Word-Building Resource • Prefixes

Prefixes (CALD, OALD)

Prefixes Meanings Examples
 a-  
 aero-  
 Afro-  
 after-  
 all-  
 alt-  
 ambi-  
 Anglo-  
 ante-  
 anthropo-  
 anti-  
 arch-  
 astro-  
 audio-  
 auto-  
 be-  
 bi-  
 bio-  
 by-  
 cardi(o)-  
 car(n)-  
 cent(i)-  
 cerebro-  
 co-  
 col-  
 com-  
 con-  

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 contra-  
 cor-  
 counter-  
 cross-  
 crypto-  
 custom-  
 cyber-  
 de-  
 deca-  
 deci-  
 demi-  
 demo-  
 dis-  
 down-  
 e-  
 eco-  
 ed-  
 en-  
 equi-  
 ethno-  
 Euro-  
 ex-  
 exa-  
 extra-  
 fore-  
 Franco-  
 fraken-  
 fresh-  
 ge-  
 geo-  
 giga-  
 Graeco-  

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 great-  
 hecto-  
 hydro-  
 hyper-  
 hypo-  
 il-  
 ill-  
 im-  
 in-  
 Indo-  
 infra-  
 inter-  
 intra-  
 ir-  
 it-  
 Italo-  
 kilo-  
 macro-  
 mal-  
 maxi-  
 mega-  
 meta-  
 micro-  
 mid-  
 milli-  
 mini-  
 mis-  
 mono-  
 multi-  
 nano-  
 near-  
 neo-  

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 neur(o)-  
 new-  
 non-  
 off-  
 oft-  
 omni-  
 out-  
 over-  
 palaeo-  
 paleo-  
 pan-  
 para-  
 photo-  
 poly-  
 post-  
 pre-  
 pro-  
 prot(o)-  
 pseud(o)-  
 psych(o)-  
 quadri-  
 quasi-  
 quinti-  
 re-  
 rent-a-  
 retro-  
 Romano-  
 self-  
 semi-  
 septi-  
 she-  
 short-  

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 Sino-  
 socio-  
 step-  
 sub-  
 super-  
 sur-  
 techno-  
 tele-  
 thermo-  
 top-  
 trans-  
 tri-  
 uber-  
 ultra-  
 un-  
 under-  
 uni-  
 up-  
 ur-  
 vice-  
 with-  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

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Variant Spellings
Prefixes Variant Spellings
 a-  an- (before a vowel)
 ab-  abs- (before c, q, t)
 ad-  a- (before sc, sp, st); ac- (before c, k, q); af- (before f); ag- (before g);
al- (before l); an- (before n); ap- (before p); ar- (before r); as- before
s); at- (before t)
 ana-  an- (before a vowel)
 auto-  aut- (before a vowel)
 com-  com- (before b, m, p; also occasionally before vowels and f); co- (esp.
before vowels, h, and gn); col- (before l); cor- (before r); con- (before
consonants c, d, f, g, j, n, q, s, t, v; sometimes before vowels)
 dia-  di- (before a vowel)
 dis-  di- (before l, m, n, r, s (followed by a consonant), v; also often before
g, and sometimes before j); dif- (before f)
 en-  em- (before b, m, p)
 epi-  ep- (before a vowel or h)
 ex-  ef- (before f); e-
 hypo-  hyp- (before a vowel or h)
 in-  il- (before l); im- (before b, m, p); ir- (before r)
 meta-  met- (before a vowel or h)
 mono-  mon- (before a vowel)
 ob-  oc- (before c); of- (before f); op- (before p)
 para-  par- (before a vowel or h)
 sub-  suc- (before c); suf- (before f); sug- (before g); sup- (before p); sur-
(before r); sus- (before c, p, t)
 syn-  syl- (before l); sym- (before b, m, p)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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