SUFFIXES AND PREFIXES

 

SUFFIXES AND PREFIXES

PREFIXES

Prefixes are added to the beginning of words to form new words. They normally change the meaning of the word but not the type of words

NEGATIVE PREFIXES TO FORM NOUNS, VERBS AND ADJECTIVES					OTHER PREFIXES
Prefix	Meaning	Precedes	Examples		Prefix	Meaning	Precedes	Examples
Un-	The opposite of, the absence of, not	Adjectives, participles, verbs	Unable Unbelievable Unemployed Unfair Unfriendly Unpleasant Unreliable Unsuccessful		Inter-	Between, among	Adjectives, Adverbs	Interactive Intercontinental International interweave
					Re-	Again , back	Verbs, nouns	React Re-apply Rebuild Recycle Re-use
Non-	Not	Nouns, adjectives	Non-smoker Non-essential Non- fiction Nonconformist		Cyber-	Computer. internet	Nouns	Cyberspace Cybercafé Cybernetics Cyberpunk
In-	The opposite of, not	Adjectives	Incomplete Incorrect Inevitable Insane		Anti-	against	Adjectives, nouns	Antibody Anticlimax Anti-nuclear Anti-social
il- (before l)	The opposite of, not	Adjectives	Illegal Illegitimate Illiterate Illogical		Super-	More than, very special	Adjectives, nouns	Superimpose Supermarket Supernatural Superstar
Im- (before m, p)	The opposite of, not	Adjectives	Immature Impatient Imperfect Impolite Impossible		Over-	Too much	Adjectives. verbs	Overconfident Overeat Overestimate Overreact
Ir- (before r)	The opposite of, not	Adjectives	Irrational Irregular Irrelevant Irresponsible		Under-	Too little	Verbs, participles adjectives nouns	Underchange Undercook Underestimate underprivileged
Dis-	The opposite of, not	Adjectives. Verbs, nouns	Disconnect Dislike Disloyal Disobedient disobey		Extra-	Exceptionally outside	adjectives	Extracurricular Extraordinary extraterrestrial

SUFFIXES

We add suffixes to the end of a word to make new words. They usually change the type of word, for example nation (abstract noun), national (adjective), nationality (noun)

1 Nominal suffixes.- They are added to adjectives, verbs and other nouns to form nouns

NOUNS MADE FROM ADJECTIVES				NOUNS MADE FROM VERBS
Suffix	Adjective	Noun		Suffix	Adjective	Noun
-ety	Anxious Poor safe	Anxiety Poverty Safety		-ant/ - ent	Assist Immigrate study	Assistant Immigrant Student
-ity	Active Creative Curious Equal Generous Real stupid	Activity Creativity Curiosity Equality Generosity Reality Stupidity		-ation	Examine Imagine organize	Examination Imagination organization
				-er / -or (occupations)	Drive Teach Act	Driver Teacher actor
-ness	Aware Happy Ill Kind Lonely Sad weak	Awareness Happiness Illness Kindness Loneliness Sadness Weakness		-ion	Act Connect exhibit	Action Connection exhibition
				-ism	Capitalize Criticize Socialize nationalize	Capitalism Criticism Socialism nationalism
-ence	Adolescent Confident Different Independent Intelligent Patient violent	Adolescence Confidence Difference Independence Intelligence Patience violence		-ment	Arrange Achieve Amuse Develop Govern improve	Arrangement Achievement Amusement Development Government improvement

NOUNS FROM OTHER NOUNS
Suffix	Noun	Noun
-ist	Art Biology Optimism Pacifism Phisics science	Artist Biologist Optimist Pacifist Physicist Scientist
-ship	Citizen Friend Member relation	Citizenship Friendship Membership relationship

2  ADJECTIVAL SUFFIXES.- We add them to the verbs, nouns and other adjectives to make adjectives

ADJECTIVES MADE FROM NOUNS				ADJECTIVES MADE FROM VERBS
Suffix	Noun	Adjective		Suffix	Verb	Adjective
-ful	Beauty Care Colour faith	Beautiful Careful Colourful faithful		-ive	Act Attract Compete Create	Acti e Attractive competitive creative
	fear harm hope pain peace power skill	Fearful Harmful Hopeful Painful Peaceful Powerful skillful			Decide Destroy Effect Support	Decisive Destructive Effective supportive
				-able	Accept Advise Afford	Acceptable Advisable affordable
	Success Thought Use Youth wonder	Successful Thoughtful Useful Youthful wonderful			Avail Believe Comfort	Available Believable comfortable
					Depend	Dependable
-less	Care Colour Faith Fear Harm Help Home Hope Pain Power Thought Use	Careless Colourless Faithless Fearless Harmless Helpless Homeless Hopeless Painless Powerless Thoughtless Useless			desire Enjoy irritate Question Reason Rely Suit value	Desirable Enjoyable irritable Questionable Reasonable Reliable Suitable valuable
-al	Accident Environment Logic Music Nation Origin Politics profession	Accidental Environmental Logical Musical National Original Political Professional
-y	Cloud Cream Dirt Dust Fun Hunger Luck Sleep Sun Thirst wealth	Cloudy Creamy Dirty Dusty Funny Hungry Lucky Sleepy Sunny Thirsty wealthy