Spelling Power: Word Roots & Prefixes

Unlock the secrets hidden in words!

Grades 3-4

About This Workbook

Did you know that most English words come from Latin, Greek, and Hebrew roots? When you learn these roots, you can figure out the meaning of thousands of words!

PREFIX + ROOT + SUFFIX = WORD!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim." - John 1:1

1Prefix: UN-

UN- = "not" or "opposite of"

Adding UN- to a word makes it mean the opposite!

unhappy
unkind
unfair
untrue
unlock
unsafe
unable
unclean
"You shall not eat of anything... that is unclean to you." - Deuteronomy 14:10
Unclean = UN + clean = NOT clean!
Rule: When adding UN- to a word, don't change the spelling of the base word!
happy → un + happy = unhappy (NOT "unhapppy")

Practice

1. Add UN- to make the opposite:

kind →
fair →
true →
lock →
safe →

2. What does each word mean?

unhappy =

unclean =

unable =

3. Use an UN- word in a sentence:

Family Activity

2Prefix: RE-

RE- = "again" or "back"

Adding RE- means to do something again or go back!

redo
reread
return
rebuild
repent
restore
renew
refresh
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." - Matthew 4:17
Repent = RE + pent (from Latin "to feel sorrow") = turn back to Yahuah!
The word REPENT comes from Latin! It means to change your mind and turn back to Yahuah. When we repent, we RE-turn to following His ways!

Practice

1. Add RE- to make new words:

build →
read →
fill →
play →
write →

2. Match the word to its meaning:

___ return     A. make new again

___ renew      B. come back

___ restore    C. build again

___ rebuild    D. bring back to original

3. Why is "repent" an important RE- word for believers?

Family Activity

3Prefix: PRE-

PRE- = "before"

Adding PRE- means something happens before!

preview
preheat
predict
prepare
prefix
preschool
prehistoric
pretest
"Prepare ye the way of Yahuah." - Isaiah 40:3
Prepare = PRE + pare (to make ready) = get ready beforehand!
Fun Fact: The word "prefix" itself uses PRE-! Pre + fix = something fixed BEFORE the root word!

Practice

1. What does each word mean?

preview = to

preheat = to

preschool = school

predict = to say

2. Fill in PRE- words:

___________ the oven before baking. (heat before)

Let's ___________ the movie trailer. (view before)

Children go to ___________ before kindergarten. (school before)

3. Circle the PRE- words:

prepare
pretty
prefix
present
preview
press

Family Activity

4Prefix: DIS-

DIS- = "not" or "opposite of"

Similar to UN-, but used with different root words!

disagree
disappear
dislike
disobey
dishonest
disrespect
disconnect
disappoint
"Children, obey your parents in Yahuah: for this is right." - Ephesians 6:1
To disobey = DIS + obey = NOT obey. Yahuah wants us to obey, not disobey!
DIS- comes from Latin and means "apart" or "away." When you disagree, you are "apart" from agreeing. When something disappears, it goes "away" from appearing!

Practice

1. Add DIS- to make opposites:

agree →
obey →
honest →
respect →
like →

2. Choose UN- or DIS-:

___happy (not happy)

___honest (not honest)

___kind (not kind)

___obey (not obey)

3. Why is it important NOT to disobey Yahuah?

Family Activity

5Prefix: MIS-

MIS- = "wrong" or "badly"

Adding MIS- means something is done wrongly!

mistake
misread
misunderstand
misspell
misbehave
mislead
misuse
mistreat
"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." - Matthew 6:13
False teachers mislead = MIS + lead = lead wrongly! We must follow truth!
Spelling Tip: MIS- + SPELL = MISSPELL (notice the double S!)
The prefix MIS- ends in S, and SPELL starts with S, so you get SS together!

Practice

1. Add MIS- to make new words:

spell →
lead →
understand →
behave →
take →

2. What does each word mean?

mistreat = to treat

misread = to read

misuse = to use

3. Why should we avoid those who mislead others about Yahuah's truth?

Family Activity

6Suffix: -FUL

-FUL = "full of"

Adding -FUL means full of something!

thankful
beautiful
hopeful
faithful
joyful
peaceful
powerful
careful
"Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life." - Revelation 2:10
Faithful = faith + FUL = full of faith!
Rule: The suffix is spelled -FUL (one L), not -FULL (two L's)!
beauty + ful = beautiful (NOT beautifull)
Note: If the word ends in Y, change Y to I: beauty → beauti + ful = beautiful

Practice

1. Add -FUL to make new words:

thank →
hope →
joy →
peace →
faith →

2. How many L's in -FUL?

3. Write a prayer using at least 2 -FUL words:

Family Activity

7Suffix: -LESS

-LESS = "without"

Adding -LESS means without something!

hopeless
fearless
helpless
harmless
endless
careless
nameless
painless
"Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid... for Yahuah your Elohim is with you." - Joshua 1:9
With Yahuah, we can be fearless = fear + LESS = without fear!
Notice that -FUL and -LESS are OPPOSITES!
• hope + ful = hopeful (full of hope)
• hope + less = hopeless (without hope)
With Yahuah, we should always be hopeFUL, not hopeLESS!

