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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Prefix and Suffix Anchor Charts
Increase vocabulary skills with anchor charts about prefixes and suffixes.
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Adding Suffixes - Vocabulary Worksheet
Review concepts related to suffixes with a printable grammar worksheet.
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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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Direction and Position Prefixes Worksheet Pack
Help your students master direction and position prefixes with this comprehensive worksheet pack that explores how these prefixes change word meanings.
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Prefix Worksheet Pack - 2nd Grade
Use this Prefix Worksheet Pack as an engaging prefix activity for Grade 2 that teach students how to use the most common prefixes—un‑, re‑, mis‑, dis‑, and pre‑.
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Prefixes Interactive Activity
Use this Prefix digital activity in your classroom to support your students as they explore how prefixes change word meaning.
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Morphemic Word Families Teaching Slides
Teach students about base words, prefixes and suffixes and how these are used to create morphemic families in a clear and simple way.
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Morphological Knowledge - Matching Activity
Review concepts learned in your prefix and suffix lessons by ensuring students understand word parts with a matching 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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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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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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Suffix Worksheet: -less
Build vocabulary skills with a suffix worksheet featuring the suffix -less.
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Word Study List - Prefix Words
Introduce and explore common prefixes with this extensive list of words.
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Time Prefixes Worksheet Pack – Re, Pre, Mid and Post
Download this prefix worksheet pack to help students use time prefixes such as re, pre, mid and post across a range of contexts.
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Prefix Worksheet - Words With the Pre- Prefix
Boost students' understanding of the prefix pre- with a printable prefix worksheet.
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Size Prefixes Worksheet Pack
Teach size prefixes with this comprehensive worksheet pack that helps students understand how prefixes change the meaning of words through a collection of engaging activities.
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Number and Measurement Prefixes Worksheet Pack
Help your students master number and measurement prefixes with this comprehensive worksheet pack, which uses a collection of engaging activities to show how prefixes change word meaning.
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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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Suffixes Interactive Activity
Explore suffixes with this fun and engaging suffix digital activity ready to use in the classroom.
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Affixes Word Building Puzzle Activity
Build words with affixes with a pack of printable word-building puzzles.
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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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Prefix and Suffix Search Worksheets
Build confident vocabulary and word‑study skills with this engaging Prefixes and Suffixes Search Worksheet Pack.
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Prefixes and Suffixes Flipbook
Review and assess prefix and suffix knowledge with a printable vocabulary flipbook.
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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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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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Make It Plural Interactive Activity
Help children grasp the tricky concept of pluralizing nouns with an interactive Google Slides activity.
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Suffixes - Color By Code Worksheet
Reveal the hidden picture and practice using the inflectional endings -s, -es, -ies, and -ves with a color-by-code worksheet.
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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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Greek or Latin Root Word Window - Graphic Organizer
Display learning about Greek and Latin roots and their origins with a crafty graphic organizer.
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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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Greek and Latin Roots – Word Tree Anchor Charts
Encourage vocabulary development with 24 Greek and Latin root anchor charts.
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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.