English has dozens of common prefixes and suffixes that appear in thousands of words. Learning their pronunciation patterns will help you pronounce new words correctly, even if you've never seen them before.
Common Prefixes
UN- /ʌn/
Means "not" or "opposite of." Always unstressed.
RE- /riː/ or /rɪ/
Means "again" or "back." Usually unstressed /rɪ/, but sometimes /riː/ for emphasis or in specific words.
DIS- /dɪs/
Means "not" or "opposite." Usually unstressed.
PRE- /priː/ or /prɪ/
Means "before."
MIS- /mɪs/
Means "wrongly" or "badly."
Common Suffixes
-TION /ʃən/
One of the most common suffixes. Always pronounced /ʃən/, never /tiən/.
-SION /ʃən/ or /ʒən/
Usually /ʃən/, but /ʒən/ after vowels:
-NESS /nəs/
Makes nouns from adjectives. Always unstressed.
-ABLE/-IBLE /əbəl/
Means "can be done." Usually unstressed.
-MENT /mənt/
Makes nouns from verbs. Usually unstressed.
-LY /li/
Makes adverbs from adjectives. Usually unstressed.
-FUL /fəl/
Means "full of." Note: only ONE L in the suffix.
-LESS /ləs/
Means "without."
Negative Prefixes: IN-, IM-, IL-, IR-
These all mean "not" but change based on the following letter:
- IN- before most consonants: incorrect, indirect
- IM- before B, M, P: impossible, impolite
- IL- before L: illegal, illogical
- IR- before R: irregular, irresponsible
Quick Reference
| Affix | Pronunciation | Stressed? |
|---|---|---|
| un- | /ʌn/ | No |
| re- | /rɪ/ or /riː/ | Usually no |
| dis- | /dɪs/ | No |
| -tion | /ʃən/ | Syllable before is stressed |
| -ness | /nəs/ | No |
| -able | /əbəl/ | No |
| -ment | /mənt/ | No |
| -ly | /li/ | No |