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Are There Any Rules For Using Prefixes?

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    Yes, there are, although some things about prefixes are quite arbitrary. Unfortunately the commonest prefixes of all, un- and in- , are interchangeable and just have to be learnt.
    Otherwise, there are some helpful rules, mainly about negative prefixes:
    ir- appears only before words beginning with "r" (regular, relevant)
    il- is before "l" (legal, legitimate)
    im- is before "m" or "p" (immeasurable, impossible)
    A note of caution, though; while the above prefixes can only be used with the letters shown, the letters themselves are often used with other prefixes (unreliable, unlawful, unpatriotic)
    mis- always has the sense of a mistake being made (misunderstand, misfire)
    dis- has the sense of change or difference rather than absence/lack, e.g. "dissatisfied" means that you're not happy with the quality of something that you've got, whereas "unsatisfied" suggests a lack of something. (If you're dissatisfied with your restaurant meal you complain; if unsatisfied, you order more.)
    With most other prefixes, it's not so much a question of rules as of learning their meanings: pre- means before, post- after, and so on.
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    Wordy  

    answered 3 years ago

    In relation to in- as a prefix for words beginning with 'l'....which you suggest should take 'il'...
    I believe this should be corrected to read, "words beginning with 'le', eg legitimate, legal, will take il- as the prefix. Other words beginning with 'l' but followed by a vowel other than 'e' take 'un' as the prefix (eg.unladylike, unlifelike, unloving, unlucky).
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    Paulaw

    Paulaw

    commented 1 week ago

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