Understanding Prefixes and Suffixes in English Adjectives

Name: ADJECTIVES #2 | Prefixes & Suffixes | Basic English Grammar Course
Uploaded: 2026-01-21T08:17:21.349969+00:00
Channel: Shaw English Online
Description: Understanding Prefixes and Suffixes in English Adjectives Introduction In this article we explore how prefixes and suffixes modify adjectives in English.

Shaw English Online

Jan 21, 2026

•

2 min read

YouTube video ID: aET7ax8UM3w

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Introduction

In this article we explore how prefixes and suffixes modify adjectives in English. A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning, often turning a positive adjective into a negative one. A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word, frequently turning a noun or verb into an adjective without necessarily adding a negative sense.

Common Prefixes for Adjectives

un‑ → unfair, unhappy, unsure
in‑ → inactive, inappropriate, incomplete
ir‑ → irresponsible, irregular, irrational
im‑ → imbalance, impolite, impossible
il‑ → illegal, illiterate, illogical These prefixes mainly create the opposite meaning of the base adjective.

Common Suffixes for Adjectives

‑able / ‑ible → adorable, comfortable
‑en → broken, golden
‑ese → Chinese, Japanese
‑ful → wonderful, powerful
‑ative → informative, talkative
‑ous → dangerous, enormous
‑some → awesome, handsome Suffixes turn nouns or verbs into adjectives and can add nuance such as capability (‑able) or quality (‑ful).

Practice: Identifying Prefixes, Suffixes, and Adjectives

Sentence	Adjective	Prefix	Suffix
I have an uncomfortable seat.	uncomfortable	un‑	‑able
She has a black car.	black	–	–
His father was unhelpful.	unhelpful	un‑	‑ful
The actor is handsome.	handsome	–	‑some
I hate oily food.	oily	–	‑y (from oil)
She is a dishonest woman.	dishonest	dis‑	–

Pronunciation Practice

Repeat each sentence aloud to improve fluency: - “I have an uncomfortable seat.” - “She has a black car.” - “His father was unhelpful.” - “The actor is handsome.” - “I hate oily food.” - “She is a dishonest woman.”

Review and Tips

Most negative prefixes are un‑, in‑, ir‑, im‑, il‑.
Suffixes often end in ‑able, ‑ful, ‑ous, ‑some, ‑y and do not inherently convey negativity.
Practice by taking a base word, adding a suffix to create an adjective, then optionally adding a prefix to reverse its meaning.
Consistent speaking practice reinforces both recognition and pronunciation.

Final Thoughts

Understanding how prefixes and suffixes work gives you powerful tools to expand your vocabulary, create nuanced descriptions, and decode unfamiliar words instantly. Keep practicing by spotting these affixes in everyday reading and speaking.

Mastering common prefixes and suffixes lets you instantly transform words, enrich your descriptions, and decode new vocabulary—making English both easier and more expressive.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Helpful resources related to this video

If you want to practice or explore the concepts discussed in the video, these commonly used tools may help.

English Grammar Workbook For Adjectives Recommended

Provides exercises on prefixes and suffixes to reinforce learning, ideal for learners who want structured practice now

Amazon →

Oxford English Dictionary Paperback

Comprehensive reference for word meanings and affix usage, helping learners verify meanings instantly

Amazon →

English Vocabulary Builder Flashcards

Portable tool for memorizing common prefixes and suffixes, useful for daily review and quick recall

Amazon →

Links may be affiliate links. We only include resources that are genuinely relevant to the topic.

