Prefixes: Pre-, Re-, and Mis-
Basics on the topic Prefixes: Pre-, Re-, and Mis-
Prefixes – re-, mis- and pre-
Have you noticed how some words change their meaning when you add a syllable at the beginning of a word? Added syllables are called affixes. When you add an affix at the beginning of a word, it is called a prefix. Let’s learn about the meaning of the prefixes re-, mis- and pre- and how they change the meaning of words.
Prefixes – Definition
Let’s look at the definition of prefixes:
A prefix is a pair or group of letters at the beginning of a root word, also known as a base word, that changes the meaning of the root word or adds meaning to the root word. Prefixes are often Latin or Greek syllables, but they do not only change the meaning of Latin and Greek root words.
In this text, you will learn about the meaning of the prefixes re-, mis- and pre- and how using these prefixes changes the meaning of the root word. We will also look at words that feature the prefixes re-, mis- and pre-, so that you will be able to answer the question: what are words with the prefixes re-, pre- and mis?
Prefix re- – Meaning
What is the meaning of the prefix re-? The general meaning of the prefix re- is “back” or “again”. For example, you may reread something that is difficult, which means you are reading it again to understand better.
Prefix pre- – Meaning
The general meaning of prefix pre- is “before”. One of the words with the prefix pre- (meaning before) is preview. When you preview a movie, that means you are getting an idea of what it's about before watching.
Prefix mis- – Meaning
The meaning of the prefix mis- is “incorrectly” or “poorly”. For example, when you misunderstand something, it means you didn't correctly understand the directions.
Prefixes re-, mis- and pre- – Summary
Let’s review what we learned about prefixes in this text. Prefixes are syllables of Greek or Latin origin that can be added to the beginning of root words. Prefixes change the meaning of a word or add meaning to a word. Have a look at the table below to review the meaning of the prefixes re-, pre- and mis-:
| Prefix | General Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| re- | back, again | reread |
| pre- | before | preview |
| mis- | incorrectly, poor | misunderstand |
Want some more practice with prefixes such as words that start with the prefix pre meaning before? On this website you will find interactive exercises with vocabulary with Latin and Greek roots with the prefixes re-, pre and mis-, as well as worksheets, and other activities!
Frequently Asked Questions about the Prefixes re-, pre- and mis-
Transcript Prefixes: Pre-, Re-, and Mis-
"And THAT is how you host a proper dinner party, (...) HEAR HEAR!" "Okay, I wrote down all the tips from that episode!" "Thanks! Let's start getting ready, Jeremiah will be here soon!" "The first tip says, Be careful not to recount the guest list when setting the table, (...) or was it miscount?" Kala wrote down the wrong prefixes! Let's help them host a proper dinner party by learning about the... Prefixes: Pre-, Re-, and Mis-! A prefix is a pair or group of letters at the beginning of a root word, also known as a base word, that changes its meaning. The prefix 'pre' means before. For example, when you preview a movie, that means you are getting an idea of what it's about before watching. The prefix 're' means back or again. For example, you may reread something that is difficult, which means you are reading it again to understand better. The prefix 'mis' means incorrectly or poorly. For example, when you misunderstand something, it means you didn't correctly understand the directions. In the sentence, Be careful NOT to recount the guest list when setting the table, (...) recount has the prefix 're'. Re, means again, so recount means to count again. Does it make sense NOT to recount the guest list? (...) No, if we don't recount the guest list before setting the table that could lead to a disaster! Which prefix should be used? (...) Let's try the prefix 'mis' to make miscount, which means to count incorrectly. Be careful not to MISCOUNT the guest list when setting the table. Mis' IS the correct prefix because the tip is telling us to be careful, so we don't count the number of guests wrong! The next tip says: When your guest's drink is empty, be sure to misfill it. Does it make sense to MISFILL a drink? (...) No, we wouldn't misfill or incorrectly fill our guest's drink (...) that would be silly! Let's try "pre",(...) when your guest's drink is empty, be sure to prefill it. Does PREFILL make sense? (...) No, because prefill means to fill the cup BEFORE the guest comes... and the sentence states the guest is at the table and they just finished their drink. Let's try "re",(...) when your guest's drink is empty, be sure to refill it. Is "re" the correct prefix? (...) "Re" IS the correct prefix because the tip is telling us to fill your guest's drink again when it's empty. The last tip says: Always remake the dessert before serving. Does it make sense to REMAKE a dessert after it has already been made? (...) No, we wouldn't remake the dessert again, that would be a waste! Let's try "mis",(...) always mismake the dessert before serving. Is MISMAKE correct? (...) No, because mismake means to prepare the dessert incorrectly or poorly and we wouldn't want that for our special guest! Let's try "pre",(...) always premake the dessert before serving. Is pre the correct prefix? (...) Pre IS the correct prefix because the tip is telling us to make the dessert before the guest comes. Before we see how the dinner party turned out, let's summarize. Remember, (...) a prefix is a pair or group of letters at the beginning of a root word that changes it's meaning. The prefix 'pre' means before... re' means back or again... and 'mis' means incorrectly or poorly. Always read the sentence and think, 'does this make sense?', when choosing the correct prefix. ] "Why Kala, this souffle is cooked to perfection! Cheerio!" "Why thank you Dee." [Frog burps loudly, Dee and Kala's jaws drop]
Prefixes: Pre-, Re-, and Mis- exercise
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Understanding the prefixes pre-, re-, and mis-.
