Part 1: Most Frequently Used English Prefixes
下表列有23个最常见的英语单词前缀。
我们的词典共有84099个各异的单词, 为了探究词典中到底有多少个英语单词在使用这些单词前缀, 以及它们的频率,
我们开发了计算机程序,跑到国际互联网上面, 搜刮了如下的词典:
American Heritage Dictionary, Collins Dictionary, 和
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary.
结果如下:
发现共有7907个各异的基本单词在使用这些前缀, 一个基本单词可使用不同的前缀。一个基本单词若正确地使用了前缀后, 它就变成了词典中的另外的一个单词。
词典中总共有10325个单词使用了这些前缀。
这说明这些前缀可以很有效地把词典中的一个单词扩展成另外一个单词。 扩展率是:
10325/7907 = 1.31
这说明了比如说你已经懂了100个英语单词, 通过使用下表中的前缀, 你就可以马上把你的词汇量扩展了1.31倍! 再加上你原来就懂的100个单词, 你现在的词汇总量就是:
100 + 100 * 1.31 = 231
也就是说你的词汇 总扩展系数 平均是 2.31 !通过学习这些简单的前缀来扩展你的词汇很有效!
但如果你不懂任何英语单词, 那么你的总扩展系数还是0.
正确切分或拆解一个英语单词的第一步就是要正确地认识单词中的前缀和后缀。 更多有用的英语单词前缀和后缀列于第五和第六部分。
Show
Hide
There are 23 most frequently used English prefixes in the table below.
We have a dictionary of 84099 unique English words. To figure out how the prefixes are applied to English words and their frequencies,
we create computer programs to go to the internet to scrub the following three dictionaries:
American Heritage Dictionary, Collins Dictionary, and
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary.
There are 7907 unique basic words to which the prefixes are applied, one basic word may have more than one prefixes applied.
Once a prefix is correctly applied to a basic word in the dictionary, the basic word becomes another word in the dictionary.
The total nubmer of English words that have the prefixes applied is 10325.
This means that the prefixes in the table below can effectively expand some words into some other words in the Dictionary. The expansion ratio is:
10325/7907 = 1.31
which means that if you already know the meanings of 100 words, by applying the prefixes in the table below, then you can instantly expand your
vocabulary by up to 1.31 times on average! Considering that you already know the 100 words, now the size of your vocabulary is 100 + 100 * 1.31 = 231
which means that the grand expansion ratio of your vocabulary by just learning these prefixes is: 2.31 times on average! How effective this is!
However if you know no words, then your grand expansion ratio is still zero.
The first step to correct dissect an English word is to correct recognize the prefix and suffix in it. More useful prefixes and suffixes are given in Part 5 and Part 6.
Note 1: Based on the frequency in the table, you will see that the top five prefixes that are used most frequently are: un-, re-, in-, de- and dis-. (in- also includes il-, im-, and ir)
Note 2: in-, im-, il-, and ir- are equivalent. in- is usually assimilated to il- before l;
before r to ir-; and before b, m, and p to im-. Other examples of assimilation: sample where s is actually ex-;
spend where s is actually ex-; sport where s is actually dis-. Assimilation is just for easy pronunciation.
A great video about phonetic changed
CrazyEnglish Phonetic Change
Note 3: Mankind invents a lot of prefixes or suffixes to describe not or negation: non-, un-, in-, im-, il-, ir-, anti-, de-, dis-, -less
Prefix
|
Meaning |
Example Words |
Frequency |
Used with Greek Root
|
Used with Latin Root
|
anti- |
against |
antisocial,
antifreeze
|
98 |
anti-
|
anti-
|
de- |
opposite |
defrost, decompress |
1110 |
|
de-
|
dis- |
not, opposite of |
disagree, dissimilar |
820 |
dis-
|
dis-
|
em- |
cause to |
embrace |
133 |
em-
|
em-
|
en- |
cause to |
encode, endear |
453 |
en-
|
en-
|
fore- |
before |
forecast,
forewarn
|
133 |
|
|
il- |
not |
illegal, illogical |
45 |
|
il-
|
im- |
not |
impossible,
impolite
|
357 |
|
im-
|
in- |
in |
infield, infiltrate
|
1004 |
|
in-
|
in- |
not |
injustice |
1004 |
|
in-
|
inter- |
between |
interact,
international
|
259 |
|
inter-
|
ir- |
not |
irreparable |
97 |
|
ir-
|
mid- |
middle |
midway, midsummer |
50 |
|
|
mis- |
wrongly |
misfire, misconduct |
365 |
mis-
|
mis-
|
non- |
not |
nonsense, nonexistent |
33 |
|
non-
|
over- |
over |
overlook, overcharge
|
563 |
|
|
pre- |
before |
prefix, prehistoric |
319 |
|
pre-
|
re- |
again, back |
return |
1878 |
|
re-
|
semi- |
half |
semicircle, semiannual
|
30 |
|
semi-
|
sub- |
under |
submarine,
subsoil
|
236 |
|
sub-
|
super- |
above |
superstar, superimpose |
98 |
|
super-
|
trans- |
across |
transport, transoceanic |
127 |
|
trans-
|
un- |
not |
unfriendly, unhappy |
1885 |
|
un-
|
under- |
under |
undersea |
232 |
|
|
For how to apply these prefixes, please see:
Part 4: An Algorithm for the Conversions of Parts of Speech and Negation of English Words