Roots and Affixes



Commonly Used Affixes and Their Meanings

Affixes = Prefixes and Suffixes

The main part of a word is its root word. An AFFIX attached at the beginning or the ending of the ROOT WORD changes its meaning and usage in a sentence. At the beginning of the word, the affix is called a PREFIX and at the ending of the word it is a SUFFIX. You can figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words by examining the individual parts of words.

Prefix + Root + Suffix = mis + inform + ation = misinformation

DIRECTIONS: Circle the prefix or suffix in the examples below.

|Prefix |Meaning |Suffix |Examples |

|anti- |against | |anticlimactic |

| |having characteristics of |-ate |vertebrate |

|be- |make | |befriend |

|de- |down | |degrade |

| |one who does something |-er / -or |teacher |

| |comparison | |higher |

|fore- |before, front | |forewarn |

| |full of, characterized by |-ful |bountiful |

| |able |-ible / -able |comprehensible |

| | | |notable |

|im- / in- |not | |improper / infamous |

|inter- |between | |interconnected |

| |in the manner of |-ish |churlish |

| |to make |-ize |colonialize |

| |in the manner of |-ly |gingerly |

|mal- / mis- |bad, wrongly | |malnourished |

| |condition, state of being |-ness |happiness |

| |study of, science of |-ology |biology |

|pre- |before | |predetermined |

|re- |again, back | |reassure |

|sub- |under, below | |subterraneous |

|super- |above, more than | |supernatural |

| |state of |-tion / |education |

| | |-sion |tension |

|trans- |across | |transcontinental |

|un- / a- |not, opposite of | |unusual / atypical |

** Remember to use these affixes to help you decipher meanings of words in context. **

I. First, let’s practice putting these affixes with roots:

1. made someone dazzled --- bedazzled

2. wrongly understand --- ______understand

3. a device that calculates --- _______________

4. watch a movie again --- _______view

5. judge before having all the facts --- ________judge

II. Next, let’s step it up:

1. To make modern is to _______________________.

2. If odorous means fragrant, then a BAD scent is _________________________.

3. To hint at, or tell, what may happen later in the story would be to ___________.

4. The state of a city that is growing is ____________________________.

5. If pervious means accessible, then not accessible is ______________________.

III. Finally, a challenge! Using the root and affixes from the box, create words that fit each description of that word. Remember, you may need to omit, or add, some letters.

re- trans- fore- de- un- mal- dis-

-al -able -tion -ize -ation -ly form

runner figured mention generation occur mobile nourish

6. _______________________ Music is appreciated by people of all ages.

7. _______________________ Martin Luther King Jr. was the first to arrive on the Civil Rights scene.

8. _______________________ The bodies of starving prisoners were twisted and bent.

9. _______________________ Ignoring our mistakes means that they will most likely happen again.

10. _______________________ Japanese prisoners in America, as well as Jewish prisoners in Europe, had a lack of food.

Smart-board practice

infringement

superhero

bountiful

unsinkable

miseducation

editorialize

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