The "not" prefixes.

dis-: I dislike the medicine. + distrust, dissatisfied

il-: It is illegal to jaywalk. + ill-mannered, illiterate

im-: His actions were improper. + imperfect, impractical

in-: His answer was incorrect. + inactive, insecure

ir-/ear/: He is an irresponsible ski bum. + irregular, irreplaceable

More "not" prefixes.

mal-: What caused the alarm to malfunction? + malformed, malpractice

mis-: I mistrust some politicians. + misguided, mismatch

non-: He flew nonstop to New York. + nonfood, nondairy

un-: I can't unzip my coat. + unable, undo

counter-: Water will counteract the burning. + counterculture, countermove

anti-: He put antifreeze in the car. + antibiotic, antismoking

Seven prefixes. The general meaning of the prefixes below is enclosed in parentheses. The first five prefixes are open syllables ending with a long vowel sound. The last two have a weak vowel.

re-: (again): Frank will rewrite his letter. + redo, retell

pre- (before): The pizza is precut. + presold, pregame

co- (together): Fred's coworker is ill. + copilot, coanchor

de- (from, remove): We should defrost the refrigerator. + decode, destabilize

be- (by): Will you stand beside me? + behead, becalm

a- (on): The empty boat is afloat. + afire, awash

Prefixes that tell where.

hyper- (over): The monkey is hyperactive. + hyperacidity, hyperexcited

hypo- (under): Hypodermic needles are used to give flu shots. + hypotension

inter-(between): Go on the interstate (between cities) highway. + interbank

sub- (below): His temperature is subnormal. + subzero

super- (over): The fireman made a superhuman effort. + supermarket

trans- (across): Linberg made the first transatlantic flight. + transpolar

Prefixes that tell how many or how much.

uni- (one) Charlie rode his unicycle in the parade. + unilateral, unisex

bi- (two) He is riding his mountain bicycle. + biannual, biplane

tri- (three) Timmy got a tricycle for Christmas. + tricolor, triangle

quadr- (four) A square is a quadrangle. + quadriplegic, quadrennial

quin- (five) Have you heard of the Dione quintuplets? + quintet, quintuplicate

dec- (ten) We are near the end of the decade. + decathlon, decalogue

Suffixes which are noun or naming word endings that mean "one who."

-er: A farmer is one who farms. + dancer, baker

-man: A fireman is one who puts out fires. + policeman, brakeman

-ist A dentist is one who works on teeth. + cartoonist, typist

-ian: A librarian is one who works in a library. + veterinarian, vegetarian

-ant: A servant is one who serves other people. + assistant, applicant

-ee: A payee on a check is the one who is paid. + lessee, mortgagee

Suffixes which change verbs or action words and descriptive words to nouns or naming words.

-ation: An alteration is needed on my coat. + flirtation, starvation

-ance: The sirens are an annoyance. + allowance, resistance

-ness: "It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness." + goodness, kindness

-ment: The flood caused some excitement. + agreement, pavement

-ity: This is good for stomach acidity. + rancidity, activity

More suffixes which usually change the part of speech of a word.

-ism: Sweden has democratic socialism. + alcoholism, sexism

-ior: Edward's behavior was bad. + savior, warrior

-dom: We have freedom of speech in this country. + boredom, kingdom

-ure: George was a failure in business. + pleasure, departure

-ery John received a medal for bravery. + brewery, robbery

Suffixes that change the meaning of a noun or naming word.

-ship: I value Roger's friendship. + ownership, showmanship

-ade: Do you like lemonade? + blockade

-age: I don't have much baggage. + acreage, voltage

-hood: Measles is a childhood disease. + adulthood, statehood

-ess: She is the hostess. heiress, seamstress

Suffixes that make descriptive words.

-y: The soil in the garden is sandy. + watery, dirty

-ful: Be careful with gasoline. + thoughtful, handful

-al: The change is almost magical. + coastal, natural

-less: The fake jewels are worthless. + cloudless, humorless

-ish: It was a foolish thing to do. + boyish, impish

-ic: The hotel fire was tragic. + heroic, historic

More suffixes that make descriptive words.

-esque: Switzerland is picturesque. + grotesque, statuesque

-ive: The car's brakes were defective. + explosive, conclusive

-ative: She found an imaginative solution. + informative, figurative

-able: Fresh fruit is desirable. + likeable, debatable

-ible: It was a horrible accident. + edible, divisible

-ous: He was a famous actor. + hazardous, joyous

Suffixes that make verbs or action words.

-en: She will lengthen the sleeves. + widen, loosen

-fy: Can you magnify the tiny bug so that I can see it? + clarify, classify

-ate: He is too young to vaccinate for measles. + activate

-ize: The movie will popularize the style. + customize, familiarize

Suffixes that make words that tell more about the action.

-ly: Walk softly through the room. + lowly, poorly

-wise: Turn it clockwise. + lengthwise, crosswise

-ward: Move it forward three feet. + backward, downward