Determine the meanings of words with prefixes and suffixes: review

Key Notes :

What are Prefixes and Suffixes?

Think of words like LEGO bricks! The main brick is the root word. Prefixes and suffixes are like extra LEGO pieces that we attach to the beginning or end to change the word’s meaning.

• Prefix: A group of letters added to the beginning of a word.
• Suffix: A group of letters added to the end of a word.

Prefix Examples:	Suffix Examples:
un- (not): unhappy (not happy)	-ful (full of): helpful (full of help)
re- (again): rewrite (write again)	-less (without): careless (without care)
pre- (before): preheat (heat before)	-er (one who): teacher (one who teaches)
dis- (opposite of): disagree (not agree)	-ing (action): walking (the act of walking)
mis- (wrongly): misspell (spell wrongly)	-ly (how something is done): quickly (done in a quick manner)

How Prefixes and Suffixes Change Meanings

Prefixes and suffixes are like secret codes that unlock the true meaning of words!

Let’s look at some examples:

Root Word: Happy

• Prefix (un-): Unhappy (changes the meaning to not happy)

Root Word: Write

• Prefix (re-): Rewrite (changes the meaning to write again)

Root Word: Care

• Suffix (-less): Careless (changes the meaning to without care)

Root Word: Help

• Suffix (-ful): Helpful (changes the meaning to full of help)

Practice Time!

Let’s practice identifying prefixes and suffixes!

Exercise 1: Circle the prefix or suffix in each word.

1. replay
2. unzip
3. careful
4. smaller
5. dislike

Exercise 2: Write the meaning of the following words using your knowledge of prefixes and suffixes.

1. unhappy
2. preheat
3. teacher
4. walking
5. misunderstand

Exercise 3: Add a prefix or suffix to the root word to create a new word. Then use the new word in a sentence.

Root Word: Kind

• Add: (un-)
• New Word: ________
• Sentence: ______________________________________

Root Word: Use

• Add: (-ful)
• New Word: ________
• Sentence: ______________________________________

Summary

Today, we reviewed prefixes and suffixes. We learned that prefixes are added to the beginning of words, and suffixes are added to the end. We also saw how these small additions can change the meaning of words. Keep practicing to become word detectives!

Let’s practice!