How it works
This suffix word search printable opens on 16 words built with -ful, -less, -ness and -ment: Hopeful, Careless, Kindness and Payment among them. Each meaning ends with the base word and its suffix. Twelve more lists sort 198 words by suffix or prefix.
Read the full guide
A list for each suffix
Under Start from a list, Suffix -ful has Thoughtful, Plentiful and Respectful; Suffix -less has Effortless, Countless and Wireless; Suffix -ness has Happiness, Loneliness and Forgiveness; Suffix -ment has Enjoyment, Achievement and Measurement.
Prefix lists
For a prefix word search printable, pick Mixed Prefixes, or one prefix at a time: Prefix un- (Unlock, Unequal), Prefix re- (Rebuild, Recycle), Prefix pre- (Preheat, Prehistoric) and Prefix mis- (Misspell, Misunderstand). Follow it with the prefixes and suffixes worksheets.
- Under More options, tick Show clues, not words: pupils read "Without fear; brave (fear + less)" and hunt for Fearless.
- Eight clues note a spelling change: happy and ness make Happiness, plenty and ful make Plentiful.
- Short Prefix Words has 18 words of 4 or 5 letters, such as Undo, Redo and Reuse.
Questions and answers
What is a suffix?
A suffix is a word part added to the end of a word to form a new word, such as -ness in kindness. A prefix is added to the front of a word, as un- is in unlock.
What do the suffixes -ful and -less mean?
The American Heritage Dictionary gives -ful as full of, as in playful, and -less as without or lacking, as in blameless. Careful and careless are opposites built on one base word.
What do the suffixes -ness and -ment mean?
The suffix -ness means a state, quality or condition, as in brightness. The suffix -ment means an action or process, or its result, as in advancement. Both make nouns: kindness from kind, payment from pay.
What do the prefixes un-, re-, pre- and mis- mean?
Un- means not, as in unhappy, or reverses an action, as in unlock. Re- means again, as in rebuild. Pre- means before, as in prehistoric. Mis- means bad or wrong, as in misspell.