Practice

1. Add -LESS to make new words:

fear →
help →
end →
care →
harm →

2. Choose -FUL or -LESS:

Full of joy = joy

Without hope = hope

Full of peace = peace

Without fear = fear

3. Why can believers be fearless?

Family Activity

8Root: GRAPH/GRAM (Write)

GRAPH / GRAM = "write" or "written"

From Greek! Words with this root relate to writing!

paragraph
autograph
photograph
biography
diagram
telegram
grammar
program
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of Elohim." - 2 Timothy 3:16
Scripture means sacred writing! The word "graph" means to write!
Breaking Down Words:
• auto + graph = self + write = someone's own signature!
• photo + graph = light + write = "writing with light" (a picture!)
• bio + graph + y = life + write = writing about someone's life!

Practice

1. Match the word to its meaning:

___ autograph     A. a picture "written" with light

___ photograph   B. a drawing that explains something

___ biography     C. your own written signature

___ diagram       D. story of someone's life

2. All these words relate to:

[ ] eating   [ ] writing   [ ] running   [ ] sleeping

3. Why is it important that Scripture is "written"?

Family Activity

9Root: TELE (Far)

TELE = "far" or "distant"

From Greek! Words with this root relate to distance!

telephone
telescope
television
telegram
"The heavens declare the glory of Elohim." - Psalm 19:1
A telescope (TELE + scope) lets us see FAR to view Yahuah's stars!
Breaking Down Words:
• tele + phone = far + sound = hearing from far away!
• tele + scope = far + see = seeing far away!
• tele + vision = far + seeing = seeing things from far away on a screen!
• tele + gram = far + write = a written message from far away!

Practice

1. Match the word to what it does:

___ telephone    A. see far (into space)

___ telescope    B. hear from far

___ television   C. message from far

___ telegram     D. see shows from far

2. What does TELE mean?

3. Use TELEPHONE in a sentence:

Family Activity

10Word Detective Review!

Prefixes We Learned

Prefix Meaning Example
UN-not, oppositeunhappy, unclean
RE-again, backreturn, repent
PRE-beforeprepare, preview
DIS-not, oppositedisobey, dishonest
MIS-wrong, badlymistake, mislead

Suffixes We Learned

Suffix Meaning Example
-FULfull offaithful, thankful
-LESSwithoutfearless, hopeless

Roots We Learned

Root Meaning Example
GRAPH/GRAMwriteparagraph, telegram
TELEfartelephone, telescope

Final Review

1. Add the correct prefix:

___happy (not happy) =

___pent (turn back) =

___pare (get ready before) =

___obey (not obey) =

___lead (lead wrongly) =

2. Add the correct suffix:

Full of faith = faith

Without fear = fear

3. What root means "write"?

4. What root means "far"?

Celebration!

Answer Key

Lesson 1: unkind, unfair, untrue, unlock, unsafe. Meanings: not happy, not clean, not able

Lesson 2: rebuild, reread, refill, replay, rewrite. Matching: B, A, D, C

Lesson 3: view before, heat before, before kindergarten, say before. Answers: Preheat, preview, preschool. Circle: prepare, prefix, preview

Lesson 4: disagree, disobey, dishonest, disrespect, dislike. UN/DIS: UN, DIS, UN, DIS

Lesson 5: misspell, mislead, misunderstand, misbehave, mistake. Meanings: wrongly, wrongly, wrongly

Lesson 6: thankful, hopeful, joyful, peaceful, faithful. ONE L

Lesson 7: fearless, helpless, endless, careless, harmless. Answers: joyful, hopeless, peaceful, fearless

Lesson 8: Matching: C, A, D, B. Answer: writing

Lesson 9: Matching: B, A, D, C. TELE = far

Lesson 10: unhappy, repent, prepare, disobey, mislead. faithful, fearless. graph/gram, tele

You're a Word Detective!

You can now unlock the meaning of thousands of words!

"In the beginning was the Word." - John 1:1