PARTIAL PAGE--FULL COMING SOON

List of Common Prefixes
 

ambi-          both
amphi-       on both sides
an-/a-         without
andro-        male
ante-          before
anti-            against
arch-           highest/worst
astro-         star
auto-          self
be-              has; covered with
bi-               two
bio-             biological
circum-       around
contra-       opposite
co-/cor-      with/together
counter-    against
cryo-           ice
crypto-       hidden, secret
de-              down
demi-         half
demo-        people
deuter-      second
di-               two
dia-             through
dis-/dif-      apart
du-/duo-    two
eco-            ecological
electro-      electric
en-/em-     to make into
epi-             upon; at
ex-              former; out of
extra-         outside
fore-           before
geo-            relating to earth
gyno-          female
gyro-           spinning on an axis
hetero-      different
hemi-         half
hind-           after
homo-        same
hydro-        relating to water
hyper-        above
hypo-          under
ideo-           idea
idio-            individual
in-               into
in-/im-/ir- not
infra-          below
inter-          between
intra-          within
iso-              equal
macro-       long
mal-            bad
maxi-          very long/very large
mega-         large
megalo-     great
meta-         beyond
micro-        small
mid-            middle
midi-           medium-sized
mini-           small
mis-            wrong, astray
mono-        only
multi-         many
necro-        dead
neo-            new
non-            not
omni-         all
ortho-        correcting
out-            beyond
over-          too much
paleo-         old
pan-            worldwide
para-           beside; beyond
ped-            foot
per-            through
peri-           around
photo-        light
pod-            foot
poly-           many
post-           after
pre-            before
pro-            for; on the side of
pros-           toward
proto-        first
pseudo-     false
pyro-          fire
quasi-         sort of
re-               again
retro-         backwards
self-            self
semi-          half
socio-          society; social
step-           family by remarriage
sub-/ sup-  under
super-        above; over
syn-/sym-  together
tele-           at a distance
trans-         across
tri-              three
twi-             two
ultra-          beyond
un-              not
under-        below; insufficient
uni-             one
up-              greater; better
vice-            deputy
with-          against

 

Rule for Adding Prefixes
 
When adding a prefix, retain the spelling of the root word
 
mis + spell = misspell
un + forgettable = unforgettable
dis + engage = disengage
hemi + sphere = hemisphere


 

 
List of Common Suffixes
 

-able/-ible     worth; ability
-acy/-cy          quality
-ade                product
-age                activity
-al                    Verb: action
                        Adj: quality
-an                  person
-ance/ -ancy   action; process
-ant/-ent       Noun: agent of
-ant                 Adj: indication
-ar, -ary          resembling
-ard, -art        characterized
-ate                 Noun: function
                        Verb: cause to be
                        Adj: kind of state
-ation             resulting state
-ative              Adj: has qualities of
-cade              procession
-drome          run
-ed                  Verb: past tense
                        Adj: is like
-en                  Verb: to cause
                        Adj: material
-ence/-ency   action
-ent/-ient      Adj: indication
-eous/-ious     relating to
-er/-ier          Adj: comparative
-er/-or     Noun: person who acts
                 Verb: action
-ery                 practice; condition
-ess                 female
-est/-iest       superlative
-fold                in a manner of
-ful           Noun: amount that fills
-ful                  Adj: having
-fy                   make
-ia                    names; diseases
-ial/-ical          Adj: quality
-ian/-an          one that is
-iatry              art of healing
-ic                    Noun: art or science
                        Adj: quality
-ice                  act
-ify                  cause
-ile             having the qualities of
-ing          Noun: activity
                 Verb: present participle
                 Adj: activity
-ion                 action
-ish           having the character of
-ism                belief
-ist                  person or member
-ite/ -ity         quality
-ive                 Noun: condition
-ive/-itive      Adj: has qualities of
-ize                  cause
-less                missing
-ly                    in the manner of
-ment             result of
-ness               quality of
- nym              name
-or                   activity
-ory                 place for
-ous/ -ose      relating to
-philia             love
-phobia          fear
-phone           sound
- plus              more
-port               carry
-pute              think
-scope            see
-scribe/- script     write
-sect               cut
-sent               feel, think
- sue               follow
-ship               status
-ster               person
-ure                act; process
-ward             in a direction
-wise              regarding
-y               Noun: result of activity
                  Adj: having


Special Rules for Adding Suffixes
 
ROOT ENDS IN A CONSONANT

• Double the final consonant of the root word if a single vowel precedes said consonant AND the last syllable of the word is stressed. [control + ing =  controlling, recur + ence = recurrence]

 

• Do not double the final consonant of the root word if the root ends in two consonants [remind + ed = reminded]

 

• Do not double the final consonant of the root word if two or more vowels precede said consonant [repeat + ing = repeating]

 

• Do not double the final consonant of the root word if the last syllable of the word is not stressed. [travel + ed = traveled]

 
ROOT ENDS IN AN E

• If the suffix begins in a vowel, drop the final e [fate + al = fatal]
  • Exception: the letter before the e is a c  [noticeable]
  • Exception: the letter before the e is a soft g  [courageous]

 

• If the suffix begins in a consonant, leave the final e  [subtlety]

 
ROOT ENDS IN A Y

• If the letter before the y is a consonant,  replace the y with an i

[crazy + ness = craziness, beauty + ful = beautiful]

• Exception: the suffix starts with i [study + ing = studying]

• If the letter before the y is a vowel,  keep the y

[boy + hood = boyhood, pay + ment = payment]

• Exception: the last syllable has the “ay” sound [say + ed = said]