Prefixes
📋 What it is
A prefix is a word-part added to the FRONT that changes meaning — "un-" (not), "re-" (again), "pre-" (before).
🗣️ Coach says
Prefixes are meaning-shortcuts. See "un-" and you know it flips the word to "not". "Unhappy" = not happy. Learn ten prefixes and you can unlock hundreds of words.
🧠 Memory hook
Prefix at the FRONT changes meaning. un = not, re = again, pre = before.
😂 Giggle
Why did the comma break up with the apostrophe?
It was tired of all the possessiveness!
😲 Whoa!
Just the prefix "un-" appears at the start of thousands of English words — one part, a huge payoff.
✅ Quick check: What does "re-" add in "rewrite", and what does "rewrite" mean?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
"re-" means "again", so "rewrite" = write again.
Knowing a prefix’s meaning lets you decode unfamiliar words built from it.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Add "un-", "re-", and "pre-" to three base words and say what each new word means.