A phonetic English logo beside the brand name in markup in white color

Making English Decodable

What if every English word told you exactly how to say it?

Fonetic English adds pronunciation, syllable breaks, and stress to standard spelling — without changing a single letter. Developed with Professor John Sweller. Backed by seven research frameworks. Used by tutors, schools, and ESL colleges worldwide.
See How It Works →
Learn in Minutes ▶

Prefixes and Suffixes

Fo√ne…tic √Ēng…lish marks syllable boundaries in words, which makes prefixes and suffixes easy to spot visually. The vocabulary tool includes courses that teach the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes. This is important because a student who knows a root word and understands common prefixes and suffixes can infer the meaning of many words they have never seen before. This reduces the total number of words that need to be learned by around 30%.

See How It Works →
Learn in Minutes ▶

Prefixes and Suffixes

Fo√ne…tic √Ēng…lish marks syllable boundaries in words, which makes prefixes and suffixes easy to spot visually. The vocabulary tool includes courses that teach the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes. This is important because a student who knows a root word and understands common prefixes and suffixes can infer the meaning of many words they have never seen before. This reduces the total number of words that need to be learned by around 30%.

A prefix is added to the start of a word and changes its meaning. A suffix is added to the end of a word. The prefix re- means again, so redo means do again. The suffix -ion turns a verb into a noun, so act becomes action.

Fewer words to learn

A student who knows a root word and the common prefixes and suffixes can work out the meaning of many words without being taught them. A student who knows act, and knows that re- means again and -ion turns a verb into a noun, can work out what reaction means.

A0 to B2 contains about 6,700 words. A student who learns the A0 to B2 prefixes and suffixes has about 4,700 root words to learn. Learning the prefixes and suffixes reduces the number of words to learn by around 30%.

Prefixes and suffixes are easy to see in Fonetic English

Fonetic English marks the syllable breaks in every word. A prefix or suffix is usually its own syllable, so the prefix or suffix stands out from the root word.

What each lesson teaches

The student chooses a level and their own language, then chooses a lesson such as UP-, DIS- or -ING. Each lesson gives:

  • the type, such as prefix or suffix
  • the category, such as direction or negation
  • the meaning
  • a learning tip
  • example words and sentences in Fonetic English

Every line of the lesson can be played. The student can record their own pronunciation and compare it with the reference.

Prefixes & Suffixes. Choose the level and the student’s language from the two dropdowns at the top, then choos
Prefixes & Suffixes. Choose the level and the student’s language from the two dropdowns at the top, then choose a prefix or suffix lesson.
A prefix lesson for UP-: its type, category, meaning and a learning tip, then examples. Every line can be play
A prefix lesson for UP-: its type, category, meaning and a learning tip, then examples. Every line can be played and recorded.

Practice what you have learned

Each lesson ends with questions on the meaning of the prefix or suffix, such as “What does DIS- mean in disappear?” Each question has a strategy tip. A wrong answer turns red and a hint appears, and the student tries again. A student cannot move on without choosing the right answer.

For tutors

Tutors can set prefix and suffix lessons as homework alongside vocabulary. A student who learns the prefixes and suffixes early meets fewer new words in vocabulary and in the eReader.