Prefixes
What are prefixes?
Prefixes are groups of letters that we add to the start of a word to make a new word.
The prefix 'un'
For example, when we add 'un' to the start of the word 'happy', it changes its meaning so that it means the opposite. For example:
happy - unhappy
The prefix 'un' does the same to a lot of words, making them mean 'not' or the opposite of their initial meaning. For example:
lit - unlit
packed - unpacked
well - unwell
Lots of words change their meaning when you add 'un' to the start - but you can't add un to every single word. For example, we don't say unsit, unfall, or unwalk!
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The prefixes dis, mis and in
The prefixes dis, mis and in act in a very similar way to un. They all change the word so that it means the opposite of its original meaning.
For example:
Connect becomes disconnect
Behave becomes misbehave
Visible becomes invisible
Sometimes, we notice these prefixes before words that we don't use any more. For example:
disgust
or
disturb.
The key thing to remember is that these prefixes make something negative. So even though kids might never have come across the word 'disgruntled' before, they will see the dis prefix and have a good guess that it doesn't mean something good!
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