Prefixes, Suffixes and Root Words worksheet - Free Printable

Let's solve the problem step by step.

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Part 1: Find the root word in each of the following words.

We need to identify the root word — the base word from which the given word is formed, often with prefixes or suffixes added.

1. unhappiness
- Prefix: *un-* (means "not")
- Suffix: *-ness* (means "state of being")
- Root word: happy

2. replacement
- Prefix: *re-* (means "again")
- Suffix: *-ment* (forms nouns)
- Root word: place

3. premature
- Prefix: *pre-* (means "before")
- Root word: mature

4. automobiles
- Prefix: *auto-* (means "self")
- Root word: mobile (from Latin *movere*, meaning "to move")

5. bicycles
- Prefix: *bi-* (means "two")
- Root word: cycle

6. dissatisfied
- Prefix: *dis-* (means "not")
- Suffix: *-ed* (past tense)
- Root word: satisfy

7. forecasting
- Prefix: *fore-* (means "before")
- Suffix: *-ing* (present participle)
- Root word: cast

8. triangular
- Prefix: *tri-* (means "three")
- Suffix: *-al* (adjective-forming)
- Root word: angle

9. telephones
- Prefix: *tele-* (means "far away")
- Root word: phone (from Greek *phōnē*, meaning "sound")

10. discouragement
- Prefix: *dis-* (means "not")
- Suffix: *-ment* (noun-forming)
- Root word: courage

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✔ Part 1 Answers:

1. happy
2. place
3. mature
4. mobile
5. cycle
6. satisfy
7. cast
8. angle
9. phone
10. courage

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Part 2: Add a prefix to change each word’s meaning to the meaning in brackets.

We need to add a prefix to create a new word that matches the meaning in parentheses.

1. happy (not happy)
→ *un-* + happy = unhappy

2. mature (before mature)
→ *pre-* + mature = premature

3. vision (from a distance vision)
→ *tele-* (meaning "far") + vision = television

4. legal (not legal)
→ *il-* (not) + legal = illegal

5. cycle (one wheel cycle)
→ *mono-* (one) + cycle = monocycle

6. million (many million)
→ *multi-* (many) + million = multimillion

7. apply (again apply)
→ *re-* + apply = reapply

8. perfect (not perfect)
→ *im-* (not) + perfect = imperfect

9. angle (three angle)
→ *tri-* + angle = triangle

10. regular (not regular)
→ *ir-* (not) + regular = irregular

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✔ Part 2 Answers:

1. unhappy
2. premature
3. television
4. illegal
5. monocycle
6. multimillion
7. reapply
8. imperfect
9. triangle
10. irregular

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📌 Summary:

#### Root Words:
1. happy
2. place
3. mature
4. mobile
5. cycle
6. satisfy
7. cast
8. angle
9. phone
10. courage

#### Prefix Addition:
1. unhappy
2. premature
3. television
4. illegal
5. monocycle
6. multimillion
7. reapply
8. imperfect
9. triangle
10. irregular

This exercise helps understand how prefixes and suffixes modify root words to form new meanings!