Prefixes online worksheet for grade 3 - Free Printable

Let's solve this step by step.

We are given a list of prefixes and root words, and we need to match each prefix to the correct root word to form a meaningful new word. Then, write the new word in the blank.

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Step 1: Understand the prefixes

Here are the common meanings of the prefixes:

- Un-: not (e.g., unhappy)
- In-: not (often used before vowels or certain consonants)
- Dis-: not, opposite of
- Im-: not (used before words starting with 'p', 'm', 'b')
- Il-: not (used before words starting with 'l')
- Ir-: not (used before words starting with 'r')
- Non-: not, without
- Semi-: half
- Pre-: before
- Post-: after

Now, let’s go through each one and match them logically.

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Step 2: Match Prefixes to Root Words

We have:

| Prefix | Root Word |
|--------|---------------|
| 1. Un | connect |
| 2. In | stick |
| 3. Dis | circle |
| 4. Im | likely |
| 5. Il | moral |
| 6. Ir | dated |
| 7. Non | view |
| 8. Semi| regular |
| 9. Pre | legal |
| 10. Post| sufficient |

But wait — these are not paired yet. The task says "Match the Prefix to the Root Word" — meaning we must pair each prefix with the correct root word to make a real word.

So we need to find which prefix goes with which root word to create a valid English word.

Let’s analyze possible combinations.

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Let’s find the correct matches:

1. Un + connect → unconnect?
Not a word. But unconnected is a word, but that’s not matching here. Wait — maybe disconnect?

Wait — let’s look at all possibilities.

Let’s think about known words:

- disconnect → dis + connect → so Dis + connect
- in + stick → instick? No. But in + sufficient → insufficient?
- semi + regular → semiregular → yes!
- pre + legal → prelegal? Not common. But pre + view → preview → yes!
- post + sufficient → postsufficient? No. But post + dated → postdated → yes!
- non + view → nonview? No. But non + sufficient → nonsufficient? No. non + moral → nonmoral? Yes, but it's rare.
- im + likely → unlikely → yes! So im + likely = unlikely
- il + moral → immoral? Wait — il is used before l, but moral starts with m — so im should be used. But im + moral = immoral → yes!

Wait — confusion here.

Let’s clarify:

- Im- is used before m, p, b (e.g., impossible, impolite, immobile)
- Il- is used before l (e.g., illegal, illogical)
- Ir- is used before r (e.g., irregular, irritable)

So:

- illegal → il + legal → yes
- irregular → ir + regular → yes
- impossible → im + possible → but we don’t have “possible”

But we have:

- likely → im + likely → unlikely → ✔
- moral → im + moral → immoral → ✔
- circle → dis + circle → discircle? No. But dis + connect → disconnect → ✔
- stick → in + stick → instick? No. But in + sufficient → insufficient → ✔
- dated → post + dated → postdated → ✔
- view → pre + view → preview → ✔
- regular → ir + regular → irregular → ✔
- sufficient → in + sufficient → insufficient → ✔
- legal → il + legal → illegal → ✔
- connect → dis + connect → disconnect → ✔

Now let’s assign correctly.

We have 10 prefixes and 10 root words. Each prefix should be matched to one root word.

Let’s list the prefixes and possible matches:

1. Un → ?
Possible: un + connect = unconnected → but disconnect is better.
But un + likely = unlikely? No — im is used for likely.
un + stick = unstick → yes! That’s a real word.
So Un + stick = unstick

2. In → ?
in + sufficient = insufficient → ✔
But in + connect = inconnect? No.
in + view = inview? No.
in + circle = incircle? Rare.
in + likely = inlikely? But im is preferred.
Actually, in + sufficient = insufficient → ✔

3. Dis → ?
dis + connect = disconnect → ✔
dis + circle = discircle? No.
So dis → connect

4. Im → ?
im + likely = unlikely → ✔
im + moral = immoral → ✔
But only one can be used.

Wait — we have only one prefix per root word.

