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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Suffix Stars - Interactive Suffix Review
Practice reading and spelling plural nouns with an engaging Google Slides digital learning activity.
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Un- and Dis- Prefixes Worksheet
Build vocabulary skills with a prefix worksheet featuring the prefixes Un- and Dis-.
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Prefix and Suffix Gallery Walk Activity
Get your students up and learning about prefixes and suffixes with an engaging gallery walk activity.
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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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Word Study List - Suffixes
Introduce and explore common suffixes with this extensive list of words.
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Re- Prefix Crossword Puzzle
Review vocabulary skills and boost your students’ knowledge of the “Re-” prefix with a crossword puzzle worksheet.
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Suffix Mini Anchor Charts
Give your students a visual reminder of the meanings of 28 affixes with a printable set of miniature suffix anchor charts.
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Roots Graphic Organiser Template
Use this graphic organiser to explore roots and their origins.
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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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Word Villain - Prefix and Suffix Worksheets
Practise building words with suffixes and prefixes with a pair of printable vocabulary worksheets.
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Colour By Suffix Worksheet
Reveal the hidden picture and practise using the inflectional endings -s, -es, -ies, and -ves with a colour-by-code worksheet.
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-Less Suffixes Worksheet
Build vocabulary skills with a suffix worksheet featuring the suffix -less.
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Suffix Bingo - Vocabulary Game
Match words with suffixes to their meanings in this BINGO game.
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Re- Prefix Words Worksheet - Morphology Passage
Practise reading, defining, and using words with the Re- prefix with a morphology-based reading passage and prefix worksheet.
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Roots Window Graphic Organiser
Organise ideas about roots and their origins with this graphic organiser.
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Affix Heroes Interactive Activity
Help the Affix Heroes define words with prefixes and suffixes with a self-checking interactive game!
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Mini Anchor Charts - Prefixes
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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Im- and Non- Prefixes Worksheet
Consolidate students' understanding of im- and non- prefixes with a prefix worksheet.
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Four in a Row Vocabulary Game - Suffixes
Practise matching words to their common suffixes and build vocabulary with a suffix vocabulary game.
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Printable Vocabulary Games - Playing with Prefixes
Practise building and using words with common prefixes with a fun prefix vocabulary game.
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Building Words with Prefixes Sorting Activity
Build words by matching the root word to prefixes and recording the new terms on the answer sheet.
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Word Study List - Prefixes
Introduce and explore common prefixes with this extensive list of words.
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-Ty and -Ity Suffixes Worksheet
Practise using the suffixes -ty and -ity with a printable suffix worksheet.
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Prefix Crossword Puzzle Worksheet
Review vocabulary skills and boost your students’ knowledge of prefixes with a printable crossword puzzle.
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Find The Imposter! Interactive Suffix Game
Practice using the suffixes -s and -es to pluralize words with an exciting FInd the Imposter Interactive activity.
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Gum Ball Affixes Interactive Resource
Learn new words and their prefixes, suffixes, and base words with an engaging Google Slides digital learning activity.
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Snag-a-Suffix Claw Machine Interactive Review Game
Review knowledge of suffixes with an exciting interactive claw machine game!
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Prefix Puzzles - Literacy Centre
Grow your students’ vocabularies with prefix puzzles in your literacy centres.
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Prefix Task Cards - Vocabulary Activity
Build your students’ skills in determining the correct prefixes to use with a set of task cards.
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Prefix Vocabulary Game - Four in a Row
Practise matching words to their common prefixes with an exciting Four in a Row Vocabulary Game.
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Suffix Dominoes - Vocabulary Game
Identify new words that include common suffixes with a fun suffixes vocabulary game.
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Words with Suffixes - Word Building Activity
Build words by matching the root word to suffixes and recording the new words on the answer sheet.