Prefixes

• State Reading Preparation

Omni-

• Latin prefix• All • Every

– Omnipotent=all powerful– Omniscient=all knowing

Spelling strategy: to decide how to spell the unstressed vowel sound represented by a schwa ,think of another form of the word in which the vowel is stressed. Then, use the same vowel.

– For example, morality; you will know to use an a in moral.

Re-

• Latin prefix• Again• Back

– Latin word fluere means “to flow”• Refluent means flowing back

– Latin word refulgere means “to flash back”– Refulgent means brilliant

• Spelling Strategy-• Re ending in British words like sceptre is usually spelled scepter

in America

Ex-

• Latin prefix• Out– Extort= to squeeze out– Expedite= to speed up– Exceed= go beyond the normal limits

Spelling strategy: when ex means out, do not use a hyphen. Extort,export,extract

When it means former, use a hyphen; ex-president, ex-wife

Multi-

• Latin prefix• Many• Much– Multitudinous=numerous– Multimedia=?

Spelling Strategy: in general, use tion to spell the sound of shun, as in portion

Use sion to spell the sound of zhun, as in erosion

Mal-

• Latin prefix• Bad• Badly– Malady= badly adjusted– malice= to slander

Spelling strategy: the letters sc usually make the sound of sk, as in describe.

Sometimes, sc makes the sound of sh, as in prescient, or s, as in science.

Ob-

• Latin prefix• Against– obstinate-= stand against– Obstruction= something blocking (a fallen tree)

Spelling strategy: verbs that end in –ate have noun forms ending in –ion. Drop the final e before adding the suffix, as in capitulate/capitulation , celebrate/celebration

Mono-

• Greek prefix• Alone• one– Monotonous speaker= uses one tone; doesn’t vary voice– Monologue=?– Monochrome=?Spelling strategy: the vowels a,o, and u after the letter g

indicate the hard g as in gob (of candy) and guide.The vowels i and e after g often indicate the soft g as in

prodigious and generous

Fore-

• Anglo-Saxon prefix• Before (either in time or place or condition)– If you have foreknowledge of an event, you can

take steps to prepare for it or even to forestall it.– Foretell= ?– Forefathers=?

Di-• Greek prefix• Apart• Away– Digress= to move away from a subject– True or False, as in studious• A path diverges if it branches off.• A diverse menu features similar food.Spelling strategy: when you form adjectives by adding

the –ious suffix to stems ending in d, use the spelling –ious as in studious.

An exception to this rule is the word hideous.

Dys-

• Greek prefix• Difficult• Bad– Dysentery = ?– Dysfunctional= ?Spelling strategy: the suffixes –ety and –ity change

an adjective into a noun. For example, anxious/anxiety

Auto-

• Greek prefix• Self– Automobile=?

Spelling strategy: the shun sound in a suffix is usually formed by the letters sion or tion, as in percussion or automation.

Con-

• Latin prefix• With• Together– Confluence= flowing together

Spelling strategy: many words end in –ent or –ence, such as dependent or dependence.

Dis-

• Latin prefix• Can have several meanings:– Apart– Away

• Disseminate or distribute

-Notdishonest, disbelief

Spelling strategy: the pronunciation of the letter g can be either hard or soft. Remember in a word containing a soft g, such as giant, the g must always be followed by I or e.

In-

• Latin prefix• Two meanings:– A location or direction= in, into, within, on, toward• Insert,indent,invade

-A negative = no, not, without• inescapable, inseparable, and inextricable- When in- is used before a word beginning with p, the

prefix becomes im, such as imperviousness

Pro-

• Latin prefix• Forward– Protruded= thrust forward– Progress=?– Prohibit=?

Trans-

• Latin prefix• Across• Over– Transparent= clear enough to be seen through– Transcontinental=?– Transplant=?