Most Common Prefixes

These 20 common prefixes account for 97% of all prefixed words in printed school English.

Anti- Against-anti-American, antibody, anticlimax, antibiotic

De- Opposite depart, defrost, demote, decrease, decent, decline, defect

*Dis- Not, opposite of disappoint, disagree, disadvantage, disbelieve, discourage, disconnect En-, em- Cause to or make- enclose, enlarge, encircle, endanger, engage, enjoy

Fore- Before foreward, forehead, forecast, forearm, foresee, forewarn, foreman

*In-, im-, il-, ir- Not incomplete, impolite, illiterate, illogical, immature, irregular, irresponsible Inter- Between interact, international, interpret, intersect

Mid- Middle Mid-Autumn Festival,

Mis- Wrongly mistake, misspell

Non- Non

Over- Over

Pre- Before preview, prevent, prepaid

*Re- Again review, recall, refresh,

Semi- Half

Sub- Under subway, submarine, subnormal

Super- Above

Trans- Across transatlantic, transport, transform

*Un- Not untie, unhappy, unchanged, undo, unable, uncomfortable, unsure

Under- Under-underline, underscore, underpay,

*These 4 prefixes alone account for 58% of all prefixed words.

MORE IMPORTANT PREFIXES:

abs- from-absent, abstract

ab, ap, at- to-advance, attack, approach

aud- hear-audience, auditorium, audio

auto- self-automatic, automobile

bio- life-biology, biography

co- together-coauthor, co-edit, coheir, co-chair

com, con, col- with-combine, confront, collect

de- away, off; generally indicates reversal or removal in English-deactivate, debone, defrost, decompress, deplane

dis- not, not any-disbelief, discomfort, discredit, disrepair, disrespect

en- put onto or on, make-enclose, enlarge, envelope

ex- out of, from-export, exchange, exterior, excellent, except, exclude

hetero-other or another-heterosexual, heterogeneous, heteronym

hemi- half-hemisphere

hyper-excessive, above, beyond-hypertension, hypersensitive, hypercritical

hypo-beneath, under, deficient-hypodermic, hypocrite, hypochondriac

inter- between, among-international, interpret, intersection, interrupt, interject intra- within-intramural, intravenous (IV)

mal- bad-malfunction, mala, malice, malformed, malcontent, malnutrition

micro- small-microscope, microphone, microwave, microbiology

mono- one-monopoly, monotone, monotony

non- not-nonessential, nonmetallic, nonresident, nonviolence, nonskid, nonstop para, at side of-parallel, paramedic, paragraph, parasite

ped- foot-pedal, pedestrian, pedestal

post- after-postdate, postwar, postnasal, postnatal, postcard, postpone

photo- produced by light-photograph

pre- before-preconceive, preexist, premeditate, predispose, prepossess, prepay pro- move forward, before-project, propose, proceed

re- again-back, backward, rearrange, rebuild, recall, remake, rerun, rewrite