AFFIXES

I Q E N G L I S H
INTRODUCTION
ROOT WORD
“The basis of a new word”
A F F I X E S ’ C L A S S I F I C AT I O N

Prefixes Suffixes
PREFIXES
 DEFINITION
A letter or a group of letters that attaches to the beginning of a word and helps
to indicate or modify its meaning.
 OBJECTIVES
• Change the word’s meaning.

• A prefix can have more than one meaning.

• Depending the situation, they can get a special meaning.

 ANTE Before Antemortem, Antedate
ANTI Against/Opposing Antidote, Antidepressant
CIRCUM Around Circumference, Circumnavigation
CO With Co-worker, Cooperation
DE Off/Down/Away From Devalue, Defrost, Demotivate
DIS Opposite of/Not Disagree, Disappear, Disapprove
EM/EN Cause To/Put Into Embrace, Encode, Embed
EPI Upon/Close To/After Epicenter, Episcope, Epidermis
EX Former/Out Of Ex-President, Ex-Girlfriend, Exterminate
EXTRA Beyond/More Than Extracurricular, Extraordinary, E.T.
FORE Before Forehead, Forecast
HOMO Same Homonuclear, Homo(Genre)
HYPER Over/Above Hyperactive, Hyperventilate
IL/IM/IN/IR Not Impossible, Illegal, Irresponsible,
Indefinite
IM/IN Into Insert, Import, Inside
INFRA Beneath/Below Infrastructure, Infrared
INTER/INTRA Between Interact, Intermediate, Intergalactic
MICRO Small Microscope, Microbiology, Microwave
MID Middle Midday, Midfielder, Midway
MIS Wrongly (Do) Misunderstand, Mistake
MONO One/Singular Monotone, Monolith
NON Not/Without Nonsense, Nonpoisonous
OMNI All/Every Omnipotent, Omnivore
PARA Beside Paramedic, Paradox
POST After Postmortem, Postpone, Post-natal
PRE Before Prefix, Predeterminate, Preposition
RE Again Return, Reunite, Redo, Replay
SEMI Half Semicircle, Semifinal, Semiconscious
SUB Under Submarine, Subcategory, Subtitle
SUPER Above/Over Superstar, Superman, Supernatural
THERM Heat Thermometer, Thermostat,
Thermodynamic
TRANS Across/Beyond Transport, Transatlantic
TRI Three Triangle, Tripod, Tricycle
UN Not Unfinished, Unsure, Ùndone, Unknown
 EXAMPLES
• I misunderstood your words, sorry.

• We need to cooperate.

• I disagree with your opinion.

• She’s unpleasant.
 T A L K E N G L I S H

SUFFIXES
AFFIXES
 DEFINITION
• “A letter or a group of letters that is usually attached to the end of a word to
form a new word.”
 OBJECTIVES

• Alter the way it functions grammatically.

• Help us to deduce the meanings.

 ACY State or Quality Lunacy, Accuracy
AL The Action or Process Of Criminal, Denial
ANCE, ENCE State or Quality Of Nuisance, Tolerance,
DOM Place or State of Being Freedom, Boredom
ER, OR Person or Object That Does a Specified Creator, Inventor, Carpenter, Lawyer,
Action Teacher, Writer, Actor, Singer, Interpreter
ISM Doctrine, Belief Judaism, Scepticism, Catholicism
IST Person or Object That Does a Specified Geologist, Crimonologist, Protagonist,
Action Scientist
ITY, TY Quality Of Extremity, Enormity
MENT Condition Argument, Enchantment
NESS State of Being Heaviness, Highness, Sickness
SHIP Position Held Friendship, Internship
SION, TION State of Being Position, Promotion, Illusion, Conclusion
 VERB SUFFIXES
Become Mediate, Collaborate, Create

ATE
Become Sharpen, Loosen, Strengthen

EN
Make or Become Justify, Simplify, Magnify, Satisfy

IFY, FY
Become Publicise, Synthesise, Hypnotise

ISE, IZE
Past Tense Verbs Danced, Jumped, Played, Climbed,

ED Delivered, Walked, Called

Verb Form (Present Participle, Dancing, Singing, Playing, Jumping,

ING Gerund) Climbing, Delivering, Walking, Calling.

ADJECTIVE SUFFIXES
ABLE, IBLE Capable of Being Edible, Incredible, Capable, Audible,
Fallible
AL Having the Form or Character of Fiscal Thermal, Herbal, Colonial

ESQUE In a Manner Of or Resembling Picturesque, Burlesque, Grotesque

FUL Notable for Handful, Playful, Hopeful, Skillful

IC, ICAL Having the Form or Character of Psychological, Musical, Methodical,

Nonsensical

IOUS, OUS Characterized by Jealous, Religious, Ridiculous

ISH Having the Quality of Childish, Sheepish, Squeamish

IVE Having the Quality of Informative, Attentive, Inquisitive

LESS Without Worthless, Boneless, Homeless, Hopeless

Y Characterised by Beauty, Airy, Jealousy

ADVERB SUFFIXES
Related To or Quality Softly, Quickly,
LY Happily, Madly,
Slowly
WARD, Direction Towards,
Afterwards,
WARDS Backwards, Forward
In Relation To

WISE Otherwise,
Likewise
 EXAMPLES

• We gotta justify our class missed.

• I’ve got a promotion.

• The surprising news were shocking for everyone.

EXERCISES
W R I T I N G , R E A D I N G , L I S T E N I N G & S P E A K I N G .
 Use prefixes to find the opposite of these verbs

• Wrap Spell
• Use Connect
• Agree Close
• Engage Fold
• Behave Understand
 PUT THE WORDS IN BRACKETS IN THE
APPROPRIATE FORM (USE PREFIXES OR
SUFFIXES)
• He was acting in a very ____ way (Child).
• She looked ____. She started to cry (Happy).
• He passed his exam. He was ____ for the second time (Succeed)
• The team that he supported was able to win the ____ (Champion).
• I couldn’t find any ____ in his theory (Weak).
• There were only a ____ of people at the match (Hand).
• I think that you should ____ your decision. It may not be the best thing to do (Consider).
• You need a ____ of motivation, organization and hard work to realize your dreams (Combine).
 VIDEO
Write down all the affixes you find and try to give the explanation of them.