Common Prefixes in English

Prefixes are word parts that are added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. Here are some common prefixes in English:

Greek Prefixes:

• a- or an-: without (e.g., atypical, anhydrous)
• anti-: against (e.g., anti-inflammatory, antibiotic)
• auto-: self (e.g., autobiography, autocratic)
• bio-: life (e.g., biology, biosphere)
• chrono-: time (e.g., chronology, chronometer)
• geo-: earth (e.g., geography, geophysics)
• hydro-: water (e.g., hydroelectricity, hydraulic)
• micro-: small (e.g., microscope, microorganism)
• mono-: one (e.g., monologue, monotheism)
• poly-: many (e.g., polyglot, polytheism)
• syn- or sym-: together (e.g., synthesis, sympathy)

Latin Prefixes:

• bi-: two (e.g., bicycle, bilingual)
• circum-: around (e.g., circumference, circumnavigate)
• de-: down, away (e.g., defrost, decrease)
• ex- or extra-: out, beyond (e.g., exit, extrapolate)
• in- or im-: in, into (e.g., input, impossible)
• inter-: between (e.g., international, interlude)
• pre-: before (e.g., prehistory, prefix)
• pro-: forward, in favor of (e.g., progress, pro-democracy)
• re-: again (e.g., repeat, reconsider)
• sub-: under, below (e.g., submarine, submerge)
• super-: above, beyond (e.g., superior, supernatural)

Would you like to know more about prefixes or how to use them in words?