Prefixes and Suffixes Teaching Resources
Are you teaching prefixes and suffixes this school year? Printable worksheets, digital activities, and more options for ELA 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 Common Core and state-level standards.
Has it been a while since you were teaching this part of the ELA 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 elementary school. 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 Elementary School
If you are looking for a list of prefixes to teach in your ELA 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 first grade, 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 Elementary School
Looking for a list of suffixes that need to be covered in the elementary 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 Mini Anchor Charts
Give your students a visual reminder of the meanings of 28 suffixes with a printable set of miniature anchor charts.
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Prefixes and Suffixes - Gallery Walk Activity
Get your students up and moving to learn about prefixes and suffixes with an engaging gallery walk activity.
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Adding Suffixes - Vocabulary Worksheet
Review concepts related to suffixes with a printable grammar worksheet.
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Prefix and Suffix Anchor Charts
Increase vocabulary skills with anchor charts about prefixes and suffixes.
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Prefix Fun! - Cut and Paste Worksheet
Cut and paste to build words with prefixes with an fun and free prefix worksheet.
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Prefix Worksheet: Un- and Dis-
Build vocabulary skills with a prefix worksheet featuring the prefixes Un- and Dis-.
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Word Building Bricks - Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots Activity
Build, read and write multi-syllable words using prefixes, suffixes, and base words with a fun word-building literacy activity.
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Word Villain - Prefix and Suffix Worksheets
Practice building words with suffixes and prefixes with a pair of printable vocabulary worksheets.
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Prefix, Suffix, and Root Word Bingo
Examine prefixes, suffixes and root words and identify their morphological meanings with this engaging bingo game.
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Suffix Stories - Morphology Passages
Practice reading, defining, and using words suffixes with a pack of suffix-focused reading passage worksheets.
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Base Word and Ending Clip Cards
Support your students' understanding of word structure with this Base Word and Ending Clip Cards activity.
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Vocabulary Sketch Note Template Pack
Review a variety of vocabulary skills and help your students build note-taking skills with our printable Vocabulary Sketch Note Template Pack.
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Double Consonant Rule - Word Building Cards
Practice spelling and building words that need double consonants when adding suffixes with a word-building center.
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Inflectional Endings - Spelling with 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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Prefix and Suffix Quiz
Assess your students’ knowledge of prefixes and suffixes with a vocabulary quiz.
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Prefixes and Suffixes Slide Deck
Help your students determine the meanings of prefixes and suffixes with an instructional slide deck.
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Interactive Suffix Activity-Google Slides
Practice adding suffixes to words by identifying, defining, and matching them in context.
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Derivational Suffixes Teaching Slides
Teach how derivational suffixes can transform words and their meanings with this comprehensive teaching presentation for upper elementary students.
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Rainbow Affixes - Prefix and Suffix Game
Define words with prefixes and suffixes with a self-checking interactive game!
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I Have, Who Has Prefix Game
Play an exciting game to help your students identify and define words with the prefixes - pre, re, un, and dis.
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Spelling Words with -s, -es, and -ies Worksheets
Practice using the inflectional endings -s, -es, and -ies with a pack of English worksheets.
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Prefix Puzzles - Printable Reading Center
Grow your students’ vocabularies with an engaging prefix puzzle activity.
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Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots - Dictionary Hunt Worksheet
Investigate the meanings of prefixes, suffixes, and root words with a dictionary hunt worksheet.
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Greek and Latin Roots – Word Tree Anchor Charts
Encourage vocabulary development with 24 Greek and Latin root anchor charts.
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Building Words with Suffixes Sorting Activity
Build words by matching the root word to suffixes, recording the new words on the answer sheet.
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Suffixes Puzzles Matchup Cards
Practice building, reading, and understanding the meaning of words with suffixes with a fun set of suffix puzzles.
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Using Words with Prefixes - Worksheet Pack
Practice using the prefixes Un-, Re-, Mis-, Pre-, Dis-, and In- with a pair of printable prefix worksheets.
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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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Differentiated Prefix Practice Worksheets - Re- Prefixes
Build students' understanding of the prefix re-.with a printable prefix worksheet.
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Spelling Suffixes Anchor Charts - Plurals
Help students understand when to apply the right plural spellings based on the ending of any word.
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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.