What is a prefix?

What is a prefix?

• A. an affix added at the end of a word
• B. an affix added at the beginning of a word
• C. a root word
• D. a suffix

Answer: (B)

A prefix is an affix placed at the front of a word to change its meaning or function. It’s a bound morpheme, meaning it can’t stand alone and must attach to a base word. In English, common prefixes like un-, re-, and pre- sit at the beginning of base words to create new meanings (unhappy, redo, predict). This differs from a suffix, which attaches to the end of a word, and from a root word, which is the core part that carries the base meaning. So the idea is that a prefix is the beginning piece that modifies what the word means.

A prefix is an affix placed at the front of a word to change its meaning or function. It’s a bound morpheme, meaning it can’t stand alone and must attach to a base word. In English, common prefixes like un-, re-, and pre- sit at the beginning of base words to create new meanings (unhappy, redo, predict). This differs from a suffix, which attaches to the end of a word, and from a root word, which is the core part that carries the base meaning. So the idea is that a prefix is the beginning piece that modifies what the word means.