Commonly Used Prefixes and Suffixes
I. Prefixes
英语单词中的前缀就好比众多词汇的姓氏，掌握单词的前缀，就找到了一条扩大词汇量的捷径。 但是一般而言， 前缀只用于改变原词义，增添新词义或加强原词义，不改变单词本身的词性。
但是有三个例外， be-, en-/ em-, a-, 这三个前缀并不改变单词的基本意义， 而是改变单词的词性。
Memorizing the following Prefixes, Suffixes:
Prefixes:
1. co-/com-/ con-/ col-: together一起 coexist, collaborate,
2. re-: again, back, against redo, review, refresh, renew, restore,
reconstruct, reunion, recall, recede, react, reject, resist
3. ex-: former and still living, out, outside
Export, expose, exit, extract, expel, exhale, ex-president, ex-mayor, ex-wife, ex-boyfriend
4. inter-: between
International, interschool, inter-group, interact
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5. intro-/ intra-: within, inward
Intra-company, introspect, intra-office, intra-school
6. semi-: half Semifinal, semiofficial半官方的, semidetached半独立的semicircle, semiconductor,
7. mono-/ uni-: one, single Monocycle单轮车, monotone单调, monorail单轨, monoplane单翼飞机, monolingual单语言, monosyllable单音节, monologue独白 Unique, uniform, unilateral
8. bi-/di- / du- : two, double bicycle, bilateral, dialogue, dioxide, duplex, duplicate
9. tri-: three triangle, triangular, trilingual, tricycle, trilateral
10. quadric-/ quadr(a)-: four, one fourth quadrilateral, quadrangle, quadrant
11. quinqu(e)-/ quint-/ penta-: five quinquelateral, quinquesection, quinquagenarian, quinquangular, quintessence, pentagon, pentathlon
12. sex-/ hex(a)-: six sexagenarian, sextant, sexangular, hexagon, hexagonal
13. sept-/ hept-: seven septangle, septangular, septuagenarian,
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septennial, heptathlon
14. pre-: before preview, predict, prehistoric, prejob, premature, presuppose
15. per-: through persist
16. oct(o)-/ oct(a)-: eight octogenarian, octagon/octogon, octopus/ octopus, octennial
17. ennea-: nine enneasyllable, enneagon
18. dec(a)-/ deci-: ten, one tenth decimeter, decapod
decade, decathlon, decagon, decimal,
19. kilo-/ milli-/ mille-: one thousand, one thousandth
Kilogram, kilometer, milligrade, millimeter, milliliter, millisecond, millennium
20. demi-/ hemi-/ quasi-: half Demigod, hemisphere, quasiofficial, quasischolar
21. holo-/ pan-: all Hologram, pan American, pan African, Pan Am.
22. omni-: all, all over omnipresent, omniscience, omnisex, omnivore/
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omnivorous
23. poly-: many polyfunction, polysyllable
24. ante-: before anteroom, anteport, antedate, ante meridiem
25. audit-/ aud-: hearing audiometer, audio-visual
audience, audible, auditorium, auditor,
26. auto-: self autograph, autobiography, automatic, automat,
autoalarm, automobile
27. be-: make belittle, becalm, befriend, befool
28. extra-: beyond (the opposite of intra-, intro-) Extracurricular, extraordinary
29. counter-: in the opposite direction, against
Counterattack反攻, counterrevolution反革命, counteraction反作用, counterview相反的观点, counter-espionage department反间谍部
30. post-: after, postwar, postpone, post meridiem
31. anti-: against Antitank反坦克, antiwar反战, antifreeze防冻剂, antibiotic抗生素
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32. non-: not Non-natural非自然, nonmetal非金属, nonstandard不标准 nonsense, non-stop, non-smoking area
33. multi-: many Multimedia multiple multitude
34. super-: above, more than Supersonic plane超音速飞机
35. hyper-: extremely, too Hypercritical吹毛求疵, hypersensitive过度敏感, hypertension过度紧张, hyperacid过酸
36. trans-: across, from one place to another place
Transport transmigrate transplant
37. de-: acting against, down, away使离开，除掉
Detract depose
38. pro-: before, forward, for, in favor of 向前 有……倾向
Proclaim pro-America亲美的, pro-Japan 亲日的, pro-war好战的
39. sub-: under Subway地铁, subterranean地下的 subtract
40. over-: too much, above, over, beyond
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Over-+adj.: overcredulous, overanxious, overexcited
Over-+n.: overweight, over-bridge/ overpass, overload
Over-+v.: overact, overburden, overdo, overeat, overestimate, overpay, oversleep
41. a-/an-: not, without
Ahistorical与历史无关的 asexcial无性别的 amoral无道德的（跟道德无关的） asocial不交际，不合群的apolitical不关政治的 anharmonic不和谐的 anelectric不起电的
42. neo-: new, revived Neoclassical新古典主义
43. fore-: before, in front of Forehead前额, foresee预见, foreknow预知, foreknowledge 预知, forefather祖先
44. mal-: badly, ill, wrongly
Maltreat虐待, mal-position错位, malfunction失灵, maladjusted, malodorous恶臭的, malformation畸形, malnutrition营养不良
