Use the prefixes pre-, re- and mis-

Key Notes:

What are Prefixes?

A prefix is a group of letters that is added to the beginning of a word. Prefixes change the meaning of the word. Today, we will learn about the prefixes pre-, re-, and mis-.

Prefix: Pre-

Pre- means before.

Example Words:Preheat: To heat before.Preview: To view before.Preschool: School before regular school.

Exercise:What do these words mean?PrepayPretestPrewrite(Answers: Pay before, Test before, Write before)

Prefix: Re-

Re- means again.

Exercise:What do these words mean?RefillReturnRebuild(Answers: Fill again, Turn again/go back, Build again)

Example Words:Redo: To do again.Replay: To play again.Rewrite: To write again.

Prefix: Mis-

Mis- means wrongly or badly.

Example Words:Misunderstand: To understand wrongly.Misbehave: To behave badly.Misspell: To spell wrongly.

Exercise:What do these words mean?MisleadMisprintMisjudge(Answers: Lead wrongly, Print wrongly, Judge wrongly)

Practice Time!

Fill in the blank with the correct word using pre-, re-, or mis-.

1. I had to _______write my essay because it was messy. (re-write)
2. Please _______heat the oven before you bake the cookies. (pre-heat)
3. Don’t _______understand what I’m saying; listen carefully. (mis-understand)
4. The teacher asked us to _______view the chapter before the test. (pre-view)
5. He _______spelled my name on the certificate. (mis-spelled)

Summary

Today, we learned about three important prefixes: pre- (meaning before), re- (meaning again), and mis- (meaning wrongly or badly). Understanding prefixes can help you figure out the meanings of new words! Keep practicing using these prefixes in your reading and writing.

Let’s practice!