Introduction

Prefixes are small but powerful parts of words. In English, prefixes are added to the beginning of root words to change their meaning, making it easier to understand and create new words. Learning common prefixes can boost your vocabulary and help you guess the meaning of unfamiliar words. Here are some of the most common English prefixes and how they work.

Prefixes are one of the fundamental building blocks of English vocabulary. For English language learners and K-12 students, understanding prefixes can unlock the meaning of countless words and make reading and comprehension easier and more intuitive. In English, a prefix is a set of letters added to the beginning of a root word that alters its meaning. By learning a relatively small number of common prefixes, students can make educated guesses about the meaning of unfamiliar words without needing a dictionary.

This skill can be especially empowering for English as a Second Language (ESL) learners who may feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new vocabulary they encounter. Additionally, prefixes often carry meanings that are consistent across many words, making them reliable clues in a sea of new information.
For example, once you understand that the prefix un- typically means “not” or “the opposite of,” you can deduce that unhappy means “not happy” and uncertain means “not certain.”

Mastering English prefixes can also help in standardized testing and reading comprehension exercises, as these prefixes often appear in academic and literary texts.
Some prefixes, like re- (meaning “again”), are easy to understand because they are so commonly used in everyday language (redo, rewrite).
Others, like hyper- (meaning “over” or “excessive”), may be more challenging but offer valuable insight into words across subjects, from science to social studies.
Whether learning in a classroom or studying independently, building a strong foundation in prefixes helps students recognize patterns in English, increasing confidence and fluency.
Learning prefixes is like unlocking a toolbox for decoding language; the more prefixes students know, the more effectively they can approach new words with curiosity and skill, making English both more approachable and enjoyable to learn.

40 English Prefixes List

1. Un- (not)
– Examples: Unhappy, Unkind, Uncertain
– Meaning: This prefix often means “not” or “the opposite of.” When you see un- in front of a word, it typically makes the word negative.
– Use: If you know the word happy, adding un- means the opposite—unhappy means “not happy.”

2. Re- (again)
– Examples: Redo, Rewrite, Revisit
– Meaning: The prefix re- means “again” or “back.” It’s often used to indicate that something is being done for a second time.
– Use: If you did something once, like writing, and you have to do it again, you would rewrite it.

3. Pre- (before)
– Examples: Preheat, Preview, Preplan
– Meaning: Pre- means “before.” It’s used when something happens ahead of time.
– Use: If you want to look at something before it’s complete, you might preview it.

4. Mis- (wrong or bad)
– Examples: Misunderstand, Misplace, Misbehave
– Meaning: Mis- often means “wrong” or “bad.” Adding it can change a word’s meaning to suggest an error or a problem.
– Use: If you accidentally hear someone incorrectly, you misunderstand them.

5. Dis- (not or opposite)
– Examples: Dislike, Disagree, Disappear
– Meaning: This prefix can mean “not” or “the opposite of.” Adding dis- can turn a positive or neutral word into a negative one.
– Use: If you don’t like something, you dislike it.

6. Non- (not)
– Examples: Nonstop, Nonfiction, Nonessential
– Meaning: Like un- and dis-, non- also means “not.”
– Use: If something continues without stopping, we call it nonstop.

7. Sub- (under or below)
– Examples: Submarine, Subway, Substandard
– Meaning: This prefix means “under” or “below.” It’s used to describe things that are literally or figuratively underneath something else.
– Use: A submarine goes under the sea.

8. In-, Im-, Il-, Ir- (not)
– Examples: Invisible, Impossible, Illogical, Irregular
– Meaning: These prefixes mean “not” and are often used to negate or reverse the meaning of the root word.
– Use: If something isn’t logical, we call it illogical.

9. Over- (too much)
– Examples: Overheat, Overload, Overwork
– Meaning: Over- means “too much” or “beyond.” It suggests excess.
– Use: If you put too much weight on something, you overload it.

10. Under- (too little or beneath)
– Examples: Undervalue, Underestimate, Underground
– Meaning: Under- means “below,” “beneath,” or “not enough.”
– Use: If you don’t fully appreciate something’s worth, you undervalue it.

11. Inter- (between)
– Examples: International, Interact, Interfere
– Meaning: Inter- means “between” or “among.” It’s often used to describe something that connects or occurs between things.
– Use: If two people communicate, they interact.

12. Trans- (across or change)
– Examples: Transport, Translate, Transform
– Meaning: Trans- means “across,” “beyond,” or “change.”
– Use: When we change something from one form to another, we transform it.

13. Multi- (many)
– Examples: Multicolor, Multitask, Multicultural
– Meaning: This prefix means “many” or “more than one.”
– Use: If something has many colors, it’s multicolor.

14. Semi- (half or partly)
– Examples: Semiannual, Semicircle, Semitransparent
– Meaning: Semi- means “half” or “partly.”
– Use: If something happens twice a year, it’s semiannual.

15. Anti- (against or opposite)
– Examples: Antibiotic, Antisocial, Antifreeze
– Meaning: Anti- means “against” or “opposing.” It’s used for words that counter something.
– Use: If a person isn’t social, they might be called antisocial.

16. Auto- (self)
– Examples: Automatic, Autopilot, Autobiography
– Meaning: This prefix means “self” or “own.” It’s used for things that function by themselves.
– Use: If something operates by itself, like a machine, it’s automatic.

17. Bi- (two)
– Examples: Bicycle, Bilingual, Bimonthly
– Meaning: Bi- means “two” or “twice.”
– Use: A bicycle has two wheels.

