Prefixes and suffixes

Prefixes and suffixes can help you understand a word. They give you important information about the word.
 
Some prefixes give adjectives the opposite meaning:
    un- happy - unhappy  
    im- possible - impossible
    dis- satisfied - dissatisfied
    ir- regular - irregular
    il- legal - illegal

Other prefixes make a word negative:
    anti- social - antisocial
    non- profit - non-profit

Suffixes can tell you what type of word it is, e.g. nouns often end in -ment (enjoyment), -ness(happiness) or -ion (education). Here are some common suffixes for nouns.
    -ment - management / arrangement
    -ism - racism / communism
    -ness - happiness / sadness
    -ship - friendship / relationship
    -er/-or - director / teacher
    -tion - communication / education

  Common suffixes for verbs:
    -ate - create / activate
    -ify - verify / solidify
    -ise/-ize - authorise / categorise

Common suffixes for adjectives:
    -able - reliable / capable
    -al - accidental / universal
    -ful - helpful / wonderful
    -ous/-ious - dangerous / nervous / religious
    -ive - creative / sensitive