Affixes

Molon, Niel
Coral, Rafael
Velasco, Jhon Von
Luchavez, Angelo
Napala, Ronn Andre
 Root Words, Roots and Affixes
• Many English words are formed by taking basic words and adding combinations of
prefixes and suffixes to them. A basic word to which affixes (prefixes and suffixes)
are added is called a root word because it forms the basis of a new word. The root
word is also a word in its own right. For example, the word lovely consists of the
word love and the suffix -ly.

• In contrast, a root is the basis of a new word, but it does not typically form a stand-
alone word on its own. For example, the word reject is made up of the prefix re-
and the Latin root ject, which is not a stand-alone word.
 Common Latin roots
Latin Root Definition Examples contradict,
contra/counter against
ambiguous, encounter
ambi both
ambidextrous dictation,
dict to say
aquarium, dictator
aqua water
aquamarine duc/duct to lead conduct, induce
audience, factory,
aud to hear fac to do; to make
audition manufacture
benefactor, conform,
bene good form shape
benevolent reform
cent one hundred century, percent fortitude,
fort strength
circumference, fortress
circum around
circumstance fracture,
fract to break
fraction
 Common Latin and Greek roots
projection, paternal,
ject throw pater father
rejection paternity
judicial, portable,
jud judge port to carry
prejudice transportation
malevolent, bankrupt,
mal bad rupt to break
malefactor disruption
material, inscription,
mater mother scrib/scribe to write
maternity prescribe
mit to send transmit, admit sect/sec to cut bisect, section
mortal, sent to feel; to send consent, resent
mort death
mortician inspection,
spect to look
multimedia, spectator
multi many
multiple
 Common Greek roots
Greek Root Definition Examples epigram,
gram thing written
telegram
man; human; anthropologist,
anthropo graphic,
humanity philanthropy graph writing
phonograph
autobiography,
auto self heteronym,
automobile hetero different
heterogeneous
biology,
bio life homonym,
biography homo same
homogenous
chronological,
chron time hydration,
chronic hydr water
dehydrate
dynamic,
dyna power hypothermia,
dynamite hypo below; beneath
hypothetical
bad; hard; dysfunctional, biology,
dys logy study of
unlucky dyslexic psychology
 Common Greek roots
meter/metr measure
thermometer, claustrophobia,
perimeter phobia fear
phobic
microbe, phone,
micro small phon sound
microscope symphony
misanthrope, photograph,
mis/miso hate photo/phos light
misogyny phosphorous
monologue, pseudonym,
mono one pseudo false
monotonous pseudoscience
morphology, psychology,
morph form; shape psycho soul; spirit
morphing
psychic
antonym,
nym name viewing microscope,
synonym scope
instrument telescope
philanthropist,
phil love art; science; technique,
philosophy techno
skill technological
 What Are Affixes?
• An affix is added to the root of a word to change its meaning. An affix
added to the front of a word is known as a prefix. One added to the back is
known as a suffix. Sometimes, prefixes are hyphenated.
 Examples of Affixes
• Here are some examples of affixes:
• incapable = not capable
• (The affix is the prefix in.)
• ex-President = former President
• (The affix is the prefix ex-.)
• laughing
• (The affix is the suffix -ing.)
 Real-Life Examples of Affixes
• The four most common prefixes are dis-, in-, re-, and un-. (These account for
over 95% of prefixed words.) Here they are in some short quotations.
• He has all of the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire. (Prime Minister
Winston Churchill)
• I inspire myself. (American actor Tommy Wiseau)
• May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears. (South African President
Nelson Mandela)
• What consumes your mind controls your life. (Unknown philosopher)
 Real-Life Examples of Affixes
• The four most common suffixes are -ed, -ing, -ly, and -es. (These account for
over 95% of suffixed words.) Here they are in some short quotations.
• Normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk but no flowers grow. (Artist
Vincent van Gogh)
• Wanting to be someone else is a waste of who you are. (Singer Kurt Cobain)
• To live will be an awfully big adventure. (Peter Pan)
• Many foxes grow gray but few grow good. ("The First American" Benjamin
Franklin)
 Prefixes
• A prefix is placed before a root word to make a new word. There are several types of affixes that can be attached to
the beginning of words to change the meaning.

