Understanding-As far as I see it, understanding prefixes is an amazing method of building vocabularies. Today-I am going to take you through the most ones. By getting grips on these prefixes not only will you increase your proficiency in English but also significantly develop your communication skills.
What is a Prefix?
To put it simply, what is meant by prefix is a set of letters attached to a word’s beginning part that changes the meaning of the word. For example, adding “un-“to” happy” makes it become “unhappy”, which means not happy. Only mastering several prefixes can give you knowledge about the other words more and more. Therefore, let’s examine some commonly used prefixes and how they alter the meanings of normal words.
Common Prefixes to Know
Un- (meaning not)
Unhappy – opposite of being happy
Underestimate – predicting less than it should be
Over- (meaning too much)
Overspend – spending excessively
Overpriced – costing too much
Pre- (meaning before)
Prepaid – paid for before use
Preheat – heat something first before using it
Post- (meaning after)
Postgraduate – after completing an undergraduate degree course at university or college
Postwar – happening or existing after war has finished
Multi- (meaning many)
Multicultural – having multiple cultures.
Multi-millionaire – one person who has millions dollars.
Mono- (meaning one)
Monopolize—take control over something entirely thus leaving others out,
Monotheistic—believing that there is only one God.
Bi-(meaning two)
Bicycle—is a vehicle with two wheels,
Bilingual—you can speak two languages.
Under-(meaning too little)
Undercooked—the food did not cook enough,
Underrepresented—not having enough people represented there.
Super-(meaning above, beyond)
Supermodel—a highly popular and high-paid model in fashion industry
Supercomputer—a computer that is incredibly strong.
Miss- (meaning wrong)
Misunderstand – interpreting wrongly,
Misbehave – behaving badly.
Anti-(meaning against)
Antisocial – avoid socializing with others.
Anti-aging – against aging on the skin surface.
Why Learn Prefixes?
By just prefixing, you can expand your vocabulary considerably without having to memorize many words. If you understand the common prefixes, you may be able to guess the meanings of some new words, which is useful especially for academic and professional purposes.
Conclusion – Expand Your Vocabulary with Prefixes
Now that you know how powerful prefixes can be in expanding your vocabulary, it’s a good idea to start paying more attention to these prefixes and the words they modify. Not only one but also several English words can be known through every prefix we discussed today.
Feel free to share this post or comment if you’ve found these tips helpful or have more insights into how prefixes work. And if you’re looking to enhance your vocabulary even more, consider checking out vocabulary courses for both beginner and advanced levels. Here’s to your success in boosting your vocabulary with the simple power of prefixes!
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