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Tips, insights, and updates about English learning
uni-, bi-, tri-, multi-: Learn 10 Words at Once with Number Prefixes (Word Decomposition Series)
English has a group of prefixes that "know how to count": uni- means one, bi- means two, tri- means three, and multi- means many. Remember these little switches, and words like bicycle, triangle, and multimedia will easily unlock in clusters. This article will help you memorize 10 words from the number prefix family in groups, and even includes tips so you'll never confuse bi- and semi- again.
un-, in-, im-, dis-: 4 Negative Prefixes to Master Antonyms in One Go (Word Breakdown Series)
Learn just one negative prefix, and you can instantly add a whole list of antonyms to your vocabulary. This article will help you understand how to use and spell un-, in- (including im-, il-, ir-), and dis-, plus give you a paired-memorization method so you can learn two at a time, like happy→unhappy and possible→impossible.
pre- (Before), post- (After), re- (Again): Expand a Whole Batch of Vocabulary at Once with 'Directional Prefixes'
The beginnings of many long words actually hide a sense of direction like 'before, after, above, below, between, again'. By learning these eight directional prefixes—pre-, post-, re-, sub-, super-, inter-, over-, and under-—you can instantly guess the meanings of words like preview, postpone, and rebuild when you see them. This is the fourth article in the 'Learning Vocabulary by Deconstructing Words' series, complete with a handy directional comparison chart you can save.