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Prefixes and
suffixes
Many "scientific" words come
originally from Greek or Latin. Knowing some of the
common prefixes, suffixes and roots can help students
make an informed guess at the meaning of new words they
encounter. Familiarity with even a small number of
prefixes, roots and suffixes can help students learn the
vocabulary and learn the concept. For example if a
student knows photo means light and synthesis
means putting together, then it is relatively
straight forward to remember photosynthesis is a
process that involves putting things together using
light. (Anderson, R., Nagy, W., 1993)
Here are some common prefixes:
| Prefix |
Meaning |
Example |
| a / an |
Without, lacking |
Acellular – not cellular
Anaerobic – able to live without oxygen |
| bi |
double |
Bivalve – an animal with a shell with 2 parts |
| Ecto /exo /extero |
Outer, outside |
Exoskeleton – skeleton outside the body |
| hemi |
half |
Hemisphere – half a sphere |
| inter |
between |
Intergalactic – between galaxies |
| micro |
small |
Microscope – a tool for looking at very small things |
| Pre /pro |
Before/ in front |
Prehistoric – before history |
| Sub |
Under, less than |
Sub-zero – below zero |
Anderson, R., & Nagy, W. (1993).
The vocabulary conundrum. Technical report no. 570.
Centre for the study of reading, University of Illinois.
ARB
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