Using prefixes
In a nutshell
A prefix is a letter or group of letters placed at the beginning of a word to create a new word with a different meaning. Prefixes are placed at the front of a 'root' word. In this summary, you will learn the meanings of common prefixes and how to use them.
Prefixes
Prefixes can be added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. They can be made up of one letter or a group of letters.
Prefix
| Meaning
| example Prefix+Root word
|
| un- | not | unhappy (un+happy), uncomfortable (un+comfortable) |
| over- | too much | overestimate (over+estimate), overcooked (over+cooked) |
| trans- | across, beyond | transplant (trans+plant), transform (trans+form) |
| bi- | two | bicolor (bi+color), biweekly (bi+weekly) |
| tri- | three | triangle (tri+angle), tricycle (tri+cycle) |
| semi- | half, partly | semi-final (semi+final), semicircle (semi+circle) |
| aero- | air-related | aeroplane (aero+plane), aerospace (aero+space) |
| micro- | small | microscope (micro-scope), microwave (micro+wave) |
| tele- | distance | telephone (tele+phone), television (tele+vision) |
| photo- | light | photosynthesis (photo+synthesis), photocopy (photo+copy) |
Hyphens in prefixes
Sometimes adding a prefix can create a word that looks identical to another. In this case, a hyphen is used to clarify the meaning.
Example
I re-sent you the email this morning. (I sent the email again this morning.)
I resent your accusation. (I feel bitter that you accused me of something I did not do.)
Tip: Hyphens are sometimes used if a prefix ends in a vowel and the root word begins in a vowel. This makes it clearer when reading and writing words.