45. pseudo-: false, pretended Pseudoscience假科学,
pseudo-intellectual假知识, pseudonym假名，笔名, pseudopod（变形虫等的）假足，伪足
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46. out-: more than, better than, be superior
Outflow, out-tell, out-rush, outdoor, outwork满， 多，户外outgo, outlive, outplay, outlast,
outscore, outrank
47. arch-: chief, main主要的，中心的 Arch enemy主要敌人, archbishop主教
49. en-/ em-: put into, to make Enlarge, empower, enrich, entitle
50. ad-/ as-/ at-/ af-/: to 向前，表运动的方向，变化，附近之意
Attract affirm admit
51. epi-: upon Epicenter震中=the part of the earth’s surface directly above the focus of an earthquake
52. dis-: not, apart…from, away Dismiss, disagree, distrust, disjoin
53. syn-/sym-/syl-: together, same Synchronize (time):同时发生, synonym
54. se-= dis-: apart, away Seduce: to lead astray诱惑（入歧途）, seducer
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55. circum-: around绕着，周围 Circumspect: to look around小心谨慎
56. contra-: against Contradiction: to deny the statement反对
57. ab-: away Abduct: to lead away强迫使离开（诱拐，挟持）
58. bene-: well, good Benediction：blessing 祝福语, benefit, benevolent, beneficent, benefact
59. un-: not, negative Untrue, unbelievable,
unchangeable, uncomfortable, uncertainty, unambitious, unconscious
60. physic-: of the body, of living things
61. vice-: the next in rank to 副的 Vice-president vice-chairman
62. in-/ im-/ il-/ir-: not, into, in, on, without
Inable, incapable, invade, insert, impossible, imbalance, immoral, imperfect, immigrate, illegal, illiterate, irresponsible, irrelevant, irregular
63. bio-: life, living biology
64. auto-: same, by itself, by oneself automobile, autobiography
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65. mis-: badly, wrong Misunderstanding, misspell, misfortune
66. manu-: hand manuscript, manufacture
Suffixes
I. noun suffixes
1. –er/ -or/ -ian/ -ant/ -ent/ -ess/ -ee/ -ist/ -ar/ -eer/ : people or sth.
Writer, baker, keeper, actor, collector, inspector, savior, Egyptian, technician, historian, assistant, servant, waitress, princess, stewardess, employee, trainee, trustee, artist, tourist, beggar, scholar, liar, volunteer, engineer, profiteer
2. –logy/ -ology: n. the science or study of psychology, biology
3. –ence/ -ance/ -acy/ -age/ -ency/ -ancy: n. Difference, preference, appearance, privacy, candidacy, literacy, primacy, orphanage, postage, urgency, emergency, frequency, elegancy, constancy, vacancy
4. –ness: n. the condition of (adj+-ness=noun) Kindness, happiness,
5. –ment: n. the action or condition of (verb+-ment=noun) movement, employment, unemployment, enjoyment
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6. –ion/ -tion/ -sion/ -ation/ -ition: n. the action or process of
7. –ity/ -ty: n. a state or quality Reality, equality, futurity, ability, certainty, cruelty
8. –ese/ -ish/ -(i)an: n./a. nationality or language or people
Chinese, British, Italian, Indian, Roman, Russian,
9. –ship: n. the quality or condition of, the art of friendship, scholarship, professorship
10. –ary: n. centenary一百年的
II. adj. suffixes
11. –y: a. the existence or condition of （noun+-y=adj） Cloudy sunny windy
12. –able/ -ible: a. capable of , can Capable disable movable incredible expressible
13. –ful: a. having the characteristic of (noun+-ful=adj.) Helpful useful
14. –al: a. connected with, relating to historical,
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economical
15. –ive: a. indicates that a type of action is very probable Active positive
16. –ish: a./n more or less, somewhat, nationality or language; having the qualities of
Swedish, childish, greenish, English, Finnish, British
17. –est: a. superlative degree, the most highest, earliest
18. –er: a, comparative degree bigger, larger
19. –ent/ -ant: a.
20. –less: a. lack of, not having Helpless useless
21. –ing/ -ed: a. verb+-ing=adj Interesting/ interested exiting/ exited
22. –ic: a. historic
III. verb suffixes
23. –ize: v. to cause to be, to become
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Memorize modernize familiarize
24. –en: v. to make or cause to be
na wooden, leaden
av. Shorten, widen,
25. –ify/ -fy: v. to make, to become Beautify美化, simplify使简化, purify净化, citify城市化, Frenchfy法国化
IV. adv. suffixes
26. –ly: adv. / adj. :in the manner of , this word tells how
Clearly differently orderly friendly
27. –ward: adv. in the direction of Northward, upward, downward
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