What is a prefix and how does it help determine a word's meaning?

• A. A prefix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning.
• B. A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning.
• C. A prefix is a punctuation mark.
• D. A prefix is a word that stands alone.

Answer: (B)

Prefixes are groups of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. They sit at the front and give you a hint about what the word means. For example, adding un- to happy gives not happy; adding re- to do means to do again; pre- means before; mis- means wrongly. Because the prefix is at the start, it shapes the whole word’s meaning. This is different from a suffix, which is added to the end, and from punctuation, which isn’t part of a word. A word on its own isn’t a prefix, but a base word can take a prefix to form a new meaning.