Affix facts for kids

An affix is a special part that you can add to a word to change its meaning or how it's used in a sentence. Think of it like a building block that helps create new words or change existing ones. Affixes are an important part of grammar, which is the set of rules for how we use language.

Affixes can be placed in different spots around a word:

What is an Affix?

An affix is a small piece of a word that can't stand alone. It always needs to be attached to a main word, called a "root" or "stem." When an affix joins a root word, it can change the word's meaning, its job in a sentence (like changing a verb into a noun), or even its tense. For example, adding "un-" to "happy" makes "unhappy," which means the opposite.

Prefixes

A prefix is an affix that you add to the beginning of a word. Prefixes change the meaning of the word they are attached to.

• Examples:
  • anti-climax: "anti-" means against, so an anticlimax is the opposite of what you expect.
  • re-write: "re-" means again, so to rewrite means to write something again.
  • un-happy: "un-" means not, so unhappy means not happy.
  • dis-agree: "dis-" means not or opposite, so disagree means not to agree.
  • pre-view: "pre-" means before, so a preview is a look at something before it's fully shown.

Suffixes

A suffix is an affix that you add to the end of a word. Suffixes can change the meaning of a word, but they often change the word's part of speech (like turning a verb into an adjective) or its grammatical form (like making a word plural or showing past tense).

• Examples:
  • climactic: The suffix "-tic" changes the noun "climax" into the adjective "climactic."
  • walked: The suffix "-ed" changes the verb "walk" to show past tense.
  • cats: The suffix "-s" makes the noun "cat" plural.
  • happiness: The suffix "-ness" changes the adjective "happy" into the noun "happiness."
  • teacher: The suffix "-er" changes the verb "teach" into the noun "teacher," meaning someone who teaches.

Infixes

An infix is an affix that is placed inside a word or root. Infixes are very rare in English. You might hear them in very informal or playful language.

• Example:
  • The "m" in recumbent. This is an older example.
  • In very informal speech, you might hear words like "fan-bloody-tastic," where "bloody" acts like an infix.

Interfixes

An interfix is an affix that connects two words or parts of a word. It often helps words flow better when they are put together. These are also not very common in English, but they exist.

• Examples:
  • sun n sand: The "n" is a shortened form of "and" that connects "sun" and "sand."
  • editor-in-chief: The "in" connects "editor" and "chief" to form a single title.

See also

In Spanish: Afijo para niños