Learn prefixes and suffixes in English with rules and word lists: common prefixes and suffixes with meanings, spelling rules, word formation, and a 20-sentence exercise for SSC, HSC, admission, and job exams.
Learn one small word-part, and you unlock a dozen new words at once. Take the simple word ‘happy’. Add ‘un-‘ to the front, and you get ‘unhappy’. Add ‘-ness’ to the end, and you get ‘happiness’. Add ‘-ly’, and you get ‘happily’. From one root word, three new ones, and you did not memorise a single new spelling. These little beginnings and endings are called prefixes and suffixes, and once you know them, you can understand and build hundreds of words you have never even studied. That is why they appear so often in SSC, HSC, admission, and job exams.
একটি ছোট word-part শেখো, আর তুমি একসাথে এক ডজন নতুন শব্দ খুলে ফেলো। সহজ শব্দ ‘happy’ নাও। সামনে ‘un-‘ যোগ করো, পাবে ‘unhappy’। শেষে ‘-ness’ যোগ করো, পাবে ‘happiness’। ‘-ly’ যোগ করো, পাবে ‘happily’। একটি root word থেকে তিনটি নতুন শব্দ, আর তুমি একটিও নতুন বানান মুখস্থ করোনি। এই ছোট শুরু ও শেষগুলোকে বলা হয় prefix ও suffix, আর এগুলো একবার জানলে তুমি এমন শত শত শব্দ বুঝতে ও গড়তে পারবে যা কখনো পড়োইনি। তাহলে চলো, শুরু করা যাক।
What are Prefixes and Suffixes?
At the centre of a word is the root word, the main part that carries the basic meaning. A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a root word, and a suffix is a group of letters added to the end. Together, prefixes and suffixes are called affixes.
একটি শব্দের কেন্দ্রে থাকে root word, প্রধান অংশ যা মূল অর্থ বহন করে। একটি prefix হলো root word এর শুরুতে যোগ করা কিছু অক্ষর, আর একটি suffix হলো শেষে যোগ করা কিছু অক্ষর। একসাথে prefix ও suffix কে বলা হয় affix।
Example: in the word unkindness, ‘un-‘ is the prefix, ‘kind’ is the root word, and ‘-ness’ is the suffix.
উদাহরণ: unkindness শব্দে ‘un-‘ হলো prefix, ‘kind’ হলো root word, আর ‘-ness’ হলো suffix।
Prefix vs Suffix: Position and Job
The two do different jobs, so learn the difference clearly. A prefix usually changes the meaning of a word. A suffix usually changes the word class, that is, the part of speech, turning a verb into a noun, or a noun into an adjective.
দুটি ভিন্ন কাজ করে, তাই পার্থক্যটি পরিষ্কারভাবে শেখো। একটি prefix সাধারণত একটি শব্দের অর্থ বদলায়। একটি suffix সাধারণত word class, অর্থাৎ part of speech বদলায়, একটি verb কে noun এ, বা একটি noun কে adjective এ পরিণত করে।
| Prefix | Suffix | |
|---|---|---|
| Position (অবস্থান) | at the beginning (শুরুতে) | at the end (শেষে) |
| Main job (কাজ) | changes the meaning (অর্থ বদলায়) | changes the word class (part of speech বদলায়) |
| Example | un + kind = unkind | kind + ness = kindness |
Common Prefixes (with Meanings)
Here are the prefixes you must know. Learn each one with its meaning and an example.
তোমার যে prefix গুলো জানতে হবে তা এখানে। প্রতিটি তার অর্থ ও একটি উদাহরণসহ শেখো।
| Prefix | Meaning (অর্থ) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un- | not (নয়) | unhappy |
| re- | again (আবার) | rewrite |
| dis- | not, opposite (বিপরীত) | disagree |
| mis- | wrongly (ভুলভাবে) | misunderstand |
| pre- | before (পূর্বে) | preview |
| post- | after (পরে) | postwar |
| in- / im- | not (নয়) | incorrect, impossible |
| anti- | against (বিরুদ্ধে) | antisocial |
| sub- | under (নিচে) | submarine |
| super- | above, greater (উপরে) | superhuman |
| inter- | between (মধ্যে) | international |
| trans- | across (পার হয়ে) | transport |
| over- | too much (অতিরিক্ত) | overeat |
| under- | too little (কম) | underpaid |
| co- | together (একসাথে) | cooperate |
| ex- | former (প্রাক্তন) | ex-president |
| non- | not (নয়) | nonsense |
| semi- | half (অর্ধ) | semicircle |
| auto- | self (স্ব) | automatic |
| fore- | before (আগে) | forecast |
Prefixes That Make Opposites
One of the most useful jobs of a prefix is to make the opposite (antonym) of a word. Choose the right prefix by the first letter of the root word. This connects closely with our lesson on synonyms and antonyms.
