Big words like international and telecommunications look as though they belong in an advanced English textbook. But as you learn English, you’ll see that these longer English words simply use prefixes to change a word’s meaning and to be more specific.
A prefix is a small group of letters added to the beginning of a word. It usually changes the meaning of English words, sometimes turning it into the word’s antonym (opposite word). In most cases, you simply add the prefix (like bi-) in front of a root word (like cycle) to get a new word (like bicycle). Learn to use common prefixes in English to increase your English vocabulary quickly.
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Why are English prefixes important?
English prefixes are important because they can change the whole meaning of a word, which can change the whole meaning of a sentence. Luckily, most English prefixes come from their original Greek and Latin roots, which are still present in most Romance languages. So if you know Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, or Romanian, learning these prefixes should be very straightforward!
For example, when you add different prefixes to the word read, it gives very different messages.
- I reread my boss’s email.
- reread: re- (again) + read = read again
- I misread my boss’s email.
- misread: mis- (wrong) + read = read it wrong
- misread: mis- (wrong) + read = read it wrong
Depending on whether you use the prefix re- or mis-, you might be saying that you read the email again, or that you read it incorrectly. That’s a big difference in meaning!
Common English prefixes that mean ‘not’
Some of the most important prefixes are the ones that show English negation. Negation means “to say the opposite” or “to make something negative.” Use these prefixes in English words when you’re trying to use the opposite meaning of the word.
| English Prefix | Meaning | Example |
| a- | without | atypical (not typical) |
| anti | against, not | antisocial(not social) |
| de- | opposite of | decode(change from code to language) |
| dis- | opposite of, not | disappear (not visible) |
| il- | not | illegal (not legal) |
| im- | not | impossible (not possible) |
| in- | not | inactive (not active) |
| ir- | not | irresponsible (not responsible) |
| mis- | bad or wrong | mistake (incorrect action) |
| non- | not | nonfat (has no fat) |
| un- | opposite of | unhappy (not happy) |
Part of learning English is knowing when to use particular prefixes when you’re showing negation. Follow these guidelines for prefixes that mean “not”:
- il: before adjectives that start with “l”
- illegal, illogical
- im: before adjectives that start with “b,” “m,” or “p”
- impossible, immoral
- ir: before adjectives that start with “r”
- irrelevant, irreverent
If the word you’re adding a prefix to starts with any other letter, use un- or in-. (like uneducated or inexperienced). Practice these words in your English word practice, and add them to your growing vocabulary list!
Prefixes in English that show placement or direction
When you add a prefix to show a word’s placement or the direction it’s going, you can make your sentence more specific and easier to understand. These prefixes are very common in English words to indicate an actual location, or a figurative (non-literal) position.
| English Prefix | Meaning | Example |
| down- | lower | downhill (lower on a hill) |
| en- | to go into, to begin | enclose (surround on all sides) |
| em- | to go into, to begin | embark (to leave on a trip) |
| ex- | out of | exhale (breathing out) |
| extra- | outside | extracurricular (outside school) |
| mid- | middle | midnight (middle of the night) |
| over- | above | overcharge (costs above a normal price) |
| sub- | below | subway (train below the streets) |
| super- | above | supervisor (person working above you) |
| tele- | over a distance | telephone (communicating from a distance) |
| trans- | across | translate (changing a message across languages) |
| up- | higher | upgrade (to make a higher level) |
| under- | below | underground (below the ground) |
Prefixes that show size and quantity in English
Which is easier to understand: “A shape with three sides and angles” or the word triangle? These prefixes in English tell readers about a word’s size or quantity with just a few added letters, rather than adding too many words to describe the same thing.
| English Prefix | Meaning | Example |
| bi- | two | binoculars (vision tool with two lenses) |
| macro- | large | macroeconomics (study of large-scale economics) |
| micro- | small | microscope (tool to see very small things) |
| mono- | one | monologue (a speech by one person) |
| multi- | many | multivitamin (vitamins with multiple nutrients) |
| semi- | half or partial | semicircle (half circle) |
| tri- | three | triangle (shape with three sides) |
| uni- | one | uniform (clothes that have the same appearance) |
Basic English prefixes that show connection or relationship
Some English prefixes describe the ways words or ideas are connected to each other. For example, automobile uses the prefix auto- (self) to show that it moves by itself, while international uses the prefix inter- (between) to indicate that something is happening between several nations.
| English Prefix | Meaning | Example |
| auto- | self | automobile (self-moving vehicle) |
| co- | together | co-worker (person who works with you) |
| com- | with | companion (person with you) |
| con- | with | connect (to bring together) |
| inter- | between | international (between nations) |
| self- | by oneself | self-control (being able to control yourself) |
Prefixes in English that show time
A few prefixes can even indicate the time an action or event took place. One of the most common prefixes in this category is re-, which you can add at the beginning of many words to show that an action is happening again.
| English Prefix | Meaning | Example |
| pre- | before | preview (to see something before others) |
| post- | after | postseason (after a sports season) |
| re- | again | rewrite (to write again) |
Rules for using prefixes in English
Like most English grammar rules, prefix rules exist to keep your writing as understandable as possible. Most native English speakers know these rules without looking them up.
It’s okay to form a double consonant, but not a double vowel
For most English words, all you need to do is add the prefix at the beginning of a word. Even when the prefix ends in the same consonant as the word begins, you can still just add the prefix.
For example:
- misshape: mis + shape
- overreact: over + react
- underrated: under + rated
If the double letters are vowels, you might want to use a hyphen (-) between the prefix and the root word to make it easy to read. This is especially the case if the vowel is an “i” (as in anti-inflammatory).
When the letter being doubled is an “e” or “o,” how it’s written depends on the word. For example, both re-enter and reenter are correct, but pre-engineered is preferable over preengineered. You’ll need to memorize many of these words to know whether they require hyphens.
Some prefixes always use hyphens
In some cases, words always require hyphens with prefixes. These cases include:
- if the word has a capital letter (pro-America)
- if the prefix modifies a number (pre-1990)
- if the prefix is self- (self-esteem)
- if the prefix ex- means “not anymore” (ex-wife)
Additionally, if the word doesn’t look right, double-check in a dictionary to see if you need to use a hyphen.
It’s okay to use more than one prefix in a word
Prefixes aren’t limited to one per word! Some words use multiple prefixes to be even more specific in their usage. For example:
- misremember: mis- (wrong) + re- (again) + member (come to mind) = to remember incorrectly
- disconnect: dis- (not) + con- (together) + nect (to combine) = not combined together
- anti-reelection: anti- (against) + re- (again) + election (choose a leader) = being against electing someone again
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