As the picture above shows, prefixes are letters that come in front of a word to change its form or meaning. On the other hand, suffixes are letters that come at the end of a word to change its form or meaning.
For example, the root word “like” alone can be used as an action, or verb in the sentence: “I like pizza” (positive). However, if we add the prefix “dis-“ to the front of the word, we now have the phrase: “I ‘dislike’ pizza” which has the opposite meaning (negative)!
In another example using the root word “like”, we can use the suffix “-able” to create a new word: “likable”. This changes the word form to an adjective as in the phrase: “Pizza is ‘likable'” (positive) or “Pizza is ‘unlikable'” (with prefix “-un” used for the negative). The pronunciation of many words in American English depends on what prefixes/suffixes are attached to the root word, which can also change the verb tense, but more on this later…
Other languages, too, use prefixes and suffixes similarly. In Italian, for example, they also have the prefix “dis-“ to make the meaning of the root word negative (i.e. disaccordo = to not agree with), just like in English (i.e. disagree = to not agree with)! In Spanish, the suffix “-ando” is used to make most verbs present simple tense, in the way that “-ing” does in English (i.e. “pensando = thinking” , “esperando = waiting”, “caminando = walking”).
Does your native language use prefixes or suffixes? Which ones, and how do they change the form and/or meaning of the root words they’re added to? You can use these questions for self reflection, or discuss them in English with your practice partner, or tutor in the chatrooms during your next audio/video call session 😉.
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