Sort 1 Prefixes (in-, un-, dis-, mis-)

Base word is changed to negative or opposite meaning.

In- = not un- = not dis- = not/opposite of mis- = not/opposite of

insincere / not expressing true feelings
informal / not bound by a set form or rule; relaxed, casual, or friendly
infrequent / not coming or happening often; not common; rare
inhuman / not human in nature or form
Inexpensive / not expensive; costing little money
Insane / suffering from or characteristic of someone suffering from insanity
uneasy / troubled; worried
unaware / not aware; ignorant
unknown / not known or not recognized
undress / to take off the clothes of
unfasten / to undo the fastenings of; unlatch; detach
untidy / not orderly or neat; messy; careless
dishonest / not honest, as a person who lies, steals or cheats
disbelief / a conviction that something is untrue
disorder / a condition of untidiness or confusion
disconnect / to break or undo the connection of or between
disease / a sickness or illness, usually of a particular kind
disrespect / a lack of proper respect or courtesy
discourage / to cause to lose courage or confidence
misspell / to spell incorrectly
misfortune / ill fortune; bad luck
mistake / an error or blunder
misleading / tending to mislead or deceive
mischief / thoughtless conduct that may cause harm

Sort 2 Prefixes (pre-, fore-, post-, after-)

Pre-, fore- = before post-, after- = after

prepare / to make ready, fit or qualified
predict / to state beforehand; foretell
preface / a brief introduction, as to a book or speech
prehistoric / of or belonging to the period before the start of written history
precede / to be, go, or come before, as in order, place, rank, or time
prefix / a syllable or syllables put at the beginning of a word or root to modify its meaning or make a new word
preseason
preposition / a word that is used to indicate the relation of its object, a noun or pronoun, to another word in a sentence
prewar / existing or happening before a war
foretell / to tell about in advance; predict
foreman / a worker in charge of a group of workers
foreword / an introduction to a book; preface
forefathers / an ancestor
foresight / the act or power of foreseeing or looking ahead
forethought / careful planning or attention ahead of time; thought in advance
postpone / to put off to a future time; delay
postwar / after a war
postseason / after the season.
postdate / to write a date on that is later than the actual date
posttest / after the test.
afternoon / the part of the day between noon and sunset
afterward / at a later time
afterthought / a thought that comes after rather than before an action or decision and is thus to late to be useful
aftertaste / a taste that lingers in the mouth after the substance causing it has been swallowed

Sort 3 Prefixes (re-, ex-, in-, de-)

Some words do not have a base that stands alone.

re- = again/back in- = into/inside ex- = out of/beyond

de- = take away

replay / to play over
reappear / to appear again
reclaim / to bring into condition to support cultivation or life, as by draining or irrigating
reconsider / to consider or think about again, especially with the idea of changing one’s mind.
reruns / to run again
research / careful, patient investigation and study
reaction / an action in response to something, as a happening or stimulus
inflate / to swell or puff out by filling with air or gas
interior / inside part
inhabit / to live in as a place of residence; occupy
inmate / a person confined in a prison
install / to fix in position and adjust for service or use
inhale / to draw into the lungs; breathe
exhale / to breathe out
exile / to send (someone) away from his or her native land and forbid a return; banish
explore / to travel in or through in order to learn or discover something
excess / an amount or degree of something over what is needed, wanted, used or something over what is needed, wanted, used or proper
exhaust / to make extremely tired
exterior / the outside
deflate / to let the air or gas out of
defrost / to remove ice or frost from, as a refrigerator
deprive / to take away from
decrease / to make or become less
delete / to remove or mark out (something written or printed)

Sort 4 Prefixes (sub-, com-, pro- en-)

sub- = below/under com- = below/under OR with/together

en- = causing something to happen

pro- for/forward/in favor of OR to move forward

subway / an electric railroad that is mainly underground
subset / a set whose members are all included in another set
submarine / existing, done, or operating beneath the surface of the sea
subtotal / the total of a series of numbers that forms part of a larger series
subtitle / a subordinate or explanatory title
submerge / to put or go into or under water or another liquid
combine / to bring together; unite; join
company / a group of people
companion / a person who goes with another person; comrade; associate
compound / a combination or mixture of two or more ingredients or parts
compress / to press together; condense; squeeze
comrade / a close companion or friend
propel / to cause to move forward or ahead
propose / to put forward for acceptance or consideration
protect / to shield or defend from attack, harm, or injury; guard
provider / to make ready beforehand; prepare
promote / to contribute to the progress, development, or growth of; work for
progress / a moving forward in space
enable / to give the means, ability, or opportunity to; make able
encourage / to give courage or hope to; inspire with confidence or the wish to do well
entrust / to give or turn over, as for care or safekeeping
endanger / to expose to danger
enforce / to require to be obeyed
enlarge / to make or become larger; expand

Sort 5 Suffixes (-y, -ly, -ily)

Suffixes are added to the end of base words. Usually when you

+ -y = adjective + -ly OR –ily = adverb

Some with a vowel before the consonant will double the final

consonant like… skin –skinny

Some change the final y to i before adding ly like… ready –

readily

Some with a consonant before the final e will keep the e when

adding –ly like… brave -bravely

scratchy / that scratches or irritates
squirmy / to bend and twist the body
velvety / soft and smooth to the touch, like velvet
squeaky / a thin, sharp, shrill sound.
wealthy / having wealth; rich
skinny / very thin; lean
swampy / an area of low, wet land
shaggy / having rough hair or wool
silvery / like silver, as in color or luster
spotty / having many spots
silently / not having or making any noise
secretly / kept from the view or knowledge of all but the persons concerned
rapidly / very quick, swift, or fast
fluently / able o speak or write with smoothness or ease
eagerly / impatiently anxious
generously / quick to give or share; unselfish
seriously / grave; solemn; thoughtful
politely / showing consideration for others; mannerly
briefly / not long; short
bravely / having or showing courage; not afraid
merrily / laughter, fun
greedily / wanting selfishly to get more, especially more money
hastily / quick a hasty retreat
readily / prepared for immediate use or action

