Table of Contents
Affixes are word parts (morphemes), commonly attached to the beginning or at the end of a root word to modify its meaning or grammatical function.
Morpheme means a part of a word with its own meaning. For example, the word disappearance has three morphemes: the root word appear and the two affixes dis– and –ance.
Affixes are bound morphemes, which means they cannot be used alone and must be attached to a root word. If you used -ance on its own without a root word, it would be incorrect and make no sense.
Types of Affixes
There are four types of affixes:
- Prefixes – used at the beginning of a word
- Suffixes – used at the end of a word
- Infixes – special type of affix that come in the middle of a word
- Circumfixes – pairs of prefixes and suffixes always used together
However, English language doesn’t use infixes, circumfixes in English are very rare. We’ll be discussing prefixes and suffixes in detail.
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Prefix
A letter or a group of letters which is added to the beginning of a primary word in order to make a new word.
Here’s a list of prefixes with examples:
- A (not without) – arise, awake
- Ab (away from) – abnormal, abuse
- After (following something) – afterlife, aftermath
- All (including everything or completely) – all-American, all-around
- Ambi (both) – ambidextrous, ambivalence
- Anti (against or opposing) – antibody, antidote
- Astro (relating to stars or outer space) – astronomical, astrology
- Auto (by oneself) – automatic, automobile, autobiography
- Back (behind or reverse) – backflip, backward
- Be (around) – belittle, befriend,
- Bi (two) – bicycle, bipolar, bisexual, bilingual
- Bio (life or relating to life) – biology, biochemical
- Circum (around) – circumference, circumstantial
- Co (together) – co-operate, coordinate, co-pilot
- Contra (against or opposing) – contradiction, contraceptive
- Counter (opposition) – counterattack, counterpart
- De (down or away from) – de-escalate, devalue
- Dis (negation or reversal) – disrespect, dislike
- Down (moving from higher to lower) – downgrade, download
- Em (meaning cause to be) – empower, embody
- Ex (former) – ex-president, ex-wife
- Ex (out from) – export, exclude, expatriate
- Extra (outside of) – extraordinary, extracurricular, extradite
- For (prohibition or exclusion) – forsake, forgive
- Fore (before or at the front) – forehead, forecast, forearm
- Geo (relating to the Earth) – geography, geology
- Hetero (different) – heterogeneous, heterosexual
- Hind (in the back or behind) – hindsight, hinder
- Homo (same) – homogenous, homosexual
- Hydro (relating to water) – hydroelectric, hydroplane
- Hyper (excessive, above, or over) – hyperactive, hyper-tension
- Il (negation or reversal) – illogical, illegal
- Im (negation or reversal) – immoral, immature
- In (reversal or negation) – incapacity, inanimate
- In (toward or within) – insert, include, influence
- Inter (among, between) – intercollege, international
- Intra (on the inside, within) – intracellular, intravenous
- Mal (badly) – malnourished, malfunction
- Mega (very large) – megabyte, megahertz
- Micro (very small) – microwave, microscope
- Mid (in the middle) – mid-semester, midnight
- Mini (small or less) – miniature, minivan
- Mis (wrongly) – misfortune, misguide
- Mono (one) - monogamy, monologue
- Multi (more than one, many) – multitask, multiple, multi-talented
- Neo (new iteration of something) – neo-colonialism, neonatal
- Non (not or negation) – non-veg, non-stop, nonsense
- Off (not standard or away from) – off-topic, offshore
- Omni (encompassing all) – omnivore, omnipotent, omnibus
- On (in the immediate vicinity) – onset, ongoing
- Out (surpassing or going outside the normal) – outlier, outperform, outcast
- Over (excessive or going above) – overcome, overflow, overconfidence
- Pan (including everything) – pandemic, Pan-India
- Para (beside or beyond) – paragraph, paranormal
- Peri (around or about) – peripheral, perimeter
- Photo (relating to light) – photography, photosynthesis
- Poly (many) – polygamy, polygon
- Post (happening after) – posthumously, postpone
- Pre (happening before) – premature, preview, pre-wedding
- Pro (in support of) – pro-democracy, pro-union
- Pro (moving forward or advancing) – proceed, progress
- Re (do something again) – reunion, refund, recycle
- Self (directed towards oneself) – self-conscious, self-assured
- Semi (partially, not completely) – semicircle, semi-final, semiconductor
- Sub (below or from a lower position) – subordinate, submarine, suboptimal
- Syn/Sym (working together) – synchronise, symmetry
- Tele (from a distance) – telephone, telecommunication, telegram
- Trans (crossing or going beyond) – transgender, transform
- Tri (three) – tricycle, triangle, tricolour
- Un (negation or the absence of) – unbelievable, untold, uneventful
- Under (beneath or insufficient) – underground, underestimate, undervalue
- Uni (one) – unicellular, uniform
- Up (upward or higher) – upgrade, update
- Vice (subordinate to / in the place of) – vice-president, vice-chancellor
- Well (in a good or satisfactory way) – well-established, well-being, well-mannered
- With (moving away from or resisting) – withstand, within, without
- Super (above, over or beyond) - superpower, superhero, superstar, superhuman
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Suffix
A letter or a group of letters, which is added at the end of a primary word. Unlike prefixes, which mostly change a word’s meaning, suffixes are mainly used for grammar purposes such as verb conjugation, plurality, possession, etc.
Here’s a list of suffixes with examples:
- s, es, ies – dogs, grows, passes, carries
- ing – playing, sleeping, studying
- ed, d, ied – showed, liked, replied
- er – better, printer
- ’s – India’s, college’s
- self, selves – myself, themselves
- er, ier – stronger, happier
- est, iest – strongest, happiest
- ate – regulate, administrate, congratulate
- en – awaken, strengthen
- ify, fy – beautify, notify, signify
- ise – legalise, demonetise, neutralise
- acy, cy – privacy, normalcy, delicacy
- al – legal, tribunal, betrayal
- ance, ence – entrance, attendance, reference, difference
- ant – defendant, coolant
- er, or – baller, actor
- ism – capitalism, liberalism
- ist – capitalist, liberalist, socialist
- ity, ty – safety, beauty, nationality
- logy, ology – psychology, sociology
- ment – government, commitment
- ness – sweetness, happiness, brightness
- ship – internship, fellowship, battleship
- tion, sion, ation, ion – education, suspension, election, suspicion
- able, ible – controllable, unstable, edible
- al – personal, national, cultural
- esque – picturesque, soldieresque, statuesque
- ful – beautiful, colourful, wonderful
- ic, ical – atomic, musical
- ish – bookish, childish
- ive – relative, creative
- less – helpless, timeless
- like – childlike, carlike
- ous, ious – sumptuous, delicious
- y – airy, healthy, wealthy
- ly, ily – seriously, happily
- or – administrator, bachelor
- dom – wisdom, kingdom
- hood – childhood, motherhood
- lock – wedlock, deadlock, headlock
- th – youth, health
- ful – harmful, joyful
- some – cumbersome, wholesome
- ward – backward, upward
- way – highway, gateway
- wise – otherwise, likewise
- eer – engineer, mountaineer
- ary – stationary, secondary
- ee – committee, refugee
- age – savage, shortage
- mony – harmony, testimony
- re – failure, tenure
- ary – dictionary, primary
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