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Prefixes and Suffixes Worksheets

13 free PDFsUS Letter or A4Answer key includedNo login

Charts, a word list, add-a-prefix and add-a-suffix pages, find the base word, meaning matches, sorts, cut and paste with a no-cut twin, and sentences.

Download the prefixes and suffixes worksheets

Prefix and suffix charts and word list

Build and split words

What do prefixes and suffixes mean?

The cut and paste page has a no-cut twin.

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these prefixes and suffixes worksheets

A prefix is a word part added to the front of a word (un + happy = unhappy), and a suffix is a word part added to the end (help + ful = helpful). Each one changes the meaning of the base word in a predictable way: un- means not, re- means again, pre- means before, -ful means full of, -less means without, and -ly tells how.

These prefixes and suffixes worksheets start with a chart for each and a word list. Children join word parts to make new words, split words into a base word and its prefix or suffix, match words to their meanings, sort words by what the prefix means or by suffix, and choose the word that makes sense in a sentence. The cut and paste page has a no-cut twin.

Reading words with common prefixes and suffixes is a 2nd grade standard, and knowing what they mean helps children figure out new words on their own. Every page prints in black and white on US Letter or A4 with an answer key on page 2.

Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3.DDecode words with common prefixes and suffixes.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.BDetermine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell).
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.CUse a known root word as a clue to the meaning of an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition, additional).
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.AUse sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.2.3Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

How to use them

  1. Start with the charts. Cover the prefix or suffix with a finger, read the base word, then read the whole word and say what it means.
  2. Use the add-a-prefix and add-a-suffix pages to build words, then the find-the-base-word page to take them apart.
  3. Move on to the meaning matches and sorts, where children think about what each word part means.
  4. Finish with the sentences page. Every choice has the same base word, so only the right prefix or suffix makes sense.

Teaching tips

  • Always find the base word first. Children who can spot help in helpful, helpless and helper can read and understand all three.
  • Teach that -er can mean more (taller) or a person who does something (teacher). The sentence tells you which.
  • Some words only look like they have a prefix: uncle and read don't. If the part left over isn't a word, it isn't a prefix.

Questions teachers and parents ask

What is the difference between a prefix and a suffix?

A prefix goes at the beginning of a word (un + lock = unlock). A suffix goes at the end (quick + ly = quickly). Both change the meaning of the base word.

What prefixes and suffixes do 2nd graders learn?

Common 2nd grade prefixes are un-, re-, pre- and dis-. Common suffixes are -ful, -less, -ly, -er and -est, along with the endings -s, -es, -ed and -ing.

What does the prefix un- mean?

un- means not, or the opposite: unhappy means not happy, and unlock means to open a lock.

How do prefixes and suffixes help with reading?

When children can find the base word and the word parts, they can read and understand long words they have never seen, like unbreakable or helpfully.

Do these worksheets have answer keys?

Yes, on page 2 of every page with right answers.