Understanding Affixes in English: Prefixes and Suffixes Explained

Affixes are one of the most fundamental parts of English morphology. They are groups of letters added to a word to alter its meaning or function. By understanding affixes, learners can expand their vocabulary and decode unfamiliar words more easily. This article will explore what affixes are, the types of affixes in English, and how they impact word formation.

What Is an Affix?

An affix is a letter or group of letters added to a word to change its meaning or grammatical function. In English, affixes are usually either prefixes (added to the beginning of a word) or suffixes (added to the end of a word). Some languages also use infixes and circumfixes, but these are rare or non-existent in standard English.

Types of Affixes

1. Prefixes

A prefix is added to the beginning of a root word to modify its meaning. Prefixes often give clues about direction, quantity, negation, or time.

Examples of common prefixes:

• un- (meaning “not”): unhappy, unfair

• re- (meaning “again”): redo, rewrite

• pre- (meaning “before”): preview, predate

• dis- (meaning “opposite of”): disagree, disapprove

Example in a sentence:

She felt uncomfortable during the long meeting.

2. Suffixes

A suffix is added to the end of a word and often changes the word’s part of speech or grammatical function.

Examples of common suffixes:

• -er (indicates a person who does something): teacher, worker

• -ness (forms nouns from adjectives): kindness, darkness

• -ly (forms adverbs): quickly, happily

• -able (means capable of): readable, fixable

Example in a sentence:

Her happiness was obvious after receiving the good news.

Why Are Affixes Important?

Affixes are essential in English for several reasons:

• Vocabulary building: Knowing affixes helps learners figure out the meaning of unfamiliar words.

• Word formation: Affixes allow the creation of new words from existing ones.

• Grammar: Many affixes help indicate tense, number, degree, or part of speech.

For example, from the root word create, you can form creator, creation, creative, recreate, and recreation, each with a different meaning and grammatical function.

Derivational vs. Inflectional Affixes

Affixes are also categorized as derivational or inflectional:

• Derivational affixes change the meaning or category of a word.
  Example: "happy" (adjective) → "happiness" (noun)

• Inflectional affixes modify a word's tense, number, or comparison without changing its core meaning or part of speech.
  Example: "walk" → "walked", "big" → "bigger"

English has only a few inflectional suffixes, such as -s, -ed, -ing, and -est.

📄 1. Quiz Sheet: Understanding Affixes

Part A: Multiple Choice (Choose the correct affix)
1. What is the correct prefix in the word “disagree”?
A. un-
B. dis-
C. re-
D. pre-

2. Which suffix changes an adjective to a noun?
A. -ly
B. -er
C. -ness
D. -ed

3. What does the prefix “re-” mean?
A. before
B. again
C. not
D. small

4. Choose the word with a derivational suffix:
A. talking
B. dogs
C. helpful
D. walked

5. Which suffix means “a person who does something”?
A. -ful
B. -ness
C. -er
D. -able

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Part B: Fill in the blanks with correct affixes
6. She was very ___ (add -ful) for the help.
7. Can you ___ (add re-) the essay before submission?
8. His ___ (add -ness) surprised everyone.
9. I saw the movie ___ (add pre-)view online.
10. He is a fast ___ (add -er) than his brother.

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✅ Answer Key & Explanations

1. B. dis- → “disagree” uses the prefix dis- meaning “opposite of”.
2. C. -ness turns adjectives like kind into kindness.
3. B. again → re- means to do something again, as in rewrite.
4. C. helpful → -ful is derivational; it forms adjectives from nouns.
5. C. -er → as in teacher or runner.

6. grateful → -ful means "full of"
7. rewrite → re- means to do again
8. kindness → -ness forms a noun from kind
9. preview → pre- means before
10. runner → -er means "a person who does something"

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🧠 2. Flashcards for Affix Learning

Use these for print or digital practice.

Front	Back
Prefix: un-	Meaning: “not” → Example: unfair
Prefix: re-	Meaning: “again” → Example: redo
Prefix: pre-	Meaning: “before” → Example: preview
Prefix: dis-	Meaning: “opposite of” → Example: disagree
Suffix: -er	Meaning: “person who does” → teacher
Suffix: -ness	Meaning: “state of being” → kindness
Suffix: -ly	Meaning: “in a ___ way” → quickly
Suffix: -able	Meaning: “capable of” → fixable
Derivational affix example	happy → happiness
Inflectional affix example	walk → walked

Conclusion

Affixes play a powerful role in English language learning. By understanding how prefixes and suffixes function, students can break down complex words and grasp their meanings more quickly. Whether you're reading academic texts or casual messages, recognizing affixes can make a big difference in comprehension and communication.