• 99 words
  • Checked October 2026

Prefix Spelling Word List

Eleven prefixes, nine words each: pick a prefix, then print its list or hear it read aloud.

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The 9 words of this list. Add or change any. For your own list, press Clear first.

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List 1: un- (unhappy)

Words to learn. Read each word, cover it, write it, then check it.

  1. 1.unhappyThe unhappy toddler wanted a nap.
  2. 2.unlockThe code will unlock the bike chain.
  3. 3.unfairThe players thought the call was unfair.
  4. 4.unplugPlease unplug the toaster.
  5. 5.unclearThe directions were unclear.
  6. 6.unequalThe two piles of blocks are unequal.
  7. 7.unfinishedMy model plane is still unfinished.
  8. 8.unlikelyA tie game seemed unlikely.
  9. 9.uncommonSnow is uncommon in this valley.

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All 99 words

List 1: un- (unhappy) 9

  • unclear The directions were unclear.
  • uncommon Snow is uncommon in this valley.
  • unequal The two piles of blocks are unequal.
  • unfair The players thought the call was unfair.
  • unfinished My model plane is still unfinished.
  • unhappy The unhappy toddler wanted a nap.
  • unlikely A tie game seemed unlikely.
  • unlock The code will unlock the bike chain.
  • unplug Please unplug the toaster.

List 2: re- (refill) 9

  • rebuild We will rebuild the sandcastle tomorrow.
  • reconnect The cousins reconnect at the reunion each July.
  • redo I had to redo the first problem.
  • refill Please refill the water pitcher.
  • reopen The library will reopen on Monday.
  • replay We watched the replay of the goal.
  • reprint The shop will reprint the torn poster.
  • reset Press the button to reset the timer.
  • restart We had to restart the level after the tie.

List 3: dis- (dislike) 9

  • disagree The two judges disagree about the score.
  • disappear The stars disappear at sunrise.
  • disapprove My parents disapprove of late bedtimes.
  • disbelief The crowd gasped in disbelief.
  • discolor Sunlight can discolor the old photos.
  • discomfort Tight shoes cause discomfort.
  • discontinue The shop will discontinue that flavor.
  • dislike I dislike soggy cereal.
  • displease Muddy footprints displease the janitor.

List 4: mis- (misspell) 9

  • miscalculate If we miscalculate, the shelf will not fit.
  • miscount Did we miscount the chairs?
  • mishear I sometimes mishear song lyrics.
  • mislabel The shop tried not to mislabel any jars.
  • misplace I misplace my keys almost every day.
  • mispronounce Many visitors mispronounce the name of our town.
  • misquote Reporters try not to misquote people.
  • misread It is easy to misread a blurry sign.
  • misspell Even adults misspell the word rhythm.

List 5: pre- (preschool) 9

  • precut The kit came with precut wooden shapes.
  • preheat Mom will preheat the oven for the pie.
  • preorder We can preorder the book today.
  • prepay Campers prepay for the canoe rental.
  • prerecord The band will prerecord the song.
  • preschool The preschool has a tiny garden.
  • preseason The coach posted the preseason schedule.
  • preset The radio has a preset for each station.
  • preview The preview showed only the dragon's tail.

List 6: non- (nonsense) 9

  • nonexistent The shortcut on the old map was nonexistent.
  • nonfat She poured nonfat milk on her cereal.
  • nonfiction Her nonfiction report was about volcanoes.
  • nonprofit The nonprofit group cleans the river.
  • nonsense The poem is full of playful nonsense.
  • nonslip The tub has a nonslip mat.
  • nonstick Eggs slide right off the nonstick pan.
  • nonstop It rained nonstop for two days.
  • nonverbal A wave is a nonverbal hello.

List 7: over- (overlook) 9

  • overdue The train was an hour overdue.
  • overflow The sink began to overflow.
  • overgrown An overgrown hedge hid the gate.
  • overhead A banner hung overhead in the gym.
  • overheat The engine may overheat on the hill.
  • overlap The two circles overlap in the middle.
  • overload Six backpacks would overload the little wagon.
  • overlook It is easy to overlook a small typo.
  • overtake The red car tried to overtake the bus.

List 8: under- (understand) 9

  • undercover The undercover detective wore a wig.
  • underdog Everyone cheered for the underdog.
  • undergo The old bridge will undergo repairs.
  • underground The rabbits rested in their underground den.
  • undergrowth A rabbit darted into the undergrowth.
  • underline I underline new words in green.
  • undersea The film shows an undersea volcano.
  • underside Moss grew on the underside of the log.
  • understand Dogs understand many hand signals.

List 9: sub- (subway) 9

  • subdivide We subdivide the garden into four beds.
  • subgroup Each subgroup made its own poster.
  • submarine The submarine crew looked through a periscope.
  • subplot The movie has a funny subplot about a dog.
  • subset Even numbers are a subset of whole numbers.
  • subsoil The roots reached down into the subsoil.
  • subtitle The book has a long subtitle.
  • subtopic Each paragraph covers one subtopic.
  • subway The subway map has six colored lines.

List 10: in- (incorrect) 9

  • inaccurate The old map is inaccurate.
  • incapable The tiny boat was incapable of crossing the bay.
  • incomplete My sticker album is still incomplete.
  • incorrect The date on the flyer was incorrect.
  • indirect The lamp gives soft, indirect light.
  • inexact The guess was close but inexact.
  • inexpensive The kite was inexpensive.
  • infrequent Buses are infrequent on Sundays.
  • invisible The spider's thread was nearly invisible.

List 11: im- (impossible) 9

  • imbalance The wobbly cart had an imbalance in its load.
  • imperfect My imperfect stitches still hold the button.
  • impersonal The printed letter felt impersonal.
  • impolite It felt impolite to leave early.
  • impossible The knot seemed impossible to untie.
  • impractical White shoes are impractical on a muddy trail.
  • imprecise The old scale gives imprecise weights.
  • improbable A snowstorm in June seemed improbable.
  • impure The sample of gold was impure.

How it works

A prefix spelling word list with one prefix to a list: un-, re-, dis-, mis-, pre-, non-, over-, under-, sub-, in- and im-. Each of the 99 words is a whole word with the prefix in front, as in unlock.

Read the full guide

Spelling words with prefixes, list by list

Lists 1 to 4 are un-, re-, dis- and mis- (unplug, replay, dislike, miscount). Lists 5 and 6 are pre- and non- (preheat, nonstop). Lists 7 to 9 are over-, under- and sub- (overlap, underdog, subway). Lists 10 and 11 are in- and im-, which both mean not (inexact, impure).

Where the prefix meets the word

A prefix is added whole, so no letter is dropped at the join: mis plus spell gives misspell, with both of its s's, and re plus open gives reopen, with no hyphen.

  • Im- comes before b, m and p (imbalance, impure), usually il- before l and ir- before r, otherwise in- (inexact).

Questions and answers

What are easy prefix spelling words?

The first three words of each list: unhappy, unlock and unfair, refill, rebuild and redo, dislike, disagree and disappear. Longer ones, such as mispronounce and miscalculate, close the lists.

Do in- and im- mean the same thing?

Yes: both mean not. The dictionary calls im- a form of in- that is used before b, m and p, which is why it is incorrect and indirect but imperfect and imbalance.

Which word has a double letter where the prefix joins?

Misspell: the s of mis- meets the s of spell, and both stay. It is the only word on the eleven lists where the prefix ends in the letter the base word starts with.

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