A letter or a group of letters can be added to the beginning or the end of a word. These are known as affixes, and they change the meaning of a word.
Here are some common prefixes and suffixes.
Prefix |
Meaning |
Example Word |
De- |
away, remove |
deforest (remove trees or forest) |
Dis- |
the opposite of |
disallow (not allow) |
Non- |
no or not |
nonmetal (not metal) |
Un- |
no or not |
unafraid (not afraid) |
Re- |
again |
regift (gift again) |
Suffix |
Meaning |
Example Word |
-able |
causing |
flammable (causing flames) |
-er |
comparative; a person who does something |
bolder (more bold); hatter (one who makes hats) |
-less |
lacking |
heartless (unkind) |
-ly |
in what way |
safely (in a safe way) |
-ist |
one who does something |
recordist (one who records) |
-ful |
full of |
truthful (full of truth) |
-ness |
the state or quality of |
freshness (in the state of being fresh) |
-ous |
full of |
joyous (full of joy) |
-y |
having the quality of |
lumpy (covered with lumps) |