Words with un-, dis-, in-, im- and non-
Key Notes :-
Prefix: un-
Definition: The prefix “un-” means “not” or “opposite of”. It is added to the beginning of a word to create its opposite meaning.
Key Points:
- “Un-” changes a word’s meaning to indicate the absence or negation of a quality.
- Commonly used to describe something that is not or the opposite of what the root word describes.
Examples:
- Unhappy: Not happy.
- Undo: To reverse what has been done.
- Unclear: Not clear or difficult to understand.
- Unfold: To open or reveal something.
How to Identify: Look for the prefix “un-” at the beginning of a word to find out if it means “not” or “opposite of.”
Prefix: dis-
Definition: The prefix “dis-” means “not” or “opposite of”. It indicates a negation or reversal of the meaning of the root word.
Key Points:
- “Dis-” implies lack of or contrary to the root word’s meaning.
- Used to indicate a reversal of action or state.
Examples:
- Disagree: Not agree; have a different opinion.
- Disappear: To become invisible or go away.
- Dislike: To not like.
- Dishonor: To fail to show respect.
How to Identify: Check if “dis-” is in front of the root word to see if it means “not” or “reverse.
Prefix: im-
Definition: The prefix “im-” means “not” and is similar to “in-”. It is used with words that start with “m” or “p” to indicate negation.
Key Points:
- “Im-” is used to negate words and often has the same meaning as “in-”.
- Typically found with words starting with “m” or “p.”
Examples:
- Impossible: Not possible.
- Impolite: Not polite.
- Impatient: Not patient.
- Immature: Not mature or grown up.
How to Identify: Look for “im-” before words with “m” or “p” to determine if it means “not.
Prefix: non-
Definition: The prefix “non-” means “not” or “without”. It is used to negate or indicate that something does not have a specific quality.
Key Points:
- “Non-” indicates the absence of something or a lack of a particular quality.
- It is used to describe something that is not or without a characteristic.
Examples:
- Nonfiction: Not fiction; based on real events.
- Nonstop: Without any stops or interruptions.
- Nonchalant: Not showing concern or enthusiasm.
- Nonsense: Something that does not make sense.
How to Identify: Find “non-” at the beginning of the word to see if it means “not” or “without”
Prefix: in-
Definition: The prefix “in-” often means “not” or “into”. It changes the meaning of a word to indicate negation or movement inward.
Key Points:
- “In-” can mean “not” or “inside”, depending on the word.
- Most commonly used to negate or show that something is not.
Examples:
- Incomplete: Not complete.
- Incapable: Not able to do something.
- Inactive: Not active or not working.
- Insert: To put something into something else.
How to Identify: Determine if “in-” is changing the meaning to “not” or referring to something going “inside.”
How to Identify Words with the Prefixes “un-”, “dis-”, “in-”, “im-”, and “non-”
Prefix: un-
Meaning: The prefix “un-” means “not” or “opposite of”.
How to Identify:
- Look for the prefix “un-” at the beginning of a word.
- It is used to reverse or negate the meaning of the root word.
Examples:
- Unhappy: Look for “un-” to see that it means “not happy.”
- Undo: Look for “un-” to see that it means “reverse what was done.”
- Unclear: Look for “un-” to see that it means “not clear.”
Tip: If the word starts with “un-”, check if the word means the opposite or negation of the root word.
Prefix: dis-
Meaning: The prefix “dis-” means “not” or “opposite of”.
How to Identify:
- Look for the prefix “dis-” at the beginning of a word.
- It often suggests a reversal of action or state.
Examples:
- Disagree: Look for “dis-” to see that it means “not agree.”
- Disappear: Look for “dis-” to see that it means “go away.”
- Dislike: Look for “dis-” to see that it means “not like.”
Tip: If the word starts with “dis-”, check if the word means the opposite or negation of the root word.
Prefix: in-
Meaning: The prefix “in-” can mean “not” or “into”.
How to Identify:
- “In-” can have different meanings depending on the context. Most commonly, it means “not.”
- Look at the root word to see if “in-” changes the meaning to “not” or indicates an action of “entering.”
Examples:
- Incomplete: Look for “in-” to see that it means “not complete.”
- Insert: Look for “in-” to see that it means “put into something.”
- Inactive: Look for “in-” to see that it means “not active.”
Tip: Determine if “in-” negates the meaning of the root word or if it refers to entering or including.
Prefix: im-
Meaning: The prefix “im-” means “not” and is used with words that start with “m” or “p.”
How to Identify:
- Look for “im-” before words starting with “m” or “p”.
- “Im-” changes the meaning to “not” or negates the quality described by the root word.
Examples:
- Impossible: Look for “im-” to see that it means “not possible.”
- Impolite: Look for “im-” to see that it means “not polite.”
- Impatient: Look for “im-” to see that it means “not patient.”
Tip: If you see “im-” at the beginning of a word with “m” or “p”, check if it means “not.”
Prefix: non-
Meaning: The prefix “non-” means “not” or “without”.
How to Identify:
- Look for the prefix “non-” at the beginning of a word.
- It indicates the absence of something or the lack of a particular quality.
Examples:
- Nonfiction: Look for “non-” to see that it means “not fiction.”
- Nonstop: Look for “non-” to see that it means “without stopping.”
- Nonchalant: Look for “non-” to see that it means “without concern.”
Tip: If the word starts with “non-”, it usually means “not” or “without.”
Fun Facts
- “Un-” is used in many everyday words like unhappy, which means “not happy.”
- “Dis-” can be traced back to Latin where it meant “apart” or “away from.”
- “In-” and “im-” are versatile prefixes that often mean “not” and are used to create the opposite of a word.
- “Non-” is a straightforward prefix that means “not” and is used to indicate that something lacks a certain quality.
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