Vocabulary
English prefixes: use word beginnings to predict meaning
Sign in to saveIf a message says that a meeting was rescheduled, the beginning re- gives you a useful clue: the schedule changed again. The rest of the word and the sentence tell you what happened.
Use a common English prefix with the base word and sentence context to make a careful first guess about an unfamiliar word's meaning.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
prefix /ˈpriː.fɪks/
The short answer
Find the base word, notice the prefix, and then check the whole sentence. For example, re- often suggests doing something again, while un- often changes a word to its opposite or adds the idea of not.
Please reread the final question before you answer it.
Why it works: Read is the base word. Re- adds the idea of reading it another time.
5 more examples
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The editor asked Mia to rewrite the introduction.
Write is the base word. Re- tells Mia to write the introduction again.
Not this:The editor asked Mia to
write the introduction. What changes: Without re-, the editor asks for the first version rather than another version. -
The package was unopened when it arrived.
Open is the base word. Un- shows that the package had not been opened.
Not this:The package was
openwhen it arrived. What changes: Open describes the opposite condition: someone had already opened the package. -
They disagreed about the safest route home.
Agree is the base word. Dis- changes the idea to having different opinions.
Not this:They
agreedabout the safest route home. What changes: Agreed means that their opinions matched. -
I misunderstood the time of the appointment.
Understood is the base word. Mis- shows that the understanding was wrong.
Not this:I
understoodthe time of the appointment. What changes: Understood means that the speaker had the correct information. -
The museum offers a preview of its new exhibition.
View is the base word. Pre- suggests that visitors can see something before the main event or release.
Not this:The museum offers a
viewof its new exhibition. What changes: View simply names what people can see; preview names an earlier look.
Read the full guide
Prefixes can make long words easier to approach. In disagreement, you may recognize agree and see that dis- points toward a lack of agreement. That is a first step, not a final answer. Read the sentence, because the same prefix can behave differently in different words.
Find the base word before you guess
A prefix sits at the beginning, but the base word usually carries the central idea. In reread, read is the action. The prefix re- changes that action to doing it again.
I reread the email after I noticed the date.
Read means look at the words. Reread means look at the same words another time.
What base word can you see in unhappy?
The base word is happy. The prefix un- changes the meaning to not happy.
Use re- when the action happens again
Re- often means again. You may see it in reread, rebuild, reuse, or reconsider. The base word tells you what action or thing is repeated.
The team rebuilt the display after the storm.
Build means make something. Rebuild means make it again after it was damaged, removed, or changed.
Please reuse this box for the return.
Reuse means use the box again instead of using it only once.
Use un- and dis- to notice a change or opposition
Un- often gives the idea of not or the opposite, as in unfair or unavailable. Dis- can show the reverse of an action or a lack of agreement, as in disconnect or disagree. Check the whole word because no prefix has one meaning in every word.
The lift was unavailable while it was being repaired.
Available means ready to use. Unavailable means not ready to use at that time.
Please disconnect the cable before moving the screen.
Connect joins things together. Disconnect separates a connection.
Does dis- in disagree show that the speakers share the same opinion?
No. Disagree means that they have different opinions.
Use mis- for a wrong action or idea
Mis- often means wrongly or badly. It can help you understand words such as misread, mishear, misunderstand, and misplace. The problem is connected to the action in the base word.
Nora misread the platform number and waited at the wrong gate.
Read names the action. Misread means that Nora read the information incorrectly.
I misplaced my keys somewhere in the kitchen.
Place means put something in a location. Misplace means put it somewhere and then be unable to find it.
Use pre- to look for an earlier time
Pre- often relates to an earlier time or stage. You can see it in preheat, preview, and prepay. The word after the prefix tells you what happens early.
Preheat the oven for ten minutes before baking.
Heat means make something hot. Preheat means heat it before the main cooking begins.
We prepaid for parking online.
Pay names the action. Prepay means pay before using the service or receiving the item.
What should you do after a prefix gives you a possible meaning?
Read the whole sentence and check whether the clue fits. Use a dictionary when you need the exact meaning.
Before you go
Remember this
Start with the base word, then add the likely meaning of the prefix. Re- can suggest again, un- can suggest not, dis- can suggest an opposite or lack of agreement, mis- can suggest wrongly, and pre- can suggest before. Let the sentence confirm your first guess.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "English prefixes: use word beginnings to predict meaning"
What is a prefix in English?
A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a base word. It can add a meaning such as again, not, wrongly, or before. In rewrite, re- changes write to the action of writing again.
The editor asked Mia to rewrite the introduction.
How can prefixes help me understand new words?
A prefix can give you a first clue about a new word. In unopened, un- suggests not, while open gives the central idea. Read the full sentence to check whether that clue fits.
The editor asked Mia to write the introduction.
What does the prefix re- mean?
Re- often means again. In The editor asked Mia to rewrite the introduction, re- asks for another version. Read the whole word and sentence because a prefix clue does not always give every detail of the meaning.
The package was unopened when it arrived.
What does mis- mean at the beginning of a word?
Mis- often means wrongly or incorrectly. In I misunderstood the time of the appointment, the speaker had the wrong understanding. The base word understood still tells you that the topic is comprehension.
The package was open when it arrived.
Can I always work out a word from its prefix?
No. A prefix offers a useful clue, but it does not prove the exact meaning. In The museum offers a preview of its new exhibition, pre- suggests an earlier look. Confirm your guess with the surrounding sentence and a dictionary when accuracy matters.
They disagreed about the safest route home.