• il-, im-, in-, ir-, un-, non- mean NOT. e.g. illegal, imperfect, inadequate, irresponsible, unnecessary, non-negotiable
• re- means BACK. e.g. reverse
• di-, dis- mean SEPARATE. e.g. divert, disassemble
• de- means REMOVE. e.g. deactivate
• mis- means WRONG. e.g. mislead
• co-, com-, con- mean TOGETHER. e.g. co-worker, companion, congregate
• all- is spelt with one ‘l’ when added to words e.g. altogether, although, also
 Here is a list of common prefixes with some
examples:
Prefix Meaning Example com-, con- with companion,
contact
a-, an- without amoral, atypical
contra- against contradiction
ante- before antecedent,
antenatal de- off delist, devalue
anti- against anti- dis- not disappear
establishment en- put into enclose,
auto- self autopilot envelop
circum- around circumvent ex- out of, former extract, ex-
governor
co- with co-conspirator,
co-pilot extra- beyond, more extracurricular
than
 Here is a list of common prefixes with
hetero- different
some
heterosexual
examples:
homo- same homonym,
homophone macro- large macronutrients
hyper- over, more hyperactive micro- small microscope
il-, im-, in-, ir- not, without illegal, mono- one monocle
impractical, non- not, without nonentity,
inconsiderate, nonstarter,
irresponsible
omni- all, every omnipresent,
in- into insert omniscient
inter- between internet, post- after post-mortem
intersection,
pre-, pro- before, forward precede, project
intra- inside intranet,
intravenous
Here is a list of common prefixes with
some examples:
sub- under submarine,
substandard
syn- same time synchronize

super- above supervisor,

superhuman
trans- across transmit

tri- three tripod, triceratops

un- not undone, unfinished,
uni- one unicorn, unilaterally
 suffixes
• A suffix is placed after a root word to make a new word. There are several
types of affixes that can be attached at the end of words to change the
meaning. There are many rules to know when adding suffixes.
 suffixes
• Double the consonant
• Double the final consonant after a vowel in a word with one syllable. e.g.
stop – stopped, run – running, fun – funny

• The final ‘l’ is doubled in a word with more than one syllable. e.g. cancel
– cancelled, propel – propeller, control – controlling
 suffixes
• Don’t double the consonant
• If a word ends in a consonant and a suffix begins with a consonant, don’t double the consonant.
e.g. sad – sadness, entertain – entertainment, regret – regretful, help – helpless, faithful – faithfully

• When a word with one syllable ends with more than one consonant, don’t double the consonant.
e.g. start – started, ring – ringing, fight – fighter

• If the last syllable in a word is not stressed, don’t double the consonant. e.g. benefit – benefited,
offer – offering, reveal – revealing
 suffixes
• Drop the ‘e’
• When the suffix begins with a vowel, drop the ‘e’. e.g. make – making, use – user, store – storage, adore –
adorable
• If a word ends in ‘le’ and the suffix is -ly, drop the ‘e’ and add ‘y’. e.g. simple – simply, bubble – bubbly

• Keep the ‘e’

• When a word ends in ‘ce’ or ‘ge’, keep the ‘e’. e.g. notice – noticeable, change – changeable
• If a word ends in ‘ee’, keep the ‘e’. e.g. see – seeing, agree – agreeing
• If a suffix is -ful or -ly, keep the ‘e’. e.g. peace – peaceful, love – lovely
 suffixes
• Keep the ‘y’
• When a word ends with ‘y’ and has a vowel before it, keep the ‘y’. e.g. boy – boys,
play – playing, buy – buyer, enjoy – enjoyed, joy – joyful
• If the suffix starts with ‘i’, keep the ‘y’. e.g. carry – carrying, fly – flying

• Drop the ‘y’

• There are very few instances when the ‘y’ comes after a vowel and is dropped to
add an affix. e.g. pay – paid, lay – laid, say – said
 suffixes
• Change ‘y’ to ‘i’
• If a consonant comes before the ‘y’, change ‘y’ to ‘i’. e.g. happy –
happiness, lady – ladies

• Change ‘ie’ to ‘y’

