Negative Prefixes in-, im-, un-, and dis-

In English, we can often add negative prefixes to adjectives and verbs to reverse their mean. There are rules that dictate which prefix we need to add, but they are very complex and there are many exceptions. The most efficient way to learn these is to memorize the words that these prefixes go with.

Here are some common adjectives, along with a synonym and the correct negative prefix for each one. Take a moment to read over the list:

negative prefixes in, im, un, and dis

Practice Exercise 1 – Write the correct prefixes.

Practice Exercise 2 – Select the correct answer.