Prefixes and Suffixes Teaching Resources
Are you teaching prefixes and suffixes this school year? Printable worksheets, digital activities, and more options for English teachers have been created just for you by the Teach Starter teacher team!
Explore our curriculum-aligned collection of options for your writing or reading centers with editable options to help differentiate instruction and ensure your students have everything they need to meet standards.
Has it been a while since you were teaching this part of the curriculum? Our teacher team knows what it’s like to teach a new grade level after some time away, so we’ve put together a quick refresher on the basics of prefixes and suffixes! Take a look at our quick guide on the definitions of prefixes and suffixes, how to use them and some common examples.
What Is a Prefix?
The obvious place to start teaching this topic is with a definition, right? Your students will need to know the meaning of a prefix and how it differs from a suffix.
Simply put, a prefix is a sequence of sounds that carry meaning (otherwise known as a morpheme) that is added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. For a set of letters to act as a prefix, there also must be a base word or a root word.
Prefix Examples
There are a wide variety of prefixes that students will come across during their years in primaryschool. Prefixes that are generally introduced first include un- and re-.
- The prefix 'un-' translates to 'not.' Examples with this prefix include unable, unusual and unkind.
- 'Re-' when used as a prefix means 'again.' Words with this prefix may be those such as redo, rewrite and reuse.
It is important to remind your students that sometimes there are words that have these same letters and appear to be a prefix, but there are times when they are just part of the word.
So, for example, you can present students with the word 'real.' While the letters 're' appear at the beginning of the word, 'al' is not a base word with meaning. In this case, the 're' is not acting like a prefix.
Common Prefixes Taught in Primary School
If you are looking for a list of prefixes to teach in your class, check out our list below!
- un- (not or opposite of)
- re- (again)
- dis- (not or opposite of)
- in- (not)
- under- (below or too little)
- over- (above or too much)
- non- (not)
- pre- (before)
- bi- (two)
- tri- (three)
- quad- (four)
- oct- (oct)
What Is a Suffix?
Much like a prefix, a suffix acts in the same what that it is a group of letters that carry meaning to change a base or root word. The only difference is that these letters appear at the end of the word.
Suffix Examples
As early as year 1, students begin to recognize that word meaning changes when you add letters to the end of a word. The most basic example of this is changing a singular noun to a plural noun by adding -s or -es to the end of a word.
Other common suffixes that are taught early on include -ed and -ing.
Common Suffixes Taught in Primary School
Looking for a list of suffixes that need to be covered in the primary years? Read on for a list of word endings that your students should learn!
- -s (plural, more than one)
- -es (plural, more than one)
- -ing (action)
- -ed (past tense)
- -er (comparative)
- -est (superlative)
- -ful (full of)
- -less (without)
- -y (characterized by)
- -ly (characteristic of)
- -ness (condition or state of)
Decoding with Prefixes and Suffixes
Prefixes and suffixes come in handy when it comes to decoding words because they provide important clues about meaning.
Let's say a student encounters an unfamiliar word. They can use their knowledge of common prefixes and suffixes to decipher the word's meaning based on its parts.
For example, if students encounter the word 'dislike,' they may not know its exact meaning. However, if they are familiar with the prefix 'dis-,' which means not or opposite, and the suffix '-like,' which means having the same characteristics or qualities as, they can use this knowledge to determine that 'dislike' means not having the same characteristics or qualities as something else.
- Plus Plan
Rainbow Affixes - Prefix and Suffix Interactive
Define words with prefixes and suffixes with a self-checking interactive game!
- Plus Plan
Base Word and Ending Clip Cards
Support your students' understanding of word structure with this Base Word and Ending Clip Cards activity.
- Plus Plan
Detective Base Word Game Cards
Explore vocabulary and word-building skills with this engaging base word game resource using Detective Base Word Game Cards.
- Plus Plan
Morpheme Cards Flip Books
Support your students’ understanding of word structure with this engaging morpheme cards flipbook resource.