• If a word ends in ‘ie’ and the suffix is -ing, change ‘ie’ to ‘y’. e.g. lie –
lying, die – dying
 Plurals and adding affixes
• Add -s or -es
• Add -s or -es to some words ending in ‘o’. e.g. piano – pianos, hero – heroes

• -es to words ending in -s, -ss, -z, -ch, -sh and -x. e.g. gas – gases, business –
businesses, quiz – quizzes, watch – watches, bush – bushes, fox – foxes

• -s to words ending in two vowels and ‘f’. e.g. roof – roofs, chief – chiefs
 Plurals and adding affixes
• Change ‘f’ to ‘v’
• Change ‘f’ to ‘v’ and add -es in some words. e.g. thief – thieves, leaf – leaves, loaf –
loaves
• Add either -s or -ves to some words ending in ‘f’ e.g. dwarf – dwarfs or dwarves,
scarf – scarfs or scarves

• Add -s to ‘ff’
• Adds -s to words ending in ‘ff’. e.g. cliff – cliffs, sniff – sniffs
 Plurals and adding affixes
• Vowels are changed
• Change the vowels e.g. foot – feet, tooth – teeth, goose – geese, man – men, woman – women

• Spelling is changed
• Change the spelling of the word e.g. mouse – mice, child – children, person – people

• Same for singular and plural

• Leave words the same e.g. sheep – sheep, shrimp – shrimp, aircraft – aircraft
 Plurals and adding affixes
• -us ending is changed to –i or -ai
• Change -us ending to -i in words e.g. alumnus – alumni, fungus – fungi, syllabus – syllabai

• -is ending is changed to -es

• Change -is ending to -es in words e.g. basis – bases, crisis – crises

• -on ending is changed to -a

• Change -on ending to -a in words e.g. phenomenon – phenomena, criterion – criteria
 Plurals and adding affixes
• -um ending is changed to -a
• Change -um ending to -a in words e.g. bacterium – bacteria, datum – data, memorandum – memoranda

• -ix ending is changed to -ices or add -es

• Change -ix ending to -ices or add -es e.g. appendix – appendices or appendixes, matrix – matrices or
matrixes

• -ex ending is changed to -ices or add -es

• Change -ex ending to -ices or add -es e.g. index – indices or indexes
 Here is a list of common suffixes with some
Suffix Meaning
examples:
Example -est superlative nicest, greatest
-able, -ible can be done comfortable, -ful full or full of cupful, careful
passable -ic having linguistic,
-al, -ial having the personal characteristics sarcastic
characteristics of
of -ing verb form dancing,
-ed past-tense verbs danced, jumped (present singing
(weak verbs) participle and
gerund)
-en made of golden, wooden
-ion, -tion, act or process attraction,
-er comparative tidier, nicer -ation, ition attrition
-er, -or one who actor, narrator, -ity, -ty state of humility,
worker infinity
-ive, -ative, adjective form expensive,
itive of a noun plaintive
Here is a list of common suffixes with
some examples:
-less without topless, fearless
-ly adverb ending nicely, quickly
-ment action or process enjoyment,
entrenchment
-ness state of, condition eagerness, kindness
of
-ous, -eous, -ious possessing the erroneous, joyous
qualities of
-s, -es plural tables, foxes
-y characterized by fatty, happy, jumpy
 Why Should I Care about Affixes?
• (Reason 1) Using an affix to reduce the wordcount in your sentence
• Not aware > unaware
• (Reason 2) Breaking down long words to help with spelling
• Anti-dis-establ-ish-ment-arian-ism
• (Reason 3) Breaking down long words to help with decoding their meaning
• dis-respect-ful-ly = "not-respect-full of-adverb,"
• (Reason 4) Knowing whether to use a hyphen with a prefix
• Don't use a hyphen after prefix, but if it looks too unwieldy, use one.
 Why Should I Care about Affixes?
• (Reason 5) Knowing when to capitalize a prefix
• Ex-President Smith will meet ex-President Jones later.
• (The first prefix (Ex-) starts the sentence, so the capital letter is correct.)
• Please show me the Baxter Inter-Department Programme.
• (The prefix Inter- is part of the proper noun, so the capital letter is correct.)
• Will you attend this year's anti-Nazi rally?
• (The prefix anti- is not part of the proper noun, so the lowercase letter is correct.)
Thank you