A root word is a word on its own.
A prefix is a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a root word.
Here are some common prefixes:
un (untidy)
dis (disorganised)
Knowing what a prefix means can help us to understand new words.
For example, the prefix un- means 'not'. Your browser does not support the audio element.
un (prefix) + happy (root word) = unhappy
un (prefix) + well (root word) = unwell
un (prefix) + kind (root word) = unkind
Did you notice how there are no finger spaces between the prefix and the root word? They are all the same word.
Let's have a go at adding the prefix un- to some words.
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