Let’s list the root words:

Root words:
- connect
- stick
- circle
- likely
- moral
- dated
- view
- regular
- legal
- sufficient

Now try to match:

1. Un → stick → unstick ✔
2. In → sufficient → insufficient ✔
3. Dis → connect → disconnect ✔
4. Im → likely → unlikely ✔
5. Il → legal → illegal ✔
6. Ir → regular → irregular ✔
7. Non → view → nonview? No.
non + moral = nonmoral? Possible, but immoral is more common.
But non + sufficient = nonsufficient? Not standard.
Wait — non + dated = nondated? Not common.
Actually, non + view → nonview? No.
But non + connect? No.

Wait — perhaps non → regular? nonregular? Yes, but irregular is better.

Wait — what about non + view? nonview? No.

But non + sufficient → nonsufficient? Not standard.

Wait — non + moral → nonmoral? Yes, it exists.

But we already have immoral.

Wait — maybe non → view? No.

Alternatively, non → sufficient? nonsufficient? Not good.

Wait — perhaps non → regular? nonregular? Yes, but irregular is more common.

But we have ir for regular.

Wait — let’s see:

- irregular → ir + regular → ✔
- illegal → il + legal → ✔
- unlikely → im + likely → ✔
- disconnect → dis + connect → ✔
- unstick → un + stick → ✔
- insufficient → in + sufficient → ✔
- postdated → post + dated → ✔
- preview → pre + view → ✔
- semicircle → semi + circle → ✔
- non → ????

Wait — we have non as a prefix.

What word is non + something?

- non + moral → nonmoral → yes
- non + legal → nonlegal → yes
- non + sufficient → nonsufficient → rare
- non + view → nonview → no

But we also have semi → circle → semicircle → ✔

And post → dated → postdated → ✔

pre → view → preview → ✔

So now let’s list all:

1. Un → stick → unstick
2. In → sufficient → insufficient
3. Dis → connect → disconnect
4. Im → likely → unlikely
5. Il → legal → illegal
6. Ir → regular → irregular
7. Non → moral → nonmoral? Or non → legal? But illegal is taken.

Wait — non → moral → nonmoral → acceptable

But we have moral as a root word.

So:

- Il → legal → illegal
- Non → moral → nonmoral

But nonmoral vs immoral — both exist, but immoral is more common.

But im is used for moral → immoral

So im + moral = immoral

But we already have im + likely = unlikely

Conflict!

So we cannot use im for both.

So which is correct?

Let’s check:

- im + likely = unlikely → ✔
- im + moral = immoral → ✔

But we can only use im once.

So we must choose.

But im is a prefix that can be used before m, p, b, etc.

So im + moral → immoral → correct

But im + likely → unlikely → also correct

But im + likely is actually unlikely, but in + likely is also used sometimes, but im is preferred.

Wait — unlikely is spelled with un? No — it's un + likely?

No — unlikely is un + likely?

Wait — unlikely is un + likely? No!

Actually, unlikely is un + likely? No — unlikely is un + likely? Let’s check spelling.

Actually, unlikely is un + likely → unlikely

But that’s un, not im.

Wait — I made a mistake.

Let’s double-check:

- unlikely → un + likely → ✔
- impossible → im + possible → ✔
- immoral → im + moral → ✔
- illegal → il + legal → ✔
- irregular → ir + regular → ✔
- unstick → un + stick → ✔
- insufficient → in + sufficient → ✔
- disconnect → dis + connect → ✔
- postdated → post + dated → ✔
- preview → pre + view → ✔
- semicircle → semi + circle → ✔

So now let’s reassign:

Prefixes:
1. Un → ?
2. In → ?
3. Dis → ?
4. Im → ?
5. Il → ?
6. Ir → ?
7. Non → ?
8. Semi → ?
9. Pre → ?
10. Post → ?

