Let's solve this worksheet step by step. The goal is to identify the
prefix,
suffix, and
root word for each given word.
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🔹 Definitions:
-
Prefix: A word part added
before the root word that changes its meaning.
-
Suffix: A word part added
after the root word that often changes the word’s part of speech or meaning.
-
Root Word: The base word that carries the core meaning.
Not all words will have a prefix or suffix.
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Now, let’s analyze each word:
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1.
tallest
-
Prefix: none
-
Suffix: -est (comparative/superlative)
-
Root Word: tall
2.
younger
-
Prefix: none
-
Suffix: -er (comparative)
-
Root Word: young
3.
become
-
Prefix: be- (a common prefix meaning "to become" or "to do")
-
Suffix: none
-
Root Word: come
4.
unhappy
-
Prefix: un- (means "not")
-
Suffix: none
-
Root Word: happy
5.
preschool
-
Prefix: pre- (means "before")
-
Suffix: none
-
Root Word: school
6.
disappear
-
Prefix: dis- (means "not" or "opposite")
-
Suffix: none
-
Root Word: appear
7.
underground
-
Prefix: under- (means "beneath")
-
Suffix: none
-
Root Word: ground
8.
misspoke
-
Prefix: mis- (means "wrongly")
-
Suffix: -ed (past tense)
-
Root Word: speak
9.
ungrateful
-
Prefix: un- (means "not")
-
Suffix: -ful (means "full of")
-
Root Word: grate
10.
replay
-
Prefix: re- (means "again")
-
Suffix: none
-
Root Word: play
11.
worthless
-
Prefix: none
-
Suffix: -less (means "without")
-
Root Word: worth
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✔ Final Answer Table:
| Word | Prefix | Suffix | Root Word |
|------------|---------|--------|-----------|
| tallest | | -est | tall |
| younger | | -er | young |
| become | be- | | come |
| unhappy | un- | | happy |
| preschool | pre- | | school |
| disappear | dis- | | appear |
| underground| under- | | ground |
| misspoke | mis- | -ed | speak |
| ungrateful | un- | -ful | grate |
| replay | re- | | play |
| worthless | | -less | worth |
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📝 Explanation:
- Words like
tallest,
younger, and
worthless use
suffixes to show degree or negation.
- Words like
unhappy,
ungrateful, and
disappear use
prefixes to negate or reverse meaning.
-
Become,
misspoke, and
replay use prefixes like
be-,
mis-, and
re-.
- Some words (like
become) have prefixes but no suffix; others (like
tallest) have suffixes but no prefix.
-
Preschool and
underground are compound words with prefixes (
pre-,
under-) but no suffixes.
-
Misspoke has both a prefix (
mis-) and a suffix (
-ed), showing it's past tense and means "spoke wrongly."
This breakdown helps students understand how words are built from smaller parts!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of prefix worksheet printable.