20 Prefixes and Suffixes for Teaching Reading

Research shows that just four prefixes account for 97% of prefixed words in printed school English, and four suffixes account for 97% of suffixed words. (White, Sowell & Yanagihara, 1989) Master those eight and students can decode the vast majority of prefixed and suffixed words they’ll encounter. Add the remaining common prefixes and suffixes below and you’ve given students a powerful, transferable system for reading any word in any subject.

Here they are.

The 10 Most Common Prefixes

1. un- = not, opposite of
Examples: unhappy, unsafe, unfair, unknown, undo

2. re- = again, back
Examples: rewrite, return, rebuild, reteach, review

3. in-, im-, ir-, il- = not
Examples: incomplete, impossible, irregular, illegal

4. dis- = not, opposite of
Examples: disagree, disappear, disconnect, disorder

5. en-, em- = cause to, put into
Examples: enable, empower, enforce, embrace

6. non- = not
Examples: nonfiction, nonverbal, nonprofit, nonsense

7. in-, im- = in, into
Examples: insert, import, include, immerse

8. over- = too much, above
Examples: overdue, overwork, overlook, overcome

9. mis- = wrongly, badly
Examples: misread, mistake, mislead, misunderstand

10. pre- = before
Examples: preview, predict, prepare, prehistoric, precaution

The 10 Most Common Suffixes

1. -s, -es = plural
Examples: teachers, classes, boxes, wishes

2. -ed = past tense
Examples: walked, learned, practiced, discovered

3. -ing = present participle, action in progress
Examples: reading, teaching, learning, writing

4. -ly = in the manner of
Examples: quickly, carefully, fluently, effectively

5. -er, -or = one who does
Examples: teacher, reader, writer, educator, instructor

6. -ion, -tion, -ation = act or process of
Examples: instruction, education, foundation, comprehension

7. -ible, -able = can be done
Examples: readable, teachable, flexible, accessible

8. -al, -ial = relating to
Examples:ational, educational, professional, essential

9. -y = characterized by
Examples: stormy, tricky, fluffy, bumpy

10. -ness = state or quality of
Examples: happiness, darkness, awareness, readiness

How to Use This List in Your Classroom

You don’t need to teach all 20 at once. Here’s a practical approach by grade level:

K-2: Start with the top four — -s/-es, -ed, -ing, un-, re-. These appear in almost every early reader and give students immediate decoding tools.

3-5: Add pre-, dis-, non-, mis-, -ly, -er, -or, -tion. Students encounter these in chapter books, content area texts, and standardized tests.

6-12: Introduce the remaining prefixes and suffixes alongside discipline-specific vocabulary. A science teacher covering photosynthesis can connect -tion to instruction, education, and comprehension — building academic vocabulary across subjects.

One More Thing

These 20 prefixes and suffixes are just the beginning. Once students understand that words are built from parts — not memorized as whole units — they have a system for approaching any word they’ve never seen.

That’s the Science of Reading in action.

👉 Browse PLB’s Science of Reading courses — including vocabulary and morphology instruction for every grade level.

Also available for graduate credit through our university partners. Find courses in your state.

Published July 2026

About the Author
Ellen Paxton is a respected expert in education and best known as the Chief Learning Officer of Professional Learning Board. As a two-time National Board Certified Teacher, Ellen has successfully published and customized online professional development courses and Learning Management Systems for 20 years to help teachers meet their state continuing education renewal credit requirements. Through ProfessionalLearningBoard.com, RenewaTeachingLicense.com, and ConnectedPD.com, Ellen has established solutions and maintained partnerships with several accredited universities, higher education institutions, teachers’ unions and state Departments of Education while setting strategic direction that makes a difference and overseeing implementation of popular online PD for schools.