Knowing some common prefixes and suffixes, base words, and root words can help students learn the meanings of many new words. Prefixes are always at the beginning of a word and their meanings are consistent. The meanings of some suffixes are also easy to remember. Providing practice with a chart such as the one below would unlock the meaning of many words for students. This strategy is also useful in helping students recognize common word parts as they come to unknown words in text.
| Prefix | Meaning | Suffix | Meaning |
| un- | not - (unhappy, unusual, unsure) | -able | able to – (bendable, likeable, dependable) |
| re- | again – (return, resend, reread) | -less | without – (careless, hairless, clueless) |
| dis- | not – (dislike, disconnect, disable) | -ful | full of – (careful, mindful, thoughtful, deceitful) |
| in- | not – (incorrect, inadequate, indirect) | -er | one who – (worker, teacher, singer) or more than – (bigger, taller, heavier) |
| mis- | do incorrectly – (misbehave, misspell, misunderstand) | -ly | how – (rapidly, neatly, correctly) |
Students can combine base and root words with prefixes and suffixes to create many related words. A knowledge of Latin and Greek word roots is especially important in learning terms in science, mathematics, medicine, and social sciences.