- Plus Plan
Find the Base Word - Highlight and Read Sheets
Strengthen your students’ vocabulary with this Find the Base Word Worksheet Set.
- Plus Plan
Suffixes Mini Book
Learn to make pancakes and use the suffixes -ed and -ing with a printable mini-book.
- Plus Plan
Prefixes and Suffixes - Colour By Code Worksheets
Practise identifying words with affixes with a fun colour-by-code worksheet.
- Plus Plan
Find The Imposter! Interactive Suffix Game
Practice using the suffixes -s and -es to pluralize words with an exciting FInd the Imposter Interactive activity.
- Plus Plan
Prefixes and Suffixes Quiz
Assess your students’ knowledge of prefixes and suffixes with a vocabulary quiz.
- Plus Plan
Word Building Bricks - Prefixes, Suffixes and Roots
Build, read and write multi-syllable words using prefixes, suffixes and base words with a fun word-building literacy activity.
- Plus Plan
Prefix Bingo
Match prefix words to their definition by identifying the meaning of the prefix and the root word with a fun game of BINGO.
- Plus Plan
Which Suffix is it? - Task Cards
Practise using suffixes in sentences with a set of printable suffix task cards.
- Plus Plan
Greek and Latin Root Words - Illustrated Word Wall
Use word wall displays to build student vocabulary with daily exposure to Greek and Latin root words.
- Free Plan
What is an Affix? Suffix Puzzle Pack
Practice building, reading, and understanding the meaning of words with suffixes with a fun set of printable puzzles for kids.
- Plus Plan
Roots Window Graphic Organiser
Organise ideas about roots and their origins with this graphic organiser.
- Free Plan
Morphology Match-Up Game
Consolidate your morphology lessons by ensuring students understand word parts terminology and the meanings of different word parts.
- Plus Plan
Words with Prefixes Worksheet - Prefix Re-
Build students' understanding of the prefix re-.with a printable prefix worksheet.
- Plus Plan
I Have, Who Has Prefix Game
Play an exciting prefix game to help your students identify and define words with the prefixes - pre, re, un, and dis.
- Plus Plan
Root Words Activity - Word Family Flower Craft
Explore the power of grammatical morphemes and create a stunning flower craft that showcases their understanding of word families.
- Plus Plan
Vocabulary Foldables for Interactive Notebooks
Use Vocabulary Foldables to help your students demonstrate and review a variety of vocabulary concepts.
- Plus Plan
Word Villain - Prefix and Suffix Worksheets
Practise building words with suffixes and prefixes with a pair of printable vocabulary worksheets.
- Plus Plan
Re- Prefix Crossword Puzzle
Review vocabulary skills and boost your students’ knowledge of the “Re-” prefix with a crossword puzzle worksheet.
- Free Plan
Prefix Words Classroom Display
Build a classroom word wall and boost vocabulary skills with a printable prefix classroom display.
- Plus Plan
Affix Word Tree - Poster & Worksheet
Encourage vocabulary development with printable affix word tree anchor chart and worksheet
- Plus Plan
Prefix Task Cards - Vocabulary Activity
Build your students’ skills in determining the correct prefixes to use with a set of task cards.
- Plus Plan
Suffix Dominoes - Vocabulary Game
Identify new words that include common suffixes with a fun suffixes vocabulary game.
- Plus Plan
Words with Suffixes - Word Building Activity
Build words by matching the root word to suffixes and recording the new words on the answer sheet.
- Plus Plan
Instructional PowerPoint - Prefixes
Teach your students to correctly identify, define, and spell words with common prefixes with an interactive teaching presentation.
- Plus Plan
Word Study List - Suffixes
Introduce and explore common suffixes with this extensive list of words.
- Plus Plan
Word Study List - Prefixes
Introduce and explore common prefixes with this extensive list of words.
- Plus Plan
Base Word Sorting Activity
Use this Base Word Sorting activity to help students sort words based on their root words.
- Plus Plan
Derivational Suffix Worksheet Pack
Support vocabulary instruction with this derivational suffix worksheet set that helps students understand how adding suffixes can change word forms and meanings.