Word guide
Common Prefixes: Recognize Word Beginnings Faster
Learn productive English prefixes, their meanings, and how they help with vocabulary, spelling, crosswords, and anagrams.
What a prefix does
A prefix is added to the beginning of a base word to modify meaning. Recognizing the prefix helps you isolate the root and predict the resulting definition.
| Prefix | Common meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| un- | not; reverse | unfair, untie |
| re- | again; back | rewrite, return |
| pre- | before | preview, preheat |
| dis- | not; apart; reverse | disagree, disconnect |
| mis- | wrongly | misread, misplace |
| inter- | between | interact, international |
| sub- | under; below | submarine, subheading |
| trans- | across; through | transport, transform |
| anti- | against | antivirus, antisocial |
| over- | too much; above | overcook, overhead |
How prefixes help solve words
When a letter rack contains R and E, test whether re- leaves a recognizable base. In crosswords, a clue meaning “again” may indicate an answer beginning with RE. In vocabulary work, identifying the prefix often reveals part of an unfamiliar word’s meaning.
Watch for spelling changes
Some prefixes assimilate to the sound that follows, and some words only appear to contain a prefix. Confirm the base word rather than removing letters mechanically.