ENGLISH

Meaning: The basic meaning of "anti" is "against". Be careful - in other languages, "anti" still keeps its original meaning, "before", but not in English!

Pronunciation: Some people pronounce "anti" as "ant - I" but others pronounce it as "ant - ee". The second pronunciation is more common in North America, but both are acceptable.

Example 1: "antisocial" describes a person who is not friendly. "He has been very antisocial since his wife died two years ago".

Example 2: "antislavery" describes the efforts of people to fight against using other humans as slaves. "The antislavery movement was an effort by many people to end slavery in the 19th century".

Example 3: "antiwar" means to be against a war or against all wars. "Antiwar protesters went to Washington to persuade the President to stop sending soldiers abroad".

Other useful words:

antibacterial - kills bacteria

antispam software - stops junk email

antonym - an opposite word

antibiotic - a kind of medicine

antifreeze - stops car engines from freezing in winter

antibody - something that fights disease in the human body

Learn English Prefix 2:

"Bi-" or "Bin-"

Meaning: Both "bi-" and "bin-" mean "two".

Pronunciation: "Bi-" is often pronounced the same as "bye" but the "i" sound is sometimes pronounced as the "i" in "bit" or "sit". "Bin-" can also be pronounced both ways but is usually pronounced as in "bit" or "sit".

Example 1: A "bicycle" has two wheels.

Example 2: A person who is "bilingual" can speak two languages fluently.

Example 3: "Binoculars" are a set of two "glasses" that we use to see things that are far away.

Example 4: Computers use a "binary" system, with just two numbers, "zero" and "one", expressing every other possible number and letter.

Other useful words:

bifocals - glasses with two lenses

bigamy - describes a man with two wives

biannually - two times a year

biped - describes animals that walk on two feet (humans, for example)

binomial - a mathematical equation with two parts

(but NOT "biology" which is based on the root "bio" or "life".)

Learn English Prefix 3:

"di -" or "du-"

Meaning: "Du-" and "di-" have the same meaning as "bi-" and "bin-" in the last lesson. Both mean "two".

Pronunciation: "Du-" is always pronounced like the English word "do" while "di-" is usually pronounced "die".

Example 1: A "duo" is a team made of just two people.

Example 2: To "duplicate" something means to copy it, in other words, to make a second one.

Example 3: The chemical word "dioxide" describes an element that includes two oxygen atoms.

Other useful words:

duplicity - lying (saying one thing, but meaning a second thing)

a duel - a fight between two men

duet - two people singing together

dialogue - a talk between two people

dissect - to cut something into two parts, to cut something open

diverge - when a road goes off in two different directions

(but NOT "diary" which has the root "dia" meaning "day".)

Learn English Prefix 6:

"un-" or "uni-"

Meaning: Both "un-" and "uni-" mean "one".

Pronunciation: The "u" in both "un-" and "uni-" is pronounced like the word "you" (just like the letter "U"!).

Example 1: A "unique" person or thing is one that is different from any other in the world. "I really like our teacher, Joe. I think he is truly unique!".

Example 2: A "unit" of a book, especially of a textbook, is one part of that book. "Please open your books to unit 3".

Example 3: A "university" is a place where we can learn all of the knowledge of the world in one place.

Other useful words:

unity or united - all together as one

a unicycle - like a bicycle but with only one wheel

universe - the whole of space, including every planet and star

unilateral - when one country acts without the cooperation of any other country

unanimous - when all people agree as one group

uniform (adj.) - when everything is done in the same way

uniform (noun) - when everyone wears the same clothes

Learn English Prefix 7:

"Semi-", "Demi-" or "Hemi-"

Meaning: These three prefixes all mean "half".

Pronunciation: "Semi" is either pronounced as "semee" or as "sem-I" while "demi" is normally pronounced as "demee" and "hemi" is pronounced with a short "i" as in "middle".

Example 1: A "semicircle" is half of a circle. "We sat in a semicircle as we listened to the teacher talk".

Example 2: A "demigod" is someone who is so famous or so loved that he or she is almost like a god (or half a god!).

Example 3: The Earth can be divided into two "hemispheres", the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. "Our brain has two hemispheres, the left being very logical and the right being more creative".

Other useful words:

semiannual - something that happens every six months

semisweet - used to describe bitter chocolate

a semester - half of a year at a university

a semicolon - a dot over a comma ;

Learn English Prefix 8:

"pre-" or "pro-"

Meaning: These two prefixes mean "before" or "forward".

Pronunciation: "Pre-" is usually pronounced with a long "e" as in "see". "Pro-" can be pronounced with a long "o" as in "no" or "slow", but sometimes it is pronounced "a" as in "father". (For example, in the noun "progress".)

Example 1: Of course, a "prefix" is part of word added before another word! "We can make many new words by adding prefixes at the beginning."

Example 2: When we do something before an event so that bad things won't happen, we call it a "precaution". So we can say, "Keeping extra food and water at home is a precaution in case we have a terrible storm this winter".

Example 3: The word "proceed" means "to move forward". "If we finish step one of our project, we can then proceed to step two".

Other useful words:

to precede - when something happens before another event

a precedent - an example from before, often used in law

predict - to guess what will happen in advance

preexist - to be alive before something else

progress (noun - pronounced PROgress) - good changes that have been made

to progress (verb - pronounced proGRESS) - to make good changes

probable - much more than "maybe"

to probe - try to find out

to process (pronounced PROcess) - to change something or make it ready for something

to proclaim - to say something out loud

a proclamation - something important that is said out loud

to procure - to get or to buy

to profess - to say loudly or openly

Learn English Prefix 8:

"pre-" or "pro-"

Meaning: These two prefixes mean "before" or "forward".

Example 1: Of course, a "prefix" is part of word added before another word! "We can make many new words by adding prefixes at the beginning."

Example 3: The word "proceed" means "to move forward". "If we finish step one of our project, we can then proceed to step two".

Other useful words:

to precede - when something happens before another event

a precedent - an example from before, often used in law

predict - to guess what will happen in advance

preexist - to be alive before something else

progress (noun - pronounced PROgress) - good changes that have been made

to progress (verb - pronounced proGRESS) - to make good changes

probable - much more than "maybe"

to probe - try to find out

to process (pronounced PROcess) - to change something or make it ready for something

to proclaim - to say something out loud

a proclamation - something important that is said out loud

to procure - to get or to buy

to profess - to say loudly or openly

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