How to Differ Prefixes From Roots
- 1). Read the word. Consult a list of prefixes or use your own knowledge to mentally separate the prefix from the root word. Write what you believe are the prefix and the root word on a piece of paper with a space between them.
- 2). Consult a dictionary. A print dictionary will have entries for prefixes and common examples of words using that prefix. With a digital or online dictionary you can simply type in the prefix and wait for the meaning to appear on the screen. Write down the given definition of the prefix.
- 3). Look up the root word in the dictionary you are using. Write down the definition that you think is most applicable. Mark the page of that root word, or leave the window open on the computer screen, because you may need to consult that entry again.
- 4). Join the two definitions to see if they create a new definition that makes sense. For instance, with the example "unlike," the prefix means "not" and one definition of like means "similar." Thus our proposed definition for "unlike" is "not similar."
- 5). Look up the original word, prefix and root word together, in the dictionary. See if its definition matches the new definition you created by joining the prefix and the root word. If it does not, go back and choose another definition for the root word and try again.
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