Sort 6 Comparative Suffixes (-er, -est, -ier, -iest)

Words comparing 2 things = -er -ier

Words comparing 3 or more things = -est -iest

If the word ends in y change it to an I before adding er or est

kinder / willing to help; gentle; friendly
kindest
stranger / not seen or heard of before; not familiar
strangest
cleaner / free from dirt or stain
cleanest
quieter / having or making little or no noise
quietest
harsher / grating, rough, or unpleasant to the senses
harshest
earlier / coming or happening near the beginning
earliest
emptier / containing or holding nothing
emptiest
trickier / likely to use or involve tricks
trickiest
fancier / showy or elaborate
fanciest
crummier / crumbling easily
crummiest
murkier / dark, gloomy, or obscure
murkiest
shinier / shinning in appearance; bright; gleaming
shiniest

Sort 7 Noun Suffixes (-er, -or, -ian, -ist)

Look at base word and notice how the meaning changes when a suffix is added.

speaker / a person who speaks
traveler / a person making a journey or tour
prisoner / a person who is held in a prison
defender / a person who fights.
believer / a person who has religious faith
attacker / a person or thing that attacks others.
admirer / to regard or look upon with wonder, pleasure, and approval.
creator / to cause to come into existence; originate; create
visitor / a person who visits
decorator / a person who decorates, especially an interior decorator
director / a person who directs, as one in charge of the production of a play or movie
inventor / a person who invents
survivor / a person or thing that survives
guardian / a person who guards or watches over; protector
Asian / a person from Asia
historian / a writer of or authority on history
Australian / a person from Australia
librarian / a person in charge of a library
civilian / a person who is not in active military service
artist / a person who is skilled in any of the fine arts, as painting or sculpture
finalist / a contestant who has reached the finals of a contest
terrorist / a person or thing that causes fear
specialist / a person who specializes, especially a doctor who concentrates on one branch of medicine
vocalist / a singer

Sort 8 Suffixes (-ment, -less, -ness)

-ment = act of doing and changes verbs into nouns

-less = without and creates adjectives

-ness = state of being and changes adjectives to nouns

-lessness = changes it back to a noun

payment / the act of paying
replacement / the act of replacing
employment / a person’s job or occupation
punishment / the act of punishing
agreement / a sameness or harmony of opinion
amusement / the state of being amused
government / control or administration of the affairs of a nation, state, city
breathless / out of breath; panting
hopeless / without hope
thoughtless / without thought
priceless / worth more than any price; invaluable
flawless / having no defects or blemishes; perfect
tactless / having or showing no tact
fruitless / yielding no fruit
laziness / unwilling to work or to keep busy
blindness / unable to see
dizziness / to make dizzy
politeness / showing consideration for others
friendliness / of or typical of a friend
emptiness / containing or holding nothing
saltiness / tasting of or containing salt
powerlessness / without power
fearlessness / without fear

Sort 9 Suffixes (-ary, -ery, -ory)

Signal nouns or adjectives. There is not always a base word. Listen to the different sounds the suffixes make.

imaginary / existing only in the imagination; unreal
secretary / a person whose duties involve writing letters and keeping records for a person, company, or other group.
library / a collection of books, magazines, newspapers, and other materials
military / of or having to do with the army, the armed forces, or warfare
ordinary / of common or everyday occurrence; usual
necessary / not to be done without; essential
February / Second month of the year
January / First month of the year
stationary / remaining in one space
bravery / valor; courage; fearlessness
machinery / a collection of machines
mystery / something that is not known, understood, or explained
scenery / the visible natural features of an outdoor area
delivery / the action of handing over or distributing
grocery / a store selling food and other household goods
category / a division, class, or group in any system of classification
lavatory / a room with a basin or sink for washing and usually with a toiliet
inventory / a complete list and valuation of goods
dormitory / a building as at a school or college that has many rooms for sleeping
directory / an alphabetical list of names and addresses
victory / the overcoming of an enemy, opponent or difficult; triumph
history / past events or a record of them
stationery / materials used in writing, especially paper and envelopes
century / a period of 100 years

Sort 10 Suffixes (-ty, -ity)

Change adjectives to nouns

-ty, -ity = a condition or quality

Notice how the suffixes sound different.

safe / free or freed from danger or evil
safety / freedom from danger, risk or injury
special / of a particular kind; out of the ordinary
specialty / something special as a study or occupation
novel / new, strange, or unusual
novelty / something new or different
royal / of or for a king or queen
royalty / a royal person
casual / happening by chance
casualty / a serious accident
certain / completely sure, confident, or convinced
certainty / the condition or fact of being certain
active / showing action; busy
activity / the state of being active; action; movement
festive / of, having to do with, or suitable for a joyous celebration
festivity / gladness and rejoicing typical of a joyous occasion
tranquil / calm; serene
tranquility / calmness; serenity
humid / containing water vapor; damp; moist
humidity / moisture; dampness, especially of the air
minor / smaller; lesser
minority / the smaller in number of two parts or parties
sensitive / capable of feeling reacting or appreciation quickly or easily
sensitivity / the condition of being sensitive

Sort 11 Suffixes (-al, -ial, -ic)

Often are adjectives from nouns OR nouns from verbs

-al, -ial, -ic = associated with/relating to