organization meets three times a year.

a. triannually
b. biannually
c. trimonthly
d. none of the above

E) My boss asked me to write the report again

a. superwrite
b. postwrite
c. rewrite
d. none of the above

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3- Read each sample sentence. Then write your own sentence using a word
with the same prefix as the word in bold.

1- We both agreed that this situation is impossible.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2- I will revise this poem.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3- He said the baby’s words sounded like nonsense.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4- Jack was disappointed to discover that the shirt was unaffordable.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

5- We all had to vote on the issue because subcommittee couldn’t decide what to do.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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 Prefixes and Suffixes

A suffix is a word part that is added to the end of a base word / root word  and changes its
meaning and part of speech. (For example, adding -ness to kind (an adjective) makes it into
kindness (a noun).

 The spelling of a word can change when a suffix is added.

Suffix Meaning Examples Meaning

-ship Neighborhood - state of being neighbors
state of or condition of
-hood Friendship - state of being friends

-ment state of or act of Management - act of managing

in the direction of or
-ward Homeward - toward home
toward

-ist one who Archaeologist - one who studies archaeology

-ish like Childish - like a child

-ous full of or like courageous - full of courage

-al Alphabetical - having to do with the alphabet

-less without Endless - without an end

-ful full of Beautiful - full of beauty

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1- Determine which word with a suffix best matches the definition.

1- Toward the sky:

a. upward
b. skyward
c. neither

2- The act of being excited:

a. excitable
b. exciting
c. neither

3- The state of being a leader:

a. leadership
b. leadward
c. neither

4- Full of humor:
a. humorist
b. humorous
c. neither

5- Having to do with tradition:

a. traditionless
b. traditionhood
c. neither

6- One who writes novels:

a. novelist
b. novelty
c. neither

7- without any care:

a. careful
b. careless
c. neither

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2- Which word with a suffix best replaces the bolded words in the following
sentence?

A) My grandfather is nearly eighty, but he still has the boy-like grin of a young man.

a. boyhood
b. childish
c. boyish
d. none of the above

B) What he said in court was an absolute state of being false.

a. falsehood
b. untruth
c. lie
d. none of the above

C) When it comes to my science grade, there is definitely room for the act of improving.

a. effort
b. betterment
c. improvement
d. none of the above

D) Driving is full of peril in this stormy weather.

a. perilous
b. difficult
c. perilless
d. none of the above

E) The one who studies chemistry mixed some medicine for me.

a. chemical
b. chemistry
c. chemist

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d. none of the above

3- Read each sample sentence. Then write your own sentence using a word
with the same suffix as the word in bold.

1- Did you know that his mother is a well-known scientist?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2- With the sun beaming through the trees, the forest looked absolutely magical.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3- Rashid was worried that his grades might affect his membership status.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4- The people of Washington D.C. have fought many years for statehood.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

5- Now that the rain has cleared, I don’t think the hike should be too dangerous.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..