Reading Prefixes

 

Prefixes. 

Prefix	Description	Examples (20)
pre-	Before	predict, prepare, prevent, prefix, preview, preheat, prearrange, premarital, preschool, premonition
re-	Again	rebuild, rewrite, remake, reheat, reopen, restart, reconsider, rewrite, retell, reunite
un-	Not	unfair, unlock, unhappy, unable, uncover, unhealthy, unknown, unclear, uneven, unfinished
in-	Not	inactive, insecure, invisible, incapable, incorrect, incredible, inefficient, incomplete, indecent, indistinct
dis-	Not, opposite	disagree, dislike, dishonest, disappear, disrupt, disobey, disapprove, dishonest, disconnect, dissatisfied
im-	Not (often assimilates with the following consonant)	impossible, improper, impatient, immature, imbalance, immoral, impatient, imperfect, immense, immense
mis-	Wrongly	misunderstand, misbehave, misplace, misspell, misfortune, misinterpret, mistrust, misjudge, misuse, miscalculate
over-	Too much	overuse, overcome, overload, oversleep, overheat, overcrowd, overpriced, overcook, overreact, overcome
under-	Not enough	underestimate, underpay, underdeveloped, underwater, undercooked, underground, underachieve, undergo, understaffed, underdressed
sub-	Under, below	submarine, subway, substandard, submerge, subconscious, subtitle, substitute, subtract, subarctic, subcontinent

Note:

• The assimilation of "im-" with the following consonant can sometimes lead to variations in spelling, like in "impossible" vs. "impolite."

• Some prefixes may have slightly different shades of meaning depending on the context.