Picking Out Prefixes

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Prefixes are the basic elements of creating new words.

They are a letter or small group of letters that, when added to the beginning of a word, completely change the word's meaning.

In this lesson, you will learn about the prefixes listed below and discover how each changes the meaning of different root words:

• min-
• non-
• over-
• im-

Let's look at an example!

The definition of the word fiction is literature based on imaginary stories. The prefix non- means not.

If we add these together, we get the new word nonfiction.

The definition of the word nonfiction is literature based on true events or facts.

Each of the four prefixes listed above changes word meanings based on its individual definition. Take note of the definition of each prefix:

Learning the meaning of these prefixes, helps you define unfamiliar words in your reading by breaking the word into the root and prefix.

Take a look at the word, nonexistent.

If we take the time to pick it apart, we see the root word is exist. We know that this word means:

• to be
• able to be experienced by at least one of the senses
• physically present in the world

We also now know that the prefix non means not.

If we combine what we know about the root word and the prefix, we know that nonexistent refers to something that is fake or not real; something that simply does not exist in this world.

Now that you know how to pick out prefixes and what some prefixes mean, it's time to start connecting them to some words and using them in sentences!

Continue on to the Got It? section for some practice!