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Full Transcript YouTube

Hello, guys.
Welcome to this English course on adjectives.
In today’s video, I’m going to talk about
prefixes and suffixes that are commonly added
to adjectives in English.
A prefix is a few letters added to a beginning
of a word to change the meaning of that word.
And a suffix is a few letters added to the
end of the word to change the meaning.
We’ll get more into detail.
Let’s get started.
Let’s take a look at a few adjectives with
prefixes.
Again a ‘prefix’ is a few letters added
to the beginning of the adjective.
Mostly to make it negative.
Let’s take a look at a few examples.
First we have the prefix ‘un’. U, n.
For example, if we take the word, ‘fair’,
and want to make it negative, we can add u
– n to have the word ‘unfair’ which
is the opposite of fair.
Same goes for ‘happy’.
‘unhappy’
‘sure’ become ‘unsure’.
Another prefix is i –n , ‘in’.
To make the adjective negative, again,
For example, ‘active’ – ‘inactive’.
‘appropriate’
’inappropriate’
‘complete’
‘incomplete’
The prefix i –r now, ‘ir’.
For example,
‘responsible’
‘irresponsible’
‘regular’
‘irregular’
‘rational’
‘irrational’
Then we have the prefix i –m, ‘im’.
For example,
‘balance’
‘imbalance’
‘polite’
‘impolite’
‘possible’
‘impossible’
And finally, the prefix, ‘il’.
I – l.
Like, ‘legal’
‘illegal’
‘literate’
‘illiterate’
‘logical’
‘illogical’
These are just a few examples, guys.
There are so many other prefixes in English.
But I hope you now have a better understanding.
Let’s move on.
Let’s now talk about suffixes.
In English, you can add a few letters to a
noun or a verb to make it into an adjective.
Not necessarily a negative adjective.
It’s not like prefixes.
There are so many suffixes in English, but
here is a list of very common ones.
We can find a suffix ‘able’.
Like, ‘adorable’.
‘comfortable’
Also the suffix ‘en’, e – n.
Like, ‘broken’.
‘golden’
‘ese’
Like, ‘Chinese’.
‘Japanese’
‘ful’
Like, ‘wonderful’.
‘powerful’
‘ative’
Like, ‘informative’.
‘talkative’
‘ous’
‘dangerous’
‘enormous’
Or ‘some’.
Like, ‘awesome’.
‘handsome’
Again, these are just a few examples.
There are so many suffixes.
But I hope you now have a good idea of how
to use suffixes in English.
Let’s now move on to practice.
Okay, guys.
Let’s practice finding adjectives in the
following sentences.
And prefixes or suffixes.
Let’s have a look.
“I have an uncomfortable seat.”
Now, can you spot the adjective, first?
Of course, the adjective here is ‘uncomfortable’.
Can you see any prefix or suffix?
I do.
There is a prefix, which is ‘un’.
And there is a suffix as well.
The suffix, ‘able’.
Okay, so look at how we transformed the word.
The first word was ‘comfort’ in English.
First, we added a suffix to make it into an
adjective, which is ‘comfortable’.
And then we added a prefix, ‘un’, to make
it negative.
So the seat is not comfortable, it is uncomfortable.
That’s how prefixes and suffixes can be
used in English.
The second sentence, “She has a black car.”
Can you spot the adjective, first.
Of course, it’s the adjective ‘black’.
Is there a suffix or a prefix?
No, there isn’t.
Next sentence.
“His father was unhelpful.”
What’s the adjective?
‘unhelpful’
Of course.
Any prefix, suffix?
Yes, there is a prefix.
Again, which is ‘un’.
To make the adjective negative.
And there is a suffix, ‘ful’.
To make the noun ‘help’ into an adjective.
‘unhelpful’
Next sentence.
“The actor is handsome.”
The adjective, of course, is ‘handsome’.
Is there a prefix?
No, there isn’t.
Is there a suffix?
Of course, ‘some’.
‘handsome’
“I hate oily food.”
The adjective is ‘oily’.
Of course.
Is there a prefix?
There isn’t.
Is there a suffix?
Of course.
The ‘y’ is a suffix.
You have the word, the noun, ‘oil’.
And to make it into an adjective you add the
suffix ‘y’.
And finally,
“She is a dishonest woman.”
The adjective is ‘dishonest’, of course.
Do you have a prefix?
We do. Yes.
We have the prefix, ‘dis’.
It shows this woman is not honest, she is
dishonest.
Okay, so that’s how with prefixes and suffixes
we can really transform words in English.
It’s wonderful isn’t it?
There are thousands of prefixes and suffixes.
Again, these are just a few examples.
But I hope you now understand how it works
in English and how you can really transform
and play with the different words and kinds
of words.
Okay, guys. Let’s now review the sentences
together and focus on pronunciation.
Repeat after me, please.
“I have an uncomfortable seat.”
“I have an uncomfortable seat.”
Good job.
Second sentence.
“She has a black car.”
“She has a black car.”
Good.
Keep repeating.
“His father was unhelpful.”
“His father was unhelpful.”
“The actor is handsome.”
“The actor is handsome.”
Good.
Moving on.
“I hate oily food.”
“I hate oily food.”
And finally.
“She is a dishonest woman.”
“She is a dishonest woman.”
Excellent guys.
Okay, guys.
Thank you for watching this video.
I hoped this helped you understand a bit more
about prefixes and suffixes in English.
Keep practicing.
It takes practice to get better identifying
prefixes and suffixes, but I’m sure you
can do it.
Make sure you watch the video as I continue
talking about adjectives in English.
Thank you.
Thank you guys for watching my video.
I hoped this help you.
If you liked the video, please show me your support.
Click ‘like’, subscribe to the channel,
put your comments below if you have some,
and share it with your friends.
See you.