Root words:
- connect
- stick
- circle
- likely
- moral
- dated
- view
- regular
- legal
- sufficient

Now let’s build the correct words:

- un + likely = unlikely → so Un → likely
- in + sufficient = insufficient → In → sufficient
- dis + connect = disconnect → Dis → connect
- im + moral = immoral → Im → moral
- il + legal = illegal → Il → legal
- ir + regular = irregular → Ir → regular
- non + view = nonview? No. But non + moral = nonmoral? Or non + sufficient = nonsufficient? No.
Wait — non + view → nonview? No.
But non + connect? No.
Wait — non + regular = nonregular? Yes, but irregular is better.
But non → sufficient? nonsufficient? No.
Wait — non + dated = nondated? Not common.
But non + legal = nonlegal? Yes, but illegal is taken.

Wait — we have non as a prefix. What word is formed?

Perhaps non + circle? noncircle? No.

Wait — we have semi + circle = semicircle → ✔

pre + view = preview → ✔

post + dated = postdated → ✔

So now:

- semi → circle → semicircle
- pre → view → preview
- post → dated → postdated

Now left:

Prefixes: non → ?

Root words left: stick, connect, likely, moral, legal, regular, sufficient, view, dated, circle

Wait — we have:

Used:

- un → likely → unlikely
- in → sufficient → insufficient
- dis → connect → disconnect
- im → moral → immoral
- il → legal → illegal
- ir → regular → irregular
- semi → circle → semicircle
- pre → view → preview
- post → dated → postdated
- non → ????

Left root word: stick

So non + stick = nonstick → yes! nonstick (as in nonstick pan)

So non → stick → nonstick

Perfect!

Now let’s compile the full list:

1. Un → likely → unlikely
2. In → sufficient → insufficient
3. Dis → connect → disconnect
4. Im → moral → immoral
5. Il → legal → illegal
6. Ir → regular → irregular
7. Non → stick → nonstick
8. Semi → circle → semicircle
9. Pre → view → preview
10. Post → dated → postdated

Wait — but the original table has:

Prefixes listed as:

1. Un
2. In
3. Dis
4. Im
5. Il
6. Ir
7. Non
8. Semi
9. Pre
10. Post

Root words:

- connect
- stick
- circle
- likely
- moral
- dated
- view
- regular
- legal
- sufficient

So we need to match each prefix to a root word.

From above:

- Un → likely → unlikely
- In → sufficient → insufficient
- Dis → connect → disconnect
- Im → moral → immoral
- Il → legal → illegal
- Ir → regular → irregular
- Non → stick → nonstick
- Semi → circle → semicircle
- Pre → view → preview
- Post → dated → postdated

All match.

Now, fill in the blanks:

Final Answers:

1. Un + likely → unlikely
2. In + sufficient → insufficient
3. Dis + connect → disconnect
4. Im + moral → immoral
5. Il + legal → illegal
6. Ir + regular → irregular
7. Non + stick → nonstick
8. Semi + circle → semicircle
9. Pre + view → preview
10. Post + dated → postdated

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✔ Final Answer:

| Prefix | Root Word | New Word |
|--------|---------------|-----------------|
| 1. Un | likely | unlikely |
| 2. In | sufficient | insufficient|
| 3. Dis | connect | disconnect |
| 4. Im | moral | immoral |
| 5. Il | legal | illegal |
| 6. Ir | regular | irregular |
| 7. Non | stick | nonstick |
| 8. Semi| circle | semicircle |
| 9. Pre | view | preview |
| 10. Post| dated | postdated |

> Note: The original worksheet lists the root words in a different order, but based on the logic of forming real words, the above matching is correct.

Explanation:

Each prefix changes the meaning of the root word:
- un-, in-, dis-, im-, il-, ir-, non- mean "not" or "opposite"
- semi- means "half"
- pre- means "before"
- post- means "after"

By combining the correct prefix with the root word, we form meaningful English words.

✔ All answers are valid and commonly used.