Lesson 32a, prefixes mis-, dis-, un-, re-, pre-
Happy Families (Go Fish) Game of Prefixes and Suffixes
This game practices five prefixes learned in this lesson (mis-, dis-, un-, re-, pre-) plus seven suffixes
from earlier lessons (-s, -ly, -ful, -less, -es, -n’t, -ing). There is one family of four cards for each
prefix and suffix.
Preparation: Cut out and glue the cards onto heavy paper; lamination is optional. (You can now buy
pre-cut card-sized lamination pockets with rounded corners!)
To play: Review the meaning of the suffixes and prefixes in the game. Shuffle the cards. Deal each
player four cards and put the remaining pile of cards face down in the middle. Players try to
assemble families of four cards by asking the other player(s) for the card they want by name
(example: “Do you have ‘pack - repack.’ from the ‘re-’ (which means ‘again’) family?”) If the player
gets what s/he requested, she gets another turn. If not, the other player says, “No, Go Fish,” and
the first player draws a card from the pile. Lay down each family of four cards as it is assembled;
the learner should explain the meaning of the suffix or prefix, then read the 4 pairs of words and
state their meanings. Play until all the cards are laid out in families. The player with the most
families wins. (Try to let the learner outsmart you.)
re- re- re-
pack - repack use - reuse fill - refill
use - reuse pack - repack pack - repack
fill - refill fill - refill use - reuse
sell - resell sell - resell sell - resell
re- dis- dis-
sell - resell connect – disconnect ability - disability
pack - repack ability - disability connect - disconnect
use – reuse respect - disrespect respect - disrespect
fill - refill like – dislike like – dislike
© Fern Levitt, 2009
Lesson 32a, prefixes mis-, dis-, un-, re-, pre-
dis- dis- un-
like – dislike respect- disrespect wise - unwise
ability - disability ability - disability like - unlike
connect - disconnect connect - disconnect well - unwell
respect - disrespect like – dislike do - undo
un- un- un-
like – unlike well - unwell do - undo
well - unwell wise - unwise wise - unwise
do - undo like - unlike like - unlike
wise - unwise do - undo well - unwell
mis- mis- mis-
fit - misfit use – misuse print - misprint
use - misuse print - misprint use – misuse
print - misprint behave – misbehave behave – misbehave
behave - misbehave fit - misfit fit - misfit
© Fern Levitt, 2009
Lesson 32a, prefixes mis-, dis-, un-, re-, pre-
mis- -ful -ful
behave – misbehave care - careful hope – hopeful
use - misuse hope - hopeful use - useful
print - misprint use - useful help – helpful
fit - misfit help - helpful care - careful
-ful -ful -less
tired - tireless
use - useful help – helpful
friend - friendless
hope - hopeful hope - hopeful
hope - hopeless
help – helpful use - useful
care - careless
care - careful care - careful
-less -less -less
friend - friendless hope - hopeless care - careless
tired - tireless tired - tireless tired - tireless
hope - hopeless friend - friendless friend - friendless
care - careless care - careless hope - hopeless
© Fern Levitt, 2009
Lesson 32a, prefixes mis-, dis-, un-, re-, pre-
-ly -ly -ly
sad - sadly stiff – stiffly safe – safely
stiff - stiffly safe - safely happy – happily
safe - safely happy – happily sad - sadly
happy - happily sad - sadly stiff - stiffly
-ly pre- pre-
happy - happily prepare predict
sad - sadly predict prefix
stiff - stiffly prefix pre-pack
safe - safely pre-pack prepare
pre- pre- -es
prefix pre-pack dress - dresses
pre-pack prepare pass - passes
prepare predict box - boxes
predict prefix fix - fixes
© Fern Levitt, 2009
Lesson 32a, prefixes mis-, dis-, un-, re-, pre-
-es -es -es
pass – passes box – boxes fix - fixes
box - boxes pass - passes pass - passes
fix - fixes fix - fixes box - boxes
dress - dresses dress - dresses dress - dresses
-s -s -s
ball - balls cut – cuts sing – sings
cut - cuts ball - balls ball - balls
sing - sings sing - sings cut - cuts
plant - plants plant - plants plant - plants
-s -n’t -n’t
plant - plants do – don’t have – haven’t
ball - balls have – haven’t are – aren’t
cut - cuts are – aren’t is – isn’t
sing - sings is – isn’t do – don’t
© Fern Levitt, 2009
Lesson 32a, prefixes mis-, dis-, un-, re-, pre-
-n’t -n’t -ing
are – aren’t is – isn’t run - running
have – haven’t have – haven’t stand - standing
is – isn’t are – aren’t come - coming
do – don’t do – don’t travel - traveling
-ing -ing -ing
stand – standing come - coming travel – traveling
come - coming stand - standing stand - standing
travel – traveling travel – traveling come - coming
run - running run - running run - running
© Fern Levitt, 2009
