Page 1 of 4
Look at unpack
- unpack
- unhappy
- unlock
Un means not, or the opposite.
To unpack is to take things out.
Get Ready
A small part at the front can change what a word means.
Words to know
- prefixA small part at the front of a word. It changes what the word means.
Learn It
Page 2 of 4
Here is re
- rebuild
- redo
- reread
Re means again.
The tower fell down. Ana will rebuild it.
Page 3 of 4
And pre
- preheat
- prepay
Pre means before.
We preheat the oven. It gets hot before the cookies go in.
Page 4 of 4
Is a word left?
- unhappy
- uncle
Cover the un. Is a real word left?
Unhappy leaves happy. Yes!
Uncle leaves cle. That is not a word.
Your Turn
Answer each question in the yellow box.
Question 1 of 8
What does unpack mean?
Question 2 of 8
Which word has un as a front part?
Question 3 of 8
Sam was unhappy. How did Sam feel?
Question 4 of 8
Mom will prepay for the tickets. When does she pay?
Question 5 of 8
Which word means "do again"?
Question 6 of 8
Maya will reread the book. What will she do?
Question 7 of 8
Which word has a front part you can take off?
Question 8 of 8
We preheat the oven. What does that mean?
What You Learned
- un means not, like unhappy.
- re means again, like redo.
- pre means before, like preheat.
- Cover the front part. A real word should be left.
For the grown-up
A prefix is a chunk like a syllable, but it carries meaning, so it helps with the word and its sense at once. un- means not or the opposite, re- means again, pre- means before.
The check matters: what is left must be a real word. Uncle is not un + cle, and under is not un + der.
When you meet a new un-, re- or pre- word together, cover the front and ask what is left.