Prefixes and suffixes

What is this skill?

A prefix is a word part added to the front of a word, and a suffix is one added to the end. Each changes the meaning in a predictable way. In second grade the main ones are un-, meaning not (unhappy, unfair, unlock), re-, meaning again (redo, reread, rebuild), -ful, meaning full of (joyful, colorful), -less, meaning without (careless, hopeless) and -er, for a person who does something (painter, singer).

This practice asks what a word means, which word fits a meaning such as "without sleep" or "not kind," and what a prefix means when you look at two words that share it. Children sort words by prefix or by ending, and answer yes or no to questions such as "Does unlock mean to lock again?" One fill-in question tests reading for sense: "My shoes came untied. I need to ___ them." The answer is retie, not untie, and a child has to think about what each word part does.

Why it matters

Word parts are one of the best tools a reader has. A child who knows un- and -ful does not need to have seen ungrateful or thankful before to get close to what they mean. Each prefix or suffix learned applies to a whole set of words, so this small list of parts goes a long way, especially in the informational reading that grows in third grade.

It also changes how children think about words. They start to see that long words are built from pieces, in the same way compound words are. This sets up the prefixes and suffixes of later grades and the Greek and Latin roots of fifth grade. In writing, a child who controls these parts has more ways to say exactly what they mean.

Common mistakes

• Mixing -ful and -less, since both attach to the same words. Hopeful and hopeless are opposites. Keep a picture in mind: a full cup for -ful and an empty cup for -less.
• Reading un- as "again" or re- as "not." Unlock does not mean to lock again. Have your child put the meaning of the part in front of the word: not locked, read again.
• Seeing a prefix where there is none. The word uncle does not mean "not cle," and real does not mean "al again." Check that the word still makes sense without the part.

How to help at home

• Make a game of opposites: say a word and have your child add un- to it. Happy, kind, fair, tied, lucky. Then ask what each new word means.
• Use re- in daily talk: "Can you rewrite this? Let us reread that page. Time to refill the water." Point it out once or twice.
• Fold a sheet into a -ful side and a -less side, and collect words through the week. Some fit both sides, like careful and careless, which makes a good talk.
• When you hit a long word in a book, cover the prefix or suffix, read the base word, then add the part back and work out the meaning together.

Worked examples

These are real questions from the Tutorsaurus prefixes and suffixes practice, with the answers worked out.

1. Example 1

   Which word means 'read again'?

   Choices: unread, reread, reader

   Answer: reread. Reread means to read again. The prefix re- means again.

2. Example 2

   Sort the words by prefix: un- or re-?

   To sort: unhappy, redo, unlock, replay, unfair, rewrite

   Answer: un- (not): unhappy, unlock, unfair · re- (again): redo, replay, rewrite. Unhappy, unlock and unfair start with un-. Redo, replay and rewrite start with re-.

3. Example 3

   Does 'rebuild' mean to build again?

   rebuild

   Answer: Yes. Rebuild means to build again. The prefix re- means again.

Printable worksheet (PDF) — one page of questions from this practice that work on paper, easier ones first, with an answer key on page 2. Free to print, no sign-up.