HintsHow do the prefixes mis-, pre-, and re- change the meaning of a word?
What does the prefix re- mean in the word, rebuild?
Solution- A prefix is a pair or group of letters at the beginning of a root word. The prefix changes the meaning of a word.
- The prefix re- means back or again.
- The prefix pre- means before.
- The prefix mis- means incorrectly or poorly.
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Read the passage. Spot the prefixes.
HintsWhat is a prefix? Where can I find the prefix of a word?
Look at each word carefully to find the prefixes pre-, re-, and mis-.
Look at the beginning of each word to find the prefix. A prefix is a pair or group of letters at the beginning of a root word.
SolutionWords with the prefix pre-: prepare and premarked.
Words with the prefix re-: recycling, recycle, reduce, reduces, reusing, and reuses.
Words with the prefix mis-: misunderstand and mistreat. -
Using prefixes correctly.
HintsAlways read the sentence and think, "Does this make sense?", when choosing the correct prefix.
Remember:
The prefix re- means back or again
The prefix pre- means before
The prefix mis- means incorrectly or poorlyIf you misread something, will you understand it better? Or did you not read it correctly?
There are 4 correct options.
SolutionIncorrect use of the prefix:
- Kala did not understand how to do her homework assignment, so she misread the directions to get a better understanding.
- Kala did not understand how to do her homework assignment, so she reread the directions to get a better understanding.
- Dee had not read the book yet, but she saw the cover and could already predict the ending!
- Nari broke all of the pencils and crayons for school! He is mistreating his school supplies.
- Nia precut her sandwich into two parts before putting it into her lunch bag for school.
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Adding prefixes.
HintsAlways read the sentence and think, "Does this make sense?", when choosing the correct prefix.
How do prefixes change the meaning of a base word? What does the prefix mis- mean? What does the prefix pre- mean? What does the prefix re- mean?
Remember:
The prefix re- means back or again
The prefix pre- means before
The prefix mis- means incorrectly or poorlyWhy is it important for an athlete to drink water before their big game?
Solution- Kala had to preheat the oven before she could bake the cake.
- If the students misbehave, their teacher will get upset.
- Nari made a silly face, so they had to retake the photo.
- The outdoor soccer game had to be rescheduled due to rain.
- Athletes drink water pregame in order to stay hydrated.
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Complete each word using the prefix pre-, re-, or mis-.
HintsHow can the prefixes pre-, re-, and mis- change the meaning of a word?
Always read the sentence and think, "Does this make sense?", when choosing the correct prefix.
Solution- Kala is wearing one red sock and one blue sock. Her socks are mismatched. Mismatched means the socks do not match.
- A wave knocked over Dee's sandcastle. Now Dee needs to rebuild the sandcastle. Rebuild means to build something again.
- Kala and Dee always arrive to the theater early. They like to watch the previews before their movie starts. Previews are the videos that play before a movie begins.
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Read the passage and identify the meaning of the bold words.
HintsRead the word and think, "What does the prefix of this word mean?".
Use the passage to help you. What other words in the sentence can help you to identify the meaning of the bold word?
The meaning of the prefix re- is back or again.
The meaning of the prefix pre- is before.
The meaning of the prefix mis- is incorrectly or poorly.SolutionThe word prepare means to make or get ready beforehand. Kala and Dee will get ready for the party before it starts.
The word review means to look at or study again. Kala will study her list of guests more than once.
The word misspelled means to spell in an incorrect way. Kala will make sure that the names on her party invitations are not spelled incorrectly.
The word rearrange means to arrange again in a different way. Dee will arrange the decorations in many different ways.
The word misplace means to put in the wrong space or position. Kala and Dee will make sure the presents are not in the wrong place or lost.
