Prefixes and Suffixes | Educational Resource - Free Printable

Let's break down each word in the chart by identifying its root (the base word), prefix (a word part added to the beginning that changes meaning), and then provide a definition based on the combination.

Here’s the completed table with explanations:

| Word | Root | Prefix | Define |
|---------------|------------|--------|----------------------------|
| unlucky | lucky | un- | Not lucky |
| nonsense | sense | non- | Without sense; meaningless |
| misunderstand | understand | mis- | To understand incorrectly |
| disobey | obey | dis- | To not obey |
| rebuild | build | re- | To build again |
| preschool | school | pre- | Before school |
| misspelled | spelled | mis- | Spelled incorrectly |
| unhappy | happy | un- | Not happy |
| rebutton | button | re- | To button again |
| unequal | equal | un- | Not equal |
| preheat | heat | pre- | To heat before |

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Explanation of Each:

1. unlucky
- *Root:* "lucky" – means fortunate
- *Prefix:* "un-" – means "not"
- *Definition:* Not lucky

2. nonsense
- *Root:* "sense" – meaning understanding or reason
- *Prefix:* "non-" – means "without" or "not"
- *Definition:* Something without meaning or sense

3. misunderstand
- *Root:* "understand" – to comprehend
- *Prefix:* "mis-" – means "wrongly" or "incorrectly"
- *Definition:* To understand incorrectly

4. disobey
- *Root:* "obey" – to follow orders
- *Prefix:* "dis-" – means "not" or "opposite"
- *Definition:* To refuse to obey

5. rebuild
- *Root:* "build" – to construct
- *Prefix:* "re-" – means "again"
- *Definition:* To build again

6. preschool
- *Root:* "school" – a place for learning
- *Prefix:* "pre-" – means "before"
- *Definition:* School before regular school (for young children)

7. misspelled
- *Root:* "spelled" – to write words correctly
- *Prefix:* "mis-" – means "wrongly"
- *Definition:* Written with wrong letters or order

8. unhappy
- *Root:* "happy" – feeling joy
- *Prefix:* "un-" – means "not"
- *Definition:* Not happy

9. rebutton
- *Root:* "button" – to fasten with buttons
- *Prefix:* "re-" – means "again"
- *Definition:* To button again (e.g., after it came undone)

10. unequal
- *Root:* "equal" – same in value or amount
- *Prefix:* "un-" – means "not"
- *Definition:* Not equal

11. preheat
- *Root:* "heat" – to warm up
- *Prefix:* "pre-" – means "before"
- *Definition:* To heat before use (e.g., oven)

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✔ This exercise helps students understand how prefixes change the meaning of root words, improving vocabulary and spelling skills.