Expand your vocabulary with prefixes
Whether you’ve just started out on your language learning journey or are preparing to take your IELTS or Cambridge exam, using and understanding prefixes is a great way of expanding your vocabulary. Not sure where to start? We’re here to help!
So, what is a prefix?
It really is as simple as a group of letters that we add to the beginning of a word to change the meaning. For example, adding un-, in- or dis- to the beginning of a word makes it negative.
agree -> disagree
usual -> unusual
direct -> indirect
What do they mean?
Luckily, each prefix has a fixed meaning so once you’ve learnt what they mean, you just have to learn which words you can use them with. Let’s see what you already know. Below is a list of prefixes with an example – do you know their meaning?
| Prefix | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| UN | Unhappy | Not |
| IN | Invisible | |
| IM | Impatient | |
| IL | Illegal | |
| IR | Irresponsible | |
| DIS | Dislike | |
| RE | Reread | Again |
| OVER | Overact | Too much |
| MIS | Misbehave | Wrongly |
| SUB | Subzero | Below |
| PRE | Preorder | Before |
| INTER | Interstate | Between |
| ANTI | Antifreeze | Against / Opposite |
| EX | Ex-president | Former |
| SELF | Self-care | Relating to yourself |
Top spelling tips!
We know how difficult English spelling can be, so here are some tips to help you get it right.
When adding a prefix to a word, DON’T change the spelling of the original word.
mis + spelt = misspelt
dis + appear = disappear
We often use assimilation when adding a negative prefix
Use im- for words beginning with p/b
(possible – impossible)
Use il- for words beginning with l (legal – illegal)
Use ir- for words beginning with r (relevant – irrelevant)
Always use a hyphen (-) after the prefixes self- and ex-.
self-confident
ex-husband
As always, there are exceptions to these spelling rules – see if you can think of any.
Exercise
Feeling confident? Test yourself with this Cambridge exam style task
-
Her handwriting was so messy it was completely _______ (LEGIBLE).
Her handwriting was so messy it was completely ILLEGIBLE
-
You’ll need to _______ (HEAT) your dinner if it has gone cold.
You’ll need to REHEAT your dinner if it has gone cold
-
It’s easy to ________ (UNDERSTAND) what people say when you’re learning a language.
It’s easy to MISUNDERSTAND what people say when you’re learning a language
-
She loved the shoes, but they were so _________ (PRACTICAL) for walking in.
She loved the shoes, but they were so IMPRACTICAL for walking in.
-
He was _______ (CONFIDENT) and very sure of himself.
He was SELF-CONFIDENT / OVERCONFIDENT and very sure of himself.
-
It’s important to use _________ (BACTERIAL) soap when washing your hands to fight against germs.
It’s important to use ANTIBACTERIAL soap when washing your hands to fight against germs.
Related articles
Academic prefixes
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