একটি prefix এর সবচেয়ে কাজের ভূমিকার একটি হলো একটি শব্দের বিপরীত (antonym) তৈরি করা। root word এর প্রথম অক্ষর দেখে সঠিক prefix বাছো।
| Prefix | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| un- | most words (বেশিরভাগ শব্দ) | happy → unhappy |
| in- | many words (অনেক শব্দ) | correct → incorrect |
| im- | before m or p (m বা p এর আগে) | possible → impossible |
| ir- | before r (r এর আগে) | regular → irregular |
| il- | before l (l এর আগে) | legal → illegal |
| dis- | many words (অনেক শব্দ) | honest → dishonest |
| non- | some words (কিছু শব্দ) | sense → nonsense |
Common Suffixes (with Meanings)
Suffixes are grouped by the kind of word they create. Learn them by their word class.
Suffix গুলো তারা কোন ধরনের শব্দ তৈরি করে তা দিয়ে ভাগ করা হয়। এদের word class ধরে শেখো।
Suffixes that make nouns:
noun তৈরি করা suffix:
| Suffix | Meaning (অর্থ) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ness | state of (অবস্থা) | kind → kindness |
| -ment | act or state (কাজ/অবস্থা) | move → movement |
| -tion / -sion | act of (কাজ) | act → action |
| -ity | quality (গুণ) | able → ability |
| -er / -or | a person who (যে করে) | teach → teacher |
| -ist | a person who (ব্যক্তি) | art → artist |
| -ship | state (অবস্থা) | friend → friendship |
| -hood | state (অবস্থা) | child → childhood |
Suffixes that make adjectives:
adjective তৈরি করা suffix:
| Suffix | Meaning (অর্থ) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ful | full of (পূর্ণ) | hope → hopeful |
| -less | without (ছাড়া) | care → careless |
| -able / -ible | can be (যায়) | read → readable |
| -ous | full of (পূর্ণ) | danger → dangerous |
| -ive | tending to (প্রবণ) | act → active |
| -al | relating to (সম্পর্কিত) | nature → natural |
| -ic | relating to (সম্পর্কিত) | hero → heroic |
| -y | having (যুক্ত) | rain → rainy |
Suffixes that make verbs and adverbs:
verb ও adverb তৈরি করা suffix:
| Suffix | Meaning (অর্থ) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -ise / -ize | to make (করা) | modern → modernise |
| -ify | to make (করা) | pure → purify |
| -en | to make (করা) | wide → widen |
| -ly | in a way (ভাবে) | quick → quickly |
Spelling Rules When Adding a Suffix
A prefix simply joins to the front with no spelling change (un + happy = unhappy). But a suffix can change the spelling of the root word. Learn these three rules well.
একটি prefix কোনো বানান পরিবর্তন ছাড়াই সামনে জোড়ে (un + happy = unhappy)। কিন্তু একটি suffix root word এর বানান বদলাতে পারে। এই তিনটি নিয়ম ভালোভাবে শেখো।
- Rule 1: change ‘y’ to ‘i’ before most suffixes, but keep ‘y’ before ‘-ing’. Happy → happiness, carry → carried, but carry → carrying. (‘y’ হয় ‘i’, তবে ‘-ing’ এর আগে ‘y’ থাকে।)
- Rule 2: drop the silent ‘e’ before a suffix that starts with a vowel. Make → making, hope → hoping, but hope → hopeful (keep ‘e’ before a consonant). (স্বরবর্ণ suffix এর আগে ‘e’ বাদ যায়।)
- Rule 3: double the final consonant in a short word that ends in a single vowel and a single consonant. Big → bigger, run → running, begin → beginning. (ছোট শব্দে শেষ consonant দ্বিগুণ হয়।)
A Note on Hyphens
Usually a prefix joins directly to the word. But use a hyphen in these cases: with the prefixes ‘self-‘ and ‘ex-‘, and before a proper noun (a name).
সাধারণত একটি prefix শব্দের সাথে সরাসরি জোড়ে। কিন্তু এই ক্ষেত্রে হাইফেন ব্যবহার করো: ‘self-‘ ও ‘ex-‘ prefix এর সাথে, আর একটি proper noun (একটি নাম) এর আগে।
Examples:
- self-control, self-respect, ex-husband, ex-teacher.
- anti-American, pro-British. (before a name)
Word Formation: Changing Parts of Speech
This is where prefixes and suffixes really earn their marks. From one root word, you can build a whole family of words across the parts of speech. Learn to move between them.
