NY Times Mini
NY Times Crossword
NY Times Wordle
NY Times Connections
NY Times Connections Sports Edition
NY Times Strands
NY Times Spelling Bee
Word Salad
Contexto
Blossom
Betweenle
Conexo
Bracket City
Anagram Solver
Scrabble Word Finder
Words With Friends Word Finder
Play Zorzzle
Browser Extension
What Are Prefixes and Suffixes?
Prefixes are word parts added to the beginning of a word. They change its meaning.
Example: UN + HAPPY = UNHAPPY.
Suffixes are word parts added to the end of a word. They change its form or function.
Example: GO + ING = GOING.
Why Prefixes and Suffixes Matter in Scrabble and Words With Friends
Prefixes & Suffixes Help You Build Longer Words and Score Big
Prefixes and suffixes help you extend short base words using just a few tiles, especially handy when working off words already on the board.
Examples:
RE + COVER + ABLE → RECOVERABLE
UN + PRO + NOUN + CE + ABLE → UNPRONOUNCEABLE
Master Hooks: Easy Points with Just One Letter
A hook is a single letter added at the start or end of a word to form a new one. Mastering these gives you quick points with minimal effort.
Suffix hooks: S, D, Y, and more
- DOG + S → DOGS
- LOVE + D → LOVED
- CLOUD + Y → CLOUDY
Prefix hooks: B, G, C, I, O, etc
- B + RAKE → BRAKE
- G/C/I/O + RATE → GRATE/CRATE/IRATE/ORATE
- B/G + RACE → BRACE/GRACE
Many one-letter hooks work especially well with words that start with R, giving you quick ways to form stronger, higher-scoring plays.
Unlock BINGOs with Smart Word Building
A bingo is when you use all 7 tiles on your rack in one play. Prefixes and suffixes help you build them by breaking down long words into familiar chunks.
Spot common affixes early and rearrange your rack around them to reduce the number of tiles you need to unscramble.
Example:
DEELAGN on your rack, with an open R on the board.
First, look for familiar prefixes and suffixes. Here, EN is a common prefix, and ED is a common suffix. If you rearrange your rack into EN + LAG + ED, you’ve made the middle part easier to visualize. You can now connect LAG to the R spotting LARGED and also add the prefix EN to form ENLARGED, a valid bingo.
In this case, ENLARGED also happened to cover two double-letter squares, turning it into a high-impact move worth 90 points in one turn.
Spotting and rearranging prefixes and suffixes isn't just a word-building trick; it’s what makes these big plays possible. Don't stop at the usual suspects like -ED, -ER, -ABLE, -LY, -ING. Train your brain to notice less common but equally useful endings like -ATE, -ASE, -ORE, -OSY, -UM. The more pieces you recognize, the faster you’ll unlock the big scores.
More Bingo Examples Using Common Bingo Stems:
- TRINEEU → rearranged → REUNITE
- TENISTA → rearranged → INSTATE
- TIVAPER → rearranged → PRIVATE
Score More with Parallel Plays
Long words with prefixes and suffixes can also help you create parallel plays, stacking words to form multiple new ones at once.
Example:
Here's how one smart move can rack up major points.
You start with a tricky rack: O, U, E, D, I, S, T (a vowel-heavy mix that seems hard to work with). But by spotting the prefix OUT, you set it aside and rearrange the rest: OUT + EDIS. That reveals the bingo OUTSIDE.
Now look at the board. There are open spots just beneath the word REMIX. By playing OUTSIDE, you also create two new words across:
- IO (a valid 2-letter word in International Scrabble, worth 2 points)
- XU (a high-scoring word, worth 10 points)
Total score: 73 points for one move. That includes the bingo bonus and points from OUTSIDE, IO, and XU.
It all comes down to smart rack management: identifying a common prefix ( OUT), rearranging the remaining letters, and finding the best place on the board to maximize your score.
💡 Tip: Prefixes vs Suffixes
Suffixes tend to be more common than prefixes in English. They help form tenses, comparatives, adverbs, and descriptive words, making them a key strategy for flexible, high-scoring plays.
Power Prefixes & Super Suffixes: Word-Boosting Building Blocks
Prefixing and suffixing aren’t just grammar school basics, they’re real power tools in Scrabble, Words With Friends, and anagram games. These small word parts can unlock big plays, extend short words, and help you score higher with fewer tiles. Let’s break down the most common ones.
Most Common Prefixes
| 2-Letter Prefixes | 3-Letter Prefixes | 4-Letter Prefixes |
|---|---|---|
| RE | OUT | OVER |
| IN | SUB | |
| UN |
And here’s how they boost your score:
- RE (2 points) + MIXED (15/16 points) = REMIXED (17/18 points)
- IN (2–3 points) + EXACT (14/15 points) = INEXACT (16/18 points)
- UN (2–4 points) + HAPPY (15 points) = UNHAPPY (17/19 points)
Small addition, big payoff.
