Educational worksheet for identifying prefixes, root words, and suffixes in English vocabulary.
Worksheet titled "Prefixes, Root Words, Suffixes" with a table for students to identify parts of words like "tallest," "unhappy," and "underground."
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: prefix suffix root word online exercise for
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: prefix suffix root word online exercise for
Absolutely! Let’s solve this worksheet step by step.
The goal is to break each word into its prefix, root word, and suffix. Not every word will have all three parts — some may only have a prefix and root, or root and suffix, or just a root.
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- Prefix: A group of letters added to the beginning of a word that changes its meaning (e.g., “un-”, “pre-”, “dis-”).
- Root Word: The core part of the word that carries the main meaning (e.g., “happy”, “appear”, “grate”).
- Suffix: A group of letters added to the end of a word that can change its meaning or grammatical function (e.g., “-est”, “-er”, “-less”).
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| Word | PREFIX | ROOT WORD | SUFFIX |
|--------------|------------|-------------|------------|
| tallest | | tall | est |
| unhappy | un | happy | |
| preschool | pre | school | |
| disappear | dis | appear | |
| younger | | young | er |
| become | | become | |
| misspoke | mis | spoke | |
| ungrateful | un | grateful | |
| replay | re | play | |
| worthless | | worth | less |
| underground | under | ground | |
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1. tallest → *tall* (root) + *-est* (suffix meaning “most”). No prefix.
2. unhappy → *un-* (prefix meaning “not”) + *happy* (root). No suffix.
3. preschool → *pre-* (prefix meaning “before”) + *school* (root). No suffix.
4. disappear → *dis-* (prefix meaning “not” or “away”) + *appear* (root). No suffix.
5. younger → *young* (root) + *-er* (suffix meaning “more”). No prefix.
6. become → This is a single root word. No prefix or suffix.
7. misspoke → *mis-* (prefix meaning “wrongly”) + *spoke* (root — past tense of “speak”). No suffix.
8. ungrateful → *un-* (prefix meaning “not”) + *grateful* (root). No suffix.
9. replay → *re-* (prefix meaning “again”) + *play* (root). No suffix.
10. worthless → *worth* (root) + *-less* (suffix meaning “without”). No prefix.
11. underground → *under-* (prefix meaning “below”) + *ground* (root). No suffix.
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✔ Final Answer Table:
| Word | PREFIX | ROOT WORD | SUFFIX |
|--------------|------------|-------------|------------|
| tallest | | tall | est |
| unhappy | un | happy | |
| preschool | pre | school | |
| disappear | dis | appear | |
| younger | | young | er |
| become | | become | |
| misspoke | mis | spoke | |
| ungrateful | un | grateful | |
| replay | re | play | |
| worthless | | worth | less |
| underground | under | ground | |
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📌 Tip for Students: Always look for common prefixes (un-, re-, pre-, dis-, mis-, under-) and suffixes (-er, -est, -less, -ful, -ing, -ed). The root is what’s left after removing those!
Let me know if you’d like a printable version or flashcards for these words! 😊
The goal is to break each word into its prefix, root word, and suffix. Not every word will have all three parts — some may only have a prefix and root, or root and suffix, or just a root.
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✔ Key Definitions:
- Prefix: A group of letters added to the beginning of a word that changes its meaning (e.g., “un-”, “pre-”, “dis-”).
- Root Word: The core part of the word that carries the main meaning (e.g., “happy”, “appear”, “grate”).
- Suffix: A group of letters added to the end of a word that can change its meaning or grammatical function (e.g., “-est”, “-er”, “-less”).
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📝 Let’s fill in the table:
| Word | PREFIX | ROOT WORD | SUFFIX |
|--------------|------------|-------------|------------|
| tallest | | tall | est |
| unhappy | un | happy | |
| preschool | pre | school | |
| disappear | dis | appear | |
| younger | | young | er |
| become | | become | |
| misspoke | mis | spoke | |
| ungrateful | un | grateful | |
| replay | re | play | |
| worthless | | worth | less |
| underground | under | ground | |
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💡 Explanations for Each Word:
1. tallest → *tall* (root) + *-est* (suffix meaning “most”). No prefix.
2. unhappy → *un-* (prefix meaning “not”) + *happy* (root). No suffix.
3. preschool → *pre-* (prefix meaning “before”) + *school* (root). No suffix.
4. disappear → *dis-* (prefix meaning “not” or “away”) + *appear* (root). No suffix.
5. younger → *young* (root) + *-er* (suffix meaning “more”). No prefix.
6. become → This is a single root word. No prefix or suffix.
7. misspoke → *mis-* (prefix meaning “wrongly”) + *spoke* (root — past tense of “speak”). No suffix.
8. ungrateful → *un-* (prefix meaning “not”) + *grateful* (root). No suffix.
9. replay → *re-* (prefix meaning “again”) + *play* (root). No suffix.
10. worthless → *worth* (root) + *-less* (suffix meaning “without”). No prefix.
11. underground → *under-* (prefix meaning “below”) + *ground* (root). No suffix.
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✔ Final Answer Table:
| Word | PREFIX | ROOT WORD | SUFFIX |
|--------------|------------|-------------|------------|
| tallest | | tall | est |
| unhappy | un | happy | |
| preschool | pre | school | |
| disappear | dis | appear | |
| younger | | young | er |
| become | | become | |
| misspoke | mis | spoke | |
| ungrateful | un | grateful | |
| replay | re | play | |
| worthless | | worth | less |
| underground | under | ground | |
---
📌 Tip for Students: Always look for common prefixes (un-, re-, pre-, dis-, mis-, under-) and suffixes (-er, -est, -less, -ful, -ing, -ed). The root is what’s left after removing those!
Let me know if you’d like a printable version or flashcards for these words! 😊
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of prefixes and root words worksheet.
