Prefixes and suffixes are small but mighty parts of the English language. They attach to words to change their meaning, making your vocabulary bigger and your communication clearer. In this article, you’ll get 50 real examples of prefixes and suffixes you can actually use.
Let’s break them down so you can learn them easily.
What Are Prefixes and Suffixes?
Prefixes come before the root word and often change its meaning.
Suffixes come after the root word and often change its form, like turning a noun into an adjective.
Now, let’s dive into practical examples you can start using today.
25 Common Prefix Examples
Here are 25 popular prefixes, what they mean, and an example of each in a word.
| Prefix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un- | not | unhappy |
| re- | again | rewrite |
| dis- | opposite of | dislike |
| pre- | before | preview |
| mis- | wrong | mislead |
| over- | too much | overwork |
| under- | too little | underpay |
| in- | not | invisible |
| im- | not | impossible |
| il- | not | illegal |
| ir- | not | irregular |
| non- | not | nonstop |
| inter- | between | international |
| trans- | across | transport |
| sub- | under | submarine |
| super- | above | superstar |
| semi- | half | semicircle |
| anti- | against | antisocial |
| de- | opposite | deactivate |
| en- | cause to | encourage |
| em- | cause to | empower |
| fore- | before | forecast |
| bi- | two | bilingual |
| tri- | three | tricycle |
| multi- | many | multicultural |
Quick tip:
Prefixes can completely flip the meaning of a word, so understanding them is key to understanding English quickly.
25 Common Suffix Examples
Now, here are 25 useful suffixes with meanings and examples:
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ful | full of | joyful |
| -less | without | fearless |
| -ness | state of | kindness |
| -ment | action or process | enjoyment |
| -able | able to | breakable |
| -ible | able to | reversible |
| -er | one who | teacher |
| -or | one who | actor |
| -ist | one who practices | artist |
| -ism | belief or practice | realism |
| -ly | characteristic of | quickly |
| -y | characterized by | messy |
| -ous | full of | dangerous |
| -ious | full of | curious |
| -ive | inclined to | creative |
| -al | relating to | musical |
| -ic | relating to | poetic |
| -ish | relating to | childish |
| -ed | past tense | walked |
| -ing | present participle | running |
| -tion | state of being | creation |
| -sion | state of being | expansion |
| -ence | state of | excellence |
| -ance | state of | resistance |
| -hood | state or condition | childhood |
Remember:
Suffixes often help you know if a word is a noun, verb, or adjective just by looking at the ending.
Why Are Prefixes and Suffixes Important?
Prefixes and suffixes unlock the structure of thousands of English words.
Here’s how they help:
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Expand your vocabulary fast: Know one prefix, and you know many words.
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Understand unknown words: You can guess meaning based on parts.
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Improve your reading and writing: You’ll express yourself more precisely.
For example:
If you know “bio” means life and “-logy” means study of, you can figure out that “biology” means the study of life—even if you have never seen the word before.
Quick Table: 50 Prefixes and Suffixes at a Glance
| Type | Word Part | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Prefix | un- | unhappy |
| Prefix | re- | rewrite |
| Prefix | dis- | dislike |
| Prefix | pre- | preview |
| Prefix | mis- | mislead |
| Prefix | over- | overwork |
| Prefix | under- | underpay |
| Prefix | in- | invisible |
| Prefix | im- | impossible |
| Prefix | il- | illegal |
| Prefix | ir- | irregular |
| Prefix | non- | nonstop |
| Prefix | inter- | international |
| Prefix | trans- | transport |
| Prefix | sub- | submarine |
| Prefix | super- | superstar |
| Prefix | semi- | semicircle |
| Prefix | anti- | antisocial |
| Prefix | de- | deactivate |
| Prefix | en- | encourage |
| Prefix | em- | empower |
| Prefix | fore- | forecast |
| Prefix | bi- | bilingual |
| Prefix | tri- | tricycle |
| Prefix | multi- | multicultural |
| Suffix | -ful | joyful |
| Suffix | -less | fearless |
| Suffix | -ness | kindness |
| Suffix | -ment | enjoyment |
| Suffix | -able | breakable |
| Suffix | -ible | reversible |
| Suffix | -er | teacher |
| Suffix | -or | actor |
| Suffix | -ist | artist |
| Suffix | -ism | realism |
| Suffix | -ly | quickly |
| Suffix | -y | messy |
| Suffix | -ous | dangerous |
| Suffix | -ious | curious |
| Suffix | -ive | creative |
| Suffix | -al | musical |
| Suffix | -ic | poetic |
| Suffix | -ish | childish |
| Suffix | -ed | walked |
| Suffix | -ing | running |
| Suffix | -tion | creation |
| Suffix | -sion | expansion |
| Suffix | -ence | excellence |
| Suffix | -ance | resistance |
| Suffix | -hood | childhood |
How to Learn Prefixes and Suffixes Faster
Here’s how to master them without getting overwhelmed:
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Group them: Study 5 at a time.
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Spot them: Look for them when reading books, articles, and even ads.
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Practice with flashcards: Quiz yourself quickly and often.
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Use them in sentences: Writing helps cement your memory.
For example:
“She felt powerless after the defeat.”
Here you see “less” meaning “without.”
Conclusion: Small Parts, Big Power
Learning prefixes and suffixes is one of the easiest ways to boost your vocabulary and improve your English. Once you recognize these little building blocks, you’ll unlock the meanings of hundreds of words instantly.
Ready to level up your English even faster?
Challenge yourself to use five new prefixes or suffixes in your writing this week—you’ll be amazed at how naturally they fit in.
Words build worlds. Start mastering them today.