Prefixes and Suffixes

1
Prefixes and Suffixes
2
Objectives

• Use knowledge of root words as well as context
  clues and glossaries to understand specialized
  vocabulary in the content areas during reading.
• Use these words accurately in speaking and
  writing.
• Describe the origins and meanings of common,
  learned and foreign words used frequently in
  English language writing and literature.
• Identify new words that have been added to the
  English language over time using prefixes.

3
How many words are in the English Language?

• The Second Edition of the Oxford English
  Dictionary contains full entries for 171,476
  words in current use, and 47,156 obsolete words.
• To this may be added around 9,500 derivative
  words included as subentries.
• Over half of these words are nouns, about a
  quarter adjectives, and about a seventh verbs
  the rest is made up of interjections,
  conjunctions, prepositions, suffixes, etc.
• These figures take no account of entries with
  senses for different parts of speech (such as
  noun and adjective).

4
Shrinking Vocabulary

• The average sixth grade student knows
  approximately 25,000 words.
• The average high school graduate knows
  approximately 50,000 words.
• This means that average students learn roughly
  2000-3,000 words a year (Graves, 2007).
• This translates to 8 words a day, 7 days a week,
  52 weeks a year - including weekends or summers.

5

• Half of all high-frequency words
• every day words,
• and two-thirds of all academic and technical
  words are derived from Latin or Greek.
• So learn the meanings of roots, prefixes, and
  suffixes and these basic elements make it easier
  to learn new words.

6
Prefixes

• Number Prefixes
• These prefixes indicate number value in a word
• Bi- two bicycle-two wheels
• Tri- three trianglethree angles
• Prefixes are added to the beginning of words to
  change a words meaning. Cycle is something you
  ride. Bicycle is something you ride with two
  wheels.

7
You try

• Write a word that uses each prefix, then write a
  definition for the word
• Bi-
• Tri-

8

• Not Prefixes These prefixes indicate the word
  not
• ilillegalnot legal
• Imimpossiblenot possible
• Ininactivenot active
• Irirregularnot regular
• Nonnonsenseno sense
• Ununablenot able

9
You Try

• Write a word that uses each prefix, then write a
  definition for the word
• il
• Im
• In
• Ir
• Non
• Un

10

• Direction Prefixes
• Delowerdescend-move to a lower place
• Midmiddlemidwaymiddle of the way
• Inin/intoinhalebreath in Imin/intoimportbrin
  g into
• Rebackre curvea backwards bend
• Subundersubmarineunderwater
• Superabovesuperimposeplace above

11
You Try

• Write a word that uses each prefix, then write a
  definition for the word
• De
• Mid
• In
• Im
• Re
• Sub
• Super

12

• Time Prefixes
• Foreahead of timeforewarnwarn ahead of time
• Prebeforeprefixbefore the word
• Reagainredodo again

13
You Try

• Write a word that uses each prefix, then write a
  definition for the word
• Fore
• Pre
• Re

14

• Behavior Prefixes
• Miswronglymisunderstandwrongly understand
• Misbadlymisbehavebadly behave

15
You Try

• Write a word that uses each prefix, then write a
  definition for the word
• Mis
• Mis

16

• Combining Prefixes
• Comtogethercompactpacked together
• Conwithcontactcommunicate with

17
You Try

• Write a word that uses each prefix, then write a
  definition for the word
• Com
• Con

18
Suffixes

• -ment action or process movement, bewilderment,
  government
• -ness state of, condition of kindness,
  ruthlessness
• -able, -ible can be done comfortable, capable,
  visible
• -ful full of, having some or much useful, hopeful
• -or    -er    -ar a person connected with
  (changes verb to noun) actor, runner, beggar
• ous -eous -ious possessing the quality of
  courteous, delicious, religious