Transcript Spelling - the Redhill Academy

Spelling
Prefixes and Suffixes
Prefixes and suffixes
This presentation will look at how prefixes and suffixes can
help us to understand and spell words.
Words are full of patterns and rules.
Prefixes and suffixes help to create patterns in words.
Prefixes
A prefix is a letter or group of letters that is fixed in front
of the root of a word. The prefix changes the meaning of
the word.
con
de
ob
construct
struct (build)
destruct
obstruct
Knowing what the prefixes mean can help our understanding
of unfamiliar words. In this example, the prefixes are:
con = with/together; de = down; ob = in the way.
Antonym prefixes
Look at these words. The prefixes are in orange.
inaccurate
impolite
illegal
unhelpful
irregular
What is the effect of the
prefix in each case?
The prefixes in, im, il, un, and ir
all mean not. So by using these
prefixes, the meaning of the
words changes – to the opposite
meaning.
These are antonym prefixes. Antonym means ‘opposite’
and they make the original word into its opposite.
Can you think of other prefixes which do the same?
Antonym prefixes
Latin and Greek prefixes
Latin and Greek prefixes
Prefixes
Suffixes
A suffix is a group of letters which is added to the end
of a word, and which changes the meaning of the word.
play
+ er
player
+ ed
played
+ ing
playing
Knowing how suffixes work can help our understanding of
words and their spelling.
Suffixes
Suffixes for words ending in e
Look at what happens when we add suffixes to a word
ending in e (in this example, hope).
hope
+ ed
hoped
+ ing
hoping
+ ful
hopeful
+ less
hopeless
With these two,
the e is dropped
before adding the
suffix.
With these two,
the e remains and
the suffix is
added.
Can you work out the rule?
If the suffix begins with a vowel, the e is usually dropped. If the
suffix begins with a consonant, the e remains.
Note: words ending in a soft ce or ge usually keep the e before
able and ous, e.g. knowledgeable, courageous.
Suffixes for words ending in y
Now look what happens when we add suffixes to words
ending in consonant + y.
+ er
happier
+ ly
happily
happy
+ est
happiest
+ ness
happiness
Can you see
what is
happening?
The y changes
to an i and
then the suffix
is added.
So for words ending in consonant + y, the y changes to an
i before the prefix is added. (With a vowel + y word, just
add the suffix.)
Suffixes
-ful suffixes
Look what happens when we add full to a word.
care
+ full
careful
full becomes ful
waste
+ full
wasteful
help
+ full
helpful
Remember what
happens with
words ending in y.
beauty
+ full
beautiful
plenty
+ full
plentiful
The y changes
to i before
adding ful.
cian, sion and tion suffixes
Many words have endings like these. They make a
shun sound. Here are some examples.
Words ending in
-tion, the most
common of the
‘shun’ words.
detention
Words ending in
-sion. The root
word ends in d/de
or s/se.
collision
Words ending in
-cian usually
indicate
jobs/people.
optician
fiction
extension
dietician
action
fusion
magician
instruction
explosion
Can you think of any more?
cian, sion and tion suffixes