LA/VD 002 | 9G: Prefixes – words with pre_
Prefixes and suffixes are sets of letters that are added to the beginning or end of another word. They are not words in their own right and cannot stand on their own in a sentence: if they are printed on their own they have a hyphen before or after them.
Prefixes
Prefixes are added to the beginning of an existing word in order to create a new word with a different meaning. For example:
| word | prefix | new word |
| space | cyber- | cyberspace |
| market | super- | supermarket |
Suffixes
Suffixes are added to the end of an existing word. For example:
| word | suffix | new word |
| idol | -ize/-ise | idolize/idolise |
| like | -able | likeable |
The addition of a suffix often changes a word from one word class to another. In the table above, the verb like becomes the adjective likeable, the noun idol becomes the verb idolize, and the noun child becomes the adjective childish.
Word creation with prefixes and suffixes
Some prefixes and suffixes are part of our living language, in that people regularly use them to create new words for modern products, concepts, or situations. For example:
| word | prefix +suffix– | new word |
| e____ | ____er | emailer | |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Miserably |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Disagreement |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Presupposing |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Interlocked |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Misleadingly |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Progressive |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Displacement |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Unchangeable |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Unmistakable |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Provocative |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Subscribable |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Misunderstandingly |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Preserving |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Unforgettable |
| ooo | e____ | ____er | Productive |
Group 3: Words with the prefix “dis-” and the suffix “-ment”:
Group 4: Words with the prefix “pre-” and the suffix “-ing”:
Group 5: Words with the prefix “mis-” and the suffix “-ly”:
Group 6: Words with the prefix “pro-” and the suffix “-ive”:
Certainly, here are four more groups of words in English that use the same suffixes and prefixes simultaneously:
Group 7: Words with the prefix “inter-” and the suffix “-ed”:
- Interfered
- Interjected
- Interfered
- Interacted
- Interchanged
Group 8: Words with the prefix “sub-” and the suffix “-able”:
- Submersible
Group 9: Words with the prefix “over-” and the suffix “-ed”:
- Overcooked
- Overlooked
- Overcharged
- Overstressed
- Overhyped
- Overworked
Group 10: Words with the prefix “under-” and the suffix “-ing”:
- Undermining
- Undercutting
- Underestimating
- Underplaying
- Undervaluing
- Underpinning
These additional groups further illustrate how combinations of prefixes and suffixes create diverse vocabulary in English.
LA/VD 002 | 9G: Prefixes – words with pre_
Time Spent: 
08/01/2025 About Post Author