Most Common Suffixes
Suffixes are more frequent in English and super useful for transforming words (verbs into adjectives, nouns into adverbs, and everything in between).
| 2-Letter Suffixes | 3-Letter Suffixes | 4-Letter Suffixes |
|---|---|---|
| LY | ING | ABLE |
| ES | EDS | |
| ER |
And here’s how they work in action:
- SIZE + ABLE = SIZEABLE (noun to adjective)
- LIMIT + EDS = LIMITEDS (verb to past participle plural—valid in some word lists)
- QUIET + LY = QUIETLY (adjective to adverb)
💡 Tip
Spotting these building blocks can make all the difference. Learn to scan your rack for common prefixes and suffixes—they're often the key to turning a near-miss into a high-scoring play.
📄 Download a printable list of the most common prefixes and suffixes
Double-Duty: Words with Both Prefix & Suffix
When you add both a prefix and a suffix, you stretch a base word in both directions, maximizing points, board coverage, and your chances of hitting premium squares.
Examples:
- RE + SEARCH + ABLE = RESEARCHABLE
- IN + EXACT + LY = INEXACTLY
- OVER + DO + ER = OVERDOER
More Prefixes to Supercharge Your Word Game
Here's a handy table of common prefixes grouped by their starting letter and length to help you learn and spot them faster.
| Starting Letter | 2-Letter Prefixes | 3-Letter Prefixes | 4-Letter Prefixes | 5-Letter Prefixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | – | ANTI-, ANTE-, AUTO- | – | – |
| B | BE-, BY- | BIO- | BACK- | – |
| C | CO- | COM-, CON- | – | – |
| D | DE- | DIS-, DYS- | DOWN- | – |
| E | EM-, EN-, EX- | EPI- | – | – |
| F | – | FOR- | FORE- | – |
| I | IM-, IN- | ISO- | INTER- | – |
| M | – | MID-, MIS- | MONO- | MEGA- |
| N | – | NEO-, NON- | – | – |
| O | OB-, ON- | OFF-, OUT- | OVER- | – |
| P | – | PAR-, PER-, PRE-, PRO- | POST- | – |
| R | RE- | – | – | – |
| S | – | SUB- | SEMI-, SIDE- | SUPER- |
| T | – | TOP-, TRI- | TELE- | – |
| U | UN-, UP- | – | UNDER- | – |
📄 Download a printable list of all common prefixes
Opposite Prefixes to Help You Learn Faster
Some prefixes naturally come in pairs; learning one can help you remember the other! Here are common opposites that not only boost your memory but also double your chances of making plays.
| Prefix | Opposite | Meaning / Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| ANTE- | POST- | Before vs. After |
| BACK- | FORE- | Behind vs. Ahead |
| IN- | OUT- | Inside vs. Outside |
| ON- | OFF- | Activated vs. Deactivated |
| OVER- | UNDER- | Above vs. Below |
| PRE- | POST- | Earlier vs. Later |
| PRO- | CON- | For vs. Against |
| SUB- | SUPER- | Below vs. Above |
| UP- | DOWN- | Ascending vs. Descending |
🔚 Common Suffixes
Suffixes are your best friends in Scrabble and Words With Friends, they help form plurals, change word forms, and unlock big points. Here's a breakdown by letter and length to boost your suffix savvy.
| Starting Letter | 2-Letter Suffixes | 3-Letter Suffixes | 4-Letter Suffixes | 5-Letter Suffixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | -AL | -AGE, -ANA, -AND, -ANE, -ANT, -ARY, -ASE, -AUX | -ABLE, -ACLE, -ALLY, -ANCE | – |
| B | – | -BOY | -BACK, -BALL, -BELL, -BOOK | – |
| D | – | -DAY, -DOM | – | – |
| E | -ED, -EE, -ER, -ET | -EAU, -ENT, -ERY, -ESS, -ENCE | -ELLA, -ETTE | – |
| F | – | -FUL | -FORM | -FULLY |
| G | – | – | – | -GENY |
| H | – | – | -HEAD, -HOOD | – |
| I | – | – | – | – |
| K | – | -KIN | – | – |
| L | -LI | -LET | -LAND, -LESS, -LIKE, -LINE, -LING, -LONG | – |
| M | – | -MAN, -MEN | – | – |
| N | – | – | -NESS | – |
| O | -OL, -OR | -OES, -OID, -OMY, -ORY, -OSE, -OUR, -OUS, -OUT | – | – |
| R | – | – | -ROOM | – |
| S | – | -SES, -SIS | -SHIP, -SIDE, -SION, -SOME | – |
| T | – | – | -TION | – |
| U | -UM, -UP | – | – | – |
| W | – | -WAY | -WISE, -WOOD | – |
📄 Download a printable list of all common suffixes
Want to get better at word games?
Whether you're playing Scrabble, Words With Friends, solving anagrams, or tackling crosswords, there's always something new to pick up. Check out our other articles for simple tips and tricks to help you score more, spot words faster, and have more fun while you're at it.
Need help finding the best plays? Try our Word Finder tools: