Prefixes Worksheets

All About These 15 Worksheets

These prefixes worksheets are a helpful tool for teaching and reinforcing this important aspect of word formation. A prefix is a group of letters that is added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.

These worksheets include examples and exercises to help students identify prefixes in words and understand their meanings. They also include activities such as creating new words by adding prefixes to base words, filling in the blanks with the correct prefix, defining words with prefixes, and more. Through these worksheets, students will:

  • Be familiar with the various prefixes and know how to add them to certain words to transform their meanings;
  • Define the meanings of prefixes in their own words, along with the new words they create;
  • Write their own sentences using words with prefixes;
  • And understand how a word changes its meaning by adding or changing its prefix.

By completing these worksheets, students can develop a better understanding of how prefixes work and how they can change the meaning of words. This can help them improve their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills.

Commonly used prefixes

Prefixes are groups of letters that are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. Here is a list of common prefixes and their meanings.

  • Anti-: against or opposite (e.g. anti-inflammatory, anticlimax)
  • De-: opposite of or reversing (e.g. defrost, deactivate)
  • Dis-: not, opposite of or undoing (e.g. disagree, disconnect)
  • Ex-: former or out of (e.g. ex-boyfriend, exhale)
  • In-, im-, il-, ir-: not or opposite of (e.g. incapable, impossible, illegal, irrelevant)
  • Inter-: between or among (e.g. international, interconnect)
  • Mis-: wrong or incorrect (e.g. misunderstanding, misinterpret)
  • Non-: not or without (e.g. nonfiction, nonverbal)
  • Over-: too much or excessive (e.g. overestimate, overload)
  • Pre-: before or in advance (e.g. preview, prepay)
  • Re-: again or back (e.g. redo, review)
  • Sub-: under or below (e.g. submerge, subpar)
  • Super-: above or beyond (e.g. supernatural, superstar)
  • Trans-: across or beyond (e.g. transfer, transport)
  • Un-: not or opposite of (e.g. unclear, unhappy)

These are just some of the most common prefixes, but there are many others that can be used to change the meaning of words. By learning and understanding these prefixes, students can expand their vocabulary and better understand the meaning of words they encounter in their reading and writing.