Educational worksheet for students to practice forming words by combining prefixes, root words, and suffixes.

Let’s solve this step by step.

We are given three columns: Prefix, Root Word, and Suffix. We need to combine one from each column to make a real English word. Sometimes we may need to drop the final “e” from the root word before adding the suffix.

Here are the pieces:

Prefixes:
- in
- ab
- dis
- mis
- un

Root Words:
- appoint
- friend
- spell
- normal
- describe

Suffixes:
- ly
- able
- ment
- ing
- ity

Now let’s try matching them logically.

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Try 1: “in” + “appoint” + “ment” → appointment
That works! “Appointment” is a real word. ✔

Try 2: “ab” + “normal” + “ity” → abnormality
Yes! “Abnormality” is correct. (Note: “normal” doesn’t end in “e”, so no dropping needed.) ✔

Try 3: “dis” + “spell” + “ing” → dispelling
Wait — “spell” ends with double “l”, but when adding “-ing”, we don’t drop anything. “Dispelling” is correct. ✔
But wait — actually, “dispell” isn’t a word. The root is “spell”. So “dis” + “spell” = “dispell”? No — that’s not right. Let’s check again.

Actually, “dispel” is the verb — but here the root is “spell”. Hmm. Maybe this combo is wrong.

Let’s try another.

What about “mis” + “spell” + “ing” → misspelling? Yes! That’s a real word. And we drop nothing — just add “-ing” to “spell” after “mis”. Actually, “misspell” is the base, then “misspelling”. So yes — “mis” + “spell” + “ing” = misspelling. ✔

Try 4: “un” + “friend” + “ly” → unfriendly
Yes! “Unfriendly” is correct. ✔

Try 5: “dis” + “describe” + “able” → describable?
Wait — “describe” ends in “e”. Rule says: you may have to drop the final “e” from a root word to add the suffix.

So: “describe” → drop “e” → “describ” + “able” = “describable” — but that’s not quite right. Actually, it’s “describable” — wait, no, the correct spelling is “describable”? Let me think…

Actually, the correct word is “describable” — but that’s not standard. Wait — maybe it’s “indescribable”? But we don’t have “in” left if we used it for “appointment”.

Hold on — let’s reassign.

Maybe “dis” + “describe” + “able” → “describable” — but that’s not commonly used. Actually, the common word is “indescribable”, which would be “in” + “describe” + “able” → drop “e” → “indescribable”.

Ah! So perhaps:

“In” + “describe” + “able” → indescribable ✔
Then what about “dis”?

Let’s try “dis” + “appoint” + “ment” → disappoint? But “disappoint” doesn’t take “-ment” — it’s “disappointment” — oh! Wait, “disappoint” + “ment” = disappointment. But our root is “appoint”, not “disappoint”.

Wait — maybe “dis” + “appoint” = “disappoint”, then + “ment” = “disappointment”. But the rule says: use one prefix, one root, one suffix. So “dis” + “appoint” + “ment” → disappointment. Is that allowed? The root is “appoint”, and we’re adding prefix “dis” and suffix “ment”. Yes — that should work. And “disappoint” becomes “disappointment” — no letter dropped because “appoint” doesn’t end in “e” that conflicts? Actually, “appoint” ends in “t”, so adding “ment” is fine.

But earlier I thought “in” + “appoint” + “ment” = appointment — also valid.

So now we have two possibilities for “appoint”:
- in + appoint + ment = appointment
- dis + appoint + ment = disappointment

Which one fits better with the others?

Let’s list all possible valid combinations:

Option A:
1. in + appoint + ment → appointment
2. ab + normal + ity → abnormality
3. mis + spell + ing → misspelling
4. un + friend + ly → unfriendly
5. dis + describe + able → describable? Not ideal.

Option B:
1. dis + appoint + ment → disappointment
2. ab + normal + ity → abnormality
3. mis + spell + ing → misspelling
4. un + friend + ly → unfriendly
5. in + describe + able → indescribable ← this is a very common word!

“Indescribable” is definitely a real word — meaning too strange or extreme to describe.

And “disappointment” is also real.

So Option B seems better because “indescribable” is more natural than “describable”.

Also, note: for “indescribable”, we take “describe”, drop the final “e”, add “able” → “describable”, then with prefix “in” → “indescribable”. Perfect.

Similarly, “disappointment”: “dis” + “appoint” + “ment” — no letters dropped, since “appoint” ends in “t”.

So let’s go with:

1. dis + appoint + ment → disappointment
2. ab + normal + ity → abnormality
3. mis + spell + ing → misspelling
4. un + friend + ly → unfriendly
5. in + describe + able → indescribable

All are real words. ✔️

Let’s write them out:

1. disappointment
2. abnormality
3. misspelling
4. unfriendly
5. indescribable

Double-check:

- disappointment: dis + appoint + ment → yes
- abnormality: ab + normal + ity → yes
- misspelling: mis + spell + ing → yes (no e to drop)
- unfriendly: un + friend + ly → yes
- indescribable: in + describe + able → drop e → describable → indescribable → yes

Perfect.

Final Answer:
1. disappointment
2. abnormality
3. misspelling
4. unfriendly
5. indescribable