New
New
Spelling words with the prefixes co-, pre-, pro- and sus-
I can spell a range of words with the prefixes co-, pre-, pro- and sus-.
Lesson 11 of 12
New
New
- Year 5
Spelling words with the prefixes co-, pre-, pro- and sus-
I can spell a range of words with the prefixes co-, pre-, pro- and sus-.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- A prefix is a letter or group of letters at the start of a word which changes its meaning.
- The prefixes co-, com- and con- mean ‘together’ or ‘with’.
- The prefix pre- means ‘before’ and pro- means ‘ahead’.
- A hyphen can join a prefix to a base word to avoid ambiguity in meaning or spelling.
- How to spell the curriculum words: complete, programme and develop.
Keywords
Prefix - a letter or group of letters added to the start of a root word to change its meaning
Root word - the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes
Hyphen - a hyphen can join a prefix to a base word to avoid ambiguity in meaning or spelling
Common misconception
Children may not remember double letters at the start of some words with prefixes, such as illogical or dissatisfied.
Help the children to see that if they recognise the prefix and the base word, they can work out the spelling of the new word, as prefixes do not change the spelling of the root word.
It may be helpful to display commonly used words using a hyphen to join the prefix, as these can be hard to learn and there isn't a clear rule about when they are used and when they aren't.
Teacher tip
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Select the prefixes.
Select the prefixes.
xyz
-ly
-ful
Q2.What does the prefix inter- usually mean? Example words are 'international' or 'intercity'.
What does the prefix inter- usually mean? Example words are 'international' or 'intercity'.
under or nearly
make the opposite or undo
Q3.What does the prefix bi- usually mean? Example words are 'bicyle' or 'bisect'.
What does the prefix bi- usually mean? Example words are 'bicyle' or 'bisect'.
across
distant
round
Q4.Match the words to their meanings.
Match the words to their meanings.
Q5.Select the correct spelling of the word.
Select the correct spelling of the word.
telavision
telivision
Q6.Select the correct spelling of the word.
Select the correct spelling of the word.
tranzmit
trannsmit
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Select the correct spelling of the word.
Select the correct spelling of the word.
mispell
misspel
Q2.Match the prefix to the word to create real words.
Match the prefix to the word to create real words.
Q3.Select the correct spelling of the word.
Select the correct spelling of the word.
saspence
susspense
Q4.Correct the spelling of the word in bold: Please kowopirate with your partner.
Correct the spelling of the word in bold: Please kowopirate with your partner.
Q5.Correct the spelling of the word in bold: Please pruseed along the corridor.
Correct the spelling of the word in bold: Please pruseed along the corridor.
Q6.Correct the spelling of the word in bold: Please conpleet your work.
Correct the spelling of the word in bold: Please conpleet your work.