এখানেই prefix ও suffix সত্যিকারের নম্বর এনে দেয়। একটি root word থেকে তুমি parts of speech জুড়ে একটি পুরো শব্দ-পরিবার গড়তে পারো। এদের মধ্যে চলাচল শেখো।
| Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|
| beauty | beautify | beautiful | beautifully |
| strength | strengthen | strong | strongly |
| care | care | careful | carefully |
| nation | nationalise | national | nationally |
| success | succeed | successful | successfully |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not change the root spelling when adding a prefix: un + natural = unnatural (keep both n’s), mis + spell = misspell (keep both s’s). (prefix এ root এর বানান বদলিও না।)
- Do not forget the ‘y’ to ‘i’ change: happy + ness = happiness, not ‘happyness’. (‘y’ থেকে ‘i’ ভুলো না।)
- Do not keep the silent ‘e’ before a vowel suffix: hope + ing = hoping, not ‘hopeing’. (স্বরবর্ণ suffix এর আগে ‘e’ বাদ দাও।)
- Choose the right opposite prefix: ‘impossible’, not ‘inpossible’; ‘irregular’, not ‘unregular’. (সঠিক বিপরীত prefix বাছো।)
Practice Exercise with Answers
Part A: Add the correct prefix to make the opposite. Part B: Add a suffix to form the word needed in brackets. Part C: Fill in the blank with the correct form of the word.
নিজে চেষ্টা করার পরে নিচের উত্তরগুলো মিলিয়ে নাও।
Part A (Add a prefix for the opposite):
- ______happy (not happy)
- ______possible (not possible)
- ______regular (not regular)
- ______honest (not honest)
- ______legal (not legal)
Part B (Add a suffix to form the word in brackets): 6. He is a very care______ driver. (adjective, full of care) 7. Her kind______ touched everyone. (noun) 8. He teaches, so he is a teach______. (person) 9. This book is easy to read; it is very read______. (adjective) 10. She sang the song beautiful______. (adverb) 11. We must modern______ our old methods. (verb) 12. Their friend______ has lasted for years. (noun) 13. The broken glass was very danger______. (adjective)
Part C (Fill in with the correct form): 14. His answer was ______correct. (opposite) 15. She is always ______ (help) to others. 16. He completely ______understood my meaning. (wrongly) 17. The snake was harmless; it was quite ______ (harm). 18. Do not ______use your authority. (wrongly) 19. He dreams of becoming a famous ______ (science). 20. A good filter can ______ (pure) the water.
Answers
Part A:
- unhappy
- impossible
- irregular
- dishonest
- illegal
Part B: 6. careful 7. kindness 8. teacher 9. readable 10. beautifully 11. modernise 12. friendship 13. dangerous
Part C: 14. incorrect 15. helpful 16. misunderstood 17. harmless 18. misuse 19. scientist 20. purify
A Tip for the Exam
To handle any word-formation question, first find the root word hiding inside, then decide what you need. If you need the opposite meaning, reach for a prefix (un-, in-, dis-, and so on). If you need a different part of speech, a noun, an adjective, an adverb, reach for a suffix (-ness, -ful, -ly, and so on). Then apply the three spelling rules: ‘y’ to ‘i’, drop the silent ‘e’, and double the final consonant. Build a few word families of your own each day, and soon these marks will come to you without effort.
যেকোনো word-formation প্রশ্ন সামলাতে, প্রথমে ভেতরে লুকানো root word খুঁজে বের করো, তারপর ঠিক করো তোমার কী দরকার। বিপরীত অর্থ দরকার হলে একটি prefix নাও (un-, in-, dis-, ইত্যাদি)। ভিন্ন part of speech দরকার হলে, noun, adjective, adverb, একটি suffix নাও (-ness, -ful, -ly, ইত্যাদি)। তারপর তিনটি বানান নিয়ম প্রয়োগ করো: ‘y’ থেকে ‘i’, নীরব ‘e’ বাদ, আর শেষ consonant দ্বিগুণ। প্রতিদিন নিজে কয়েকটি শব্দ-পরিবার গড়ো, শীঘ্রই এই নম্বরগুলো বিনা পরিশ্রমে আসবে।
Related Lessons
Keep building your word power with these lessons:
- 100 Important Synonyms and Antonyms for Exams (with Bengali)
- The 8 Parts of Speech: Rules, Examples & Chart
- Most Confusing Words in English
- Noun: Definition, Types & Examples
- Adjective: Types, Order & Usage Rules
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a prefix and a suffix?
A prefix is added to the beginning of a word and usually changes its meaning (un + kind = unkind). A suffix is added to the end and usually changes the word class (kind + ness = kindness).
What is a root word?
A root word is the main part of a word that carries its basic meaning, before any prefix or suffix is added. In ‘unkindness’, the root word is ‘kind’.
How do prefixes make opposites?
Prefixes like un-, in-, im-, ir-, il-, dis-, and non- turn a word into its opposite, such as happy → unhappy and legal → illegal. Choose the prefix by the first letter of the root word.
What spelling changes happen when I add a suffix?
Change ‘y’ to ‘i’ (happy → happiness), drop a silent ‘e’ before a vowel suffix (make → making), and double the final consonant in short words (big → bigger).
When do I use a hyphen with a prefix?
Use a hyphen with the prefixes ‘self-‘ and ‘ex-‘ (self-control, ex-teacher) and before a proper noun (anti-American).