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      Spelling words with the prefixes "dis-", "non-", "mis-" and "un-"

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can change the meaning of a word by adding the prefixes dis-, non-, mis- and un-.

      Key learning points

      1. A prefix is a letter or group of letters at the start of a word which creates another word.
      2. un-, non-, dis- and mis- can be added to the beginning of a word without changing the spelling of the root word.
      3. The prefixes un-, non- and dis- usually mean not.
      4. The prefix mis- usually means wrongly.
      5. How to spell the curriculum word: question.

      Keywords

      • Root word - the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes

      • Prefix - a letter or group of letters added to the start of a root word to change its meaning

      Common misconception

      Children can often misspell words with prefixes as they spell them how they sound.

      Help children to recongise when a word has a prefix and use that to support this with spelling, e.g. the prefix mis- has one 's'.

      Teacher tip

      There is a lot of vocabulary within the lesson. Ensure the children understand the meaning of words used by saying them in full sentences. This supports them to be able to hear what 'sounds right' when choosing the correct prefixes.

      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).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is the missing word? A __________ is a letter or group of letters at the start of a word which creates another word.

      suffix
      Correct answer: prefix
      affix
      capital letter

      Q2.
      Match the words to its synonym or meaning.

      Correct Answer:friendly,kind

      kind

      Correct Answer:usual,normal

      normal

      Correct Answer:appear,visible

      visible

      Correct Answer:honest,trustworthy

      trustworthy

      Q3.
      Which words contain the prefix 'un-'?

      Correct answer: unzip
      sunny
      Correct answer: unhealthy
      fun

      Q4.
      Match the words that have the same root word.

      Correct Answer:unhealthy,healthy

      healthy

      Correct Answer:untie,tie

      tie

      Correct Answer:unfair,fair

      fair

      Q5.
      Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'He felt unhelfy because he had sat on the sofa all day!'

      unhealfy
      Correct answer: unhealthy
      unhelthy
      unhelthee

      Q6.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'He was so hungry, but the chips were still uncookt.'

      uncookt
      Correct answer: unncooked
      uncooked
      uncookd

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Fill in the missing word. The prefixes' un-', 'non-' and 'dis-' usually mean __________.

      under
      Correct answer: not
      wrongly

      Q2.
      Fill in the missing word. The prefix 'mis-' usually means __________.

      before
      Correct answer: wrongly
      under

      Q3.
      Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'The magician made the rabbit dissapeer!'

      dissappear
      dissapear
      Correct answer: disappear
      disapear

      Q4.
      Choose the correct spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'The little puppies would sometimes missbehayv.'

      missbehayv
      missbehave
      misbehaiv
      Correct answer: misbehave

      Q5.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'I tried not to mispel the words.'

      Correct Answer: misspell

      Q6.
      Correct the spelling of the word in bold in the following sentence: 'You shouldn't eat too much unhelfy food.'

      Correct Answer: unhealthy

      To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Spelling words with the prefixes "dis-", "non-", "mis-" and "un-", download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...