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.
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Prefix and Suffix Word Search
Locate words containing common prefixes and suffixes with this engaging word search.
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Verb Suffixes Worksheets (s, ed, ing)
Download these suffix worksheets to help students confidently identify and apply the verb tense suffixes -s, -ed and -ing.
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Plural Suffixes Worksheet Pack
Download this plurals worksheet pack to help students confidently identify and apply the plural suffixes -s, -es, -ies and -ves when spelling plural nouns.
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Spelling with Inflectional Suffixes Worksheets
Spell words with the inflectional endings -ed, -ing, -s, -es and -ies with a pack of printable practice worksheets covering inflected endings.
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Plural Spelling Rules Teaching Slides
Teach plural rules to your class with ease using this engaging slide deck that helps students understand when to add -s, -es, -ies and -ves to make plural nouns.
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Greek and Latin Roots Worksheet Set
Practise using vocabulary containing Greek roots and Latin roots with these weekly root word worksheets.
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Prefix and Suffix Search Worksheets
Build confident vocabulary and word‑study skills with this engaging Prefixes & Suffixes Search Worksheet Pack.
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Suffix Stories - Morphology Passages
Practise reading, defining, and using words with suffixes with a pack of suffix-focused reading passage worksheets.
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Prefixes and Suffixes Flipbook
Review and assess prefix and suffix knowledge with a printable vocabulary flipbook.
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Verb Suffixes Teaching Slides (s, ed, ing)
Teach verb suffixes to your class with ease using this engaging slide deck that helps students understand when to apply the suffixes -s, -ed and -ing to change verb tense.
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Suffix Cut and Paste Worksheets
Build strong word‑building skills with Suffix Sandcastles, a collection of six engaging cut‑and‑paste worksheets designed to help students master common suffix endings.
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Find The Imposter! – Plural Suffixes Game
Teach your students apply suffixes to make plural nouns with this engaging interactive activity.
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Negative Prefixes Worksheet Pack – Mis, Dis, Un, Im and In
Download these prefixes worksheets to help students use negative prefixes such as mis, dis, un, im and in across a range of contexts.
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Prefixes Mini Anchor Charts
Give your students a visual reminder of the meanings of 36 different prefixes with a printable set of miniature prefix anchor charts.
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Prefixes Domino Game
Identify new words that include common prefixes with 28 prefixes and root word dominoes.
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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.
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Prefixes List for Students
Download this list of prefixes to help your students build vocabulary, improve decoding skills, and confidently understand how prefixes change the meaning of words.
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Suffix -Able - Grammar Worksheet
Transform your students’ vocabulary skills with our skill-building English worksheets, featuring the powerful “-able” suffix
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Make It Plural Interactive Activity
Help children grasp the tricky concept of pluralising nouns with an interactive Google Slides activity.
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Suffix Bingo
Match words with suffixes to their meanings in this BINGO game.
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Prefixes PowerPoint
Use this Prefix PowerPoint to help students understand what prefixes are and confidently use common prefixes related to opposites, time, place and position, numbers and size.
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Plural Rules Poster Pack
Make plural rules a breeze to understand with plural noun posters.
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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.
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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.
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Plural Suffix Stars – Digital Activity
Practice reading and spelling plural nouns with an engaging Google Slides digital learning activity.
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Prefixes and Suffixes Posters
Increase vocabulary skills with anchor charts about common prefixes and suffixes.
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Suffixes Interactive Activity
Explore suffixes with this fun and engaging suffix digital activity ready to use in the classroom.
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Affix Puzzle Activity - Prefixes and Suffixes
Build words with affixes with a pack of printable word-building puzzles.
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Base Word Sorting Activity
Use this Base Word Sorting activity to help students sort words based on their root words.
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Four in a Row Vocabulary Game – Prefixes
Practise matching words to their common prefixes with an exciting Four in a Row Vocabulary Game.
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Suffix Puzzles – Match Up Cards
Practise building, reading and understanding the meaning of words with suffixes with a fun set of printable puzzles for kids.
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Directional and Positional Prefixes Worksheet Pack
Help your students master directional and positional prefixes with this comprehensive worksheet pack that explores how these prefixes change word meanings.