18. Ex- (out or former)
– Examples: Exhale, Exit, Ex-president
– Meaning: This prefix can mean “out of” or “former.”
– Use: When you exhale, you breathe out.

19. Pro- (for or forward)
– Examples: Promote, Proactive, Progress
– Meaning: Pro- means “forward” or “for.” It often implies advancement or support.
– Use: If you help a cause, you promote it.

20. De- (reverse or remove)
– Examples: Defrost, Decrease, Devalue
– Meaning: De- can mean “reverse” or “remove,” often implying a downward movement or reduction.
– Use: If you remove frost, you defrost something.

21. Non- (absence of or not)
– Examples: Nonfiction, Nonexistent, Nonverbal
– Meaning: Non- signifies “not” or “without.”
– Use: If something doesn’t exist, it’s nonexistent.

22. Circum- (around)
– Examples: Circumnavigate, Circumference, Circumvent
– Meaning: Circum- means “around” or “about.”
– Use: To circumnavigate means to travel all the way around something, like the globe.

23. Contra- (against)
– Examples: Contradict, Contrary, Contraband
– Meaning: This prefix means “against” or “opposite.”
– Use: If you say something that goes against what someone else says, you contradict them.

24. Co-, Con-, Com- (with or together)
– Examples: Cooperate, Connect, Combine
– Meaning: These prefixes mean “with” or “together.”
– Use: If you work with someone, you cooperate.

25. Em-, En- (cause to or put into)
– Examples: Empower, Encourage, Enlarge
– Meaning: These prefixes mean “to cause” or “to put into.”
– Use: When you empower someone, you give them power or confidence.

26. Extra- (beyond)
– Examples: Extraordinary, Extraterrestrial, Extravagant
– Meaning: Extra- means “outside” or “beyond.”
– Use: If something is beyond ordinary, it’s extraordinary.

27. Hyper- (above, excessive)
– Examples: Hyperactive, Hypertension, Hypersensitive
– Meaning: This prefix means “over” or “excessive.”
– Use: Someone who is overly active is hyperactive.

28. Hypo- (under or below)
– Examples: Hypothermia, Hypoglycemia, Hypotension
– Meaning: Hypo- means “under” or “below normal.”
– Use: When body temperature drops below normal, it’s called hypothermia.

See also

The definitive pronouns list

29. Macro- (large or long)
– Examples: Macroeconomics, Macrocosm, Macronutrient
– Meaning: Macro- means “large” or “big picture.”
– Use: The macrocosm refers to the entire universe, the “big picture.”

30. Micro- (small)
– Examples: Microscope, Microorganism, Micromanage
– Meaning: This prefix means “small” or “minute.”
– Use: Microorganisms are tiny living things, often only visible under a microscope.

31. Mono- (one or single)
– Examples: Monologue, Monochrome, Monotone
– Meaning: Mono- means “one” or “single.”
– Use: A monologue is a speech by one person.

32. Poly- (many)
– Examples: Polygon, Polyglot, Polytheism
– Meaning: This prefix means “many” or “multiple.”
– Use: A polygon is a shape with many sides.

33. Self- (self)
– Examples: Selfish, Self-care, Self-control
– Meaning: Self- means “related to oneself.”
– Use: Self-care refers to caring for yourself.

34. Tri- (three)
– Examples: Tricycle, Triangle, Trilogy
– Meaning: Tri- means “three.”
– Use: A triangle is a shape with three sides.

35. Uni- (one)
– Examples: Unicycle, Uniform, Unify
– Meaning: This prefix means “one” or “single.”
– Use: A unicycle has one wheel.

36. Pseudo- (false)
– Examples: Pseudonym, Pseudoscience, Pseudointellectual
– Meaning: Pseudo- means “false” or “pretend.”
– Use: A pseudonym is a false name, often used by authors.

37. Neo- (new)
– Examples: Neonatal, Neoclassic, Neophyte
– Meaning: Neo- means “new.”
– Use: Neonatal refers to newborn babies.

38. Tele- (far or distant)
– Examples: Telephone, Television, Telepathy
– Meaning: Tele- means “distance” or “far.”
– Use: A telephone allows for communication over distance.

39. Post- (after)
– Examples: Postpone, Postwar, Postgraduate
– Meaning: Post- means “after.”
– Use: Postwar refers to the period after a war.

40. Retro- (backward)
– Examples: Retrospective, Retroactive, Retrofit
– Meaning: Retro- means “backward” or “past.”
– Use: A retrospective is a look back at past events.

Learning these prefixes will help you unlock even more of the English language! Keep practicing, and soon you’ll recognize these prefixes everywhere.

Tips for Mastering More English Prefixes

• Use Flashcards: Write a prefix on one side and its meaning and examples on the other to test your memory.
•  Make Lists of Words: Group words with similar prefixes to see how each prefix changes the meaning.
•  Look for Opposites: Many English prefixes create opposites (possible vs. impossible), so try pairing words to understand contrasting meanings.
•  Word Pairing: Match prefixes with root words you know to practice their meanings.
• Make Sentences: Use words with prefixes in sentences to understand their meanings better.
• Identify in Reading: When reading, try identifying prefixes and guessing their meaning before looking them up.
• Group by Meaning: Try learning prefixes in groups with similar meanings, like un-, dis-, and non- for negatives.
• Practice with Examples: Practice using prefixes by creating sentences with words you already know and adding prefixes to them.
• Look for Patterns: Notice patterns in the words around you; prefixes can make it easier to recognize the meanings of unfamiliar words.
• Play Word Games: Games like Scrabble or word search puzzles can help reinforce new vocabulary.