Year 6 · SPaG · Spring: Vocabulary
Year 6 prefixes and suffixes worksheet and PowerPoint
To understand how prefixes and suffixes change a word, and to add them with correct spelling.
Prefixes and suffixes
A prefix is added to the start of a word and changes its meaning. A suffix is added to the end and often changes the word class. Take care: the spelling of the root word can change.
| prefixes | un- not, re- again, mis- wrongly, over- too much, inter- between, anti- against |
|---|---|
| suffixes | -ful full of, -less without, -ness state, -able can be, -ly in a way that is |
| y → i | happy + ness = happiness |
| drop the e | fame + ous = famous |
| double the letter | run + er = runner |
Examples
- unhappy, rewrite, misspell
- careful, kindness, famous
Key words
- prefix
- added to the start of a word
- suffix
- added to the end of a word
- root word
- the word you start with
- derived word
- a word made by adding a prefix or suffix
What is on the worksheet
Every sheet for this lesson has a short teaching box and 12 questions that get gradually harder: 8 fluency questions, then 4 reasoning questions that ask pupils to explain or choose. A writing challenge follows. The questions use the same styles as the key stage 2 grammar and punctuation test (circle, underline, tick, fill the gap, add punctuation, rewrite, explain). They are written for this website, not copied from past papers.
All the answers are on the last page of the same editable Word file. New questions are made every time, so you can print a different sheet for every group or for homework. The same sheet code always gives the same sheet.
Writing challenge: Choose ten root words and make as many new words as you can with prefixes and suffixes. Write a short meaning for each new word.
Pupil target: I can add prefixes and suffixes correctly.
The PowerPoint
A 20-slide lesson deck for the same lesson: a starter that revisits earlier learning, key words, an I do and a You do question on each slide with a countdown timer, answers that appear one click at a time, and a challenge. Download the prefixes and suffixes PowerPoint.
Where this lesson fits
This is lesson 51 of 72 in the Year 6 SPaG scheme, in the Spring term, block “Vocabulary”. It is taught before the SATs grammar test in May.
Other lessons in this block
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