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Primary English · Year 3Chapter 2 · Prefixes and suffixes
Year 3 English · Prefixes and suffixes · Lesson 2.1

Year 3 English: Prefixes un-, dis-, mis- and re-

Part of the Year 3 English prefixes and suffixes chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

2.1

Prefixes un-, dis-, mis- and re-

Year 3
Read and understand new words from a root word and a prefix, Spell words with the prefixes un-, dis-, mis- and re-
Story. Sam is making a poster for the school library. He writes one word wrongly, and Mia helps him fix it. “Do not be upset,” she says. “We can rewrite the line.”

A root word is a word on its own, such as kind or read. A prefix is a group of letters that we add to the start of a root word. A prefix changes the meaning of the word.

The prefix un- usually means not, as in unkind. It can also mean reverse, as in undo.

The prefix dis- means not or the opposite of, as in dislike. The prefix mis- means wrongly, as in misread. The prefix re- means again, as in rewrite.

PrefixWhat it meansExample
un-not, or reverseunkind, undo
dis-not, or the opposite ofdislike, disagree
mis-wronglymisread, mislead
re-againrewrite, reuse
Four prefixes and what each one means.
unkinddislikemisreadrewrite
The shaded letters are the prefix. The rest of the word is the root word.

Key ideas

  • A prefix is added to the start of a root word, and it changes the meaning.
  • Un-, dis- and mis- can be added to a root word that already means something.
  • Re- means again: rewrite means to write again.
  • Misspell has a double s, because the root word spell starts with s.
Worked example 2.1.1
Write the word that means: not kind; unfriendly to others.

Method. Match the meaning to the word, then check its spelling.

  1. Read the meaning. Think about what the clue describes.
    not kind; unfriendly to others
  2. Find the word that matches. Think of the one word with this meaning.
    unkind
  3. Check the spelling. Un- means not, so unkind means not kind.
    Tricky part: un
  4. Write the answer.
    unkind

Check. Read unkind and check each letter against the word. ✓

Watch out. Un- means not, so unkind means not kind.

Worked example 2.1.2
Write the missing word: Please   your story with a happy ending.

Method. Think what the sentence means, then choose the word that fits the gap and its spelling.

  1. Read the sentence with the gap. Think what the sentence means.
    Please ___ your story with a happy ending.
  2. Find the word that fits the meaning. to write something again, to make it better
    rewrite
  3. Put the word in the gap. Read the sentence again. It makes sense.
    Please rewrite your story with a happy ending.
  4. Write the answer.
    rewrite

Check. Read the whole sentence with rewrite in it. ✓

Watch out. Re- means again: rewrite means write again.

Worked example 2.1.3
Write the missing letters:  like

Method. Say the whole word, then fill the box with the tricky letters.

  1. Say the whole word. Read every letter in order.
    dislike
  2. Look at the empty box. The box stands for 3 letter(s) in a row.
    3 missing letter(s)
  3. Write the missing letters. Dis- means not, or the opposite: dislike is the opposite of like.
    dis

Check. Put dis back in the box and read dislike. ✓

Watch out. Dis- means not, or the opposite: dislike is the opposite of like.

Watch out

Watch out: mis- means wrongly. It does not mean missing. To misplace something is to put it in the wrong place, and then lose it.

Exam tip

Grown-up tip. Ask your child to read the root word first, then add the prefix. Ask: does the new word mean the opposite, the same again, or done wrongly? Write each word on a card.

Exercise 2A  Practice: un-, dis-, mis- and re-

1
FWrite the word that means each clue.
(a)Write the word that means: not kind; unfriendly to others.
(b)Write the word that means: to take back what was done, so that it is as it was before.
(c)Write the word that means: to not like something.
(d)Write the word that means: to read something wrongly.
2
FWrite the missing word in each sentence.
(a)Write the missing word: The puppy looked   after its bath.
(b)Write the missing word: Dad will   the shed so we can get the bikes.
(c)Write the missing word: Sam and Mia   about which film to watch.
(d)Write the missing word: The wrong sign would   anyone who followed it.
3
FWrite the missing letters.
(a)Write the missing letters:  honest
(b)Write the missing letters: mi pell
(c)Write the missing letters:  write
4
PSWrite each word correctly.
(a)Ali writes misplase. Write it correctly.
(b)Mia writes reuze. Write it correctly.
(c)Sam writes rebild. Write it correctly.
(d)Ben writes refil. Write it correctly.
5
RBen says that unhappy and dishonest both mean very happy. Is he right? Explain.
6
RWhich word means to write something again: rewrite, misread or undo?
7
PSWrite one sentence with replay, and one with refill. Spell both words correctly.
8
PSSort these words into two lists: unlock, dislike, undo, disagree. Put the words with un- in one list, and the words with dis- in the other.
9
FWrite the missing word: Let us   the best goal from the match.
10
RAli says that the prefix re- means back, so rebuild means to build backwards. Is he right? Explain.

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