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Prefixes & Suffixes (Grades 3-5)
Free Printable Prefix and Suffix Worksheets (Grades 3-5)
Twenty prefixes and twenty suffixes unlock thousands of words nobody will ever teach directly. These sheets cover finding the base word, what each part means, building words from parts, and the three spelling changes that catch everyone out.
Prefixes and Suffixes - Grades 3-5
Finding the base word
1.What is the base word in darkness - the word left when you take the ending off the back?
2.What is the base word in payment - the word left when you take the ending off the back?
3.What is the base word in quickly - the word left when you take the ending off the back?
4.What is the base word in hopeless - the word left when you take the ending off the back?
What a prefix means
5.What does the prefix mid- mean?
6.What does the prefix non- mean?
7.What does the prefix im- mean?
What a suffix means
8.What does the suffix -ology mean?
9.What does the suffix -ish mean?
10.What does the suffix -less mean?
Building words from parts
11.Build the word from these parts: tall + -est.
12.Build the word from these parts: tall + -est.
13.Build the word from these parts: care + -ful.
Reading a word you have never seen
14.You have probably never been taught unusable. Work it out from its parts. What does it mean?
15.You have probably never been taught overheated. Work it out from its parts. What does it mean?
16.You have probably never been taught nonrenewable. Work it out from its parts. What does it mean?
Spelling changes when you add an ending
17.What happens to the spelling when you add -ing to run?
18.What happens to the spelling when you add -ed to care?
19.What happens to the spelling when you add -ing to hope?
Answer Key
1.dark
2.pay
3.quick
4.hope
5.the middle of
6.not, the opposite of
7.not, the opposite of
8.the study of
9.somewhat like
10.without
11.tallest
12.tallest
13.careful
14.not able to be used
15.heated too much
16.not able to be made new again
17.The last consonant doubles
18.The silent e drops off
19.The silent e drops off
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Frequently asked questions
Are these prefix and suffix worksheets free?
Yes - view, print, and share every sheet for free, with no account and no signup.
Do they include an answer key?
Every worksheet has a full answer key at the bottom of the page.
What grades are these prefix and suffix worksheets for?
They are designed for grades 3 to 5.
Does my child need to read the questions alone?
No. Print it and read the instructions aloud if that is what the sheet needs - at these ages the point is the skill, not whether they can decode the directions.
Can I get a different worksheet?
Yes - click “Generate a new sheet” and a fresh set of problems (with a matching answer key) is created instantly.
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