Prefixes and Suffixes as Their Own Syllables

Pull off prefixes and suffixes first, then divide the base word that is left.

Many long words are built from a base word plus a prefix at the front or a suffix at the end. Most prefixes and suffixes are their own syllable, so peeling them off first makes the rest easier. Take 'unhelpful'. Peel off the prefix 'un' and the suffix 'ful'. What is left is 'help', a closed syllable. Now read un-help-ful.

Try 'replacement': peel off 're' and 'ment', leaving 'place', a VCe syllable. So it is re-place-ment. Common prefixes include un, re, dis, pre, and mis. Common suffixes include ful, less, ness, ment, and ing. Spotting these chunks is often faster than using the division rules letter by letter.

• 1Peel off prefixes and suffixes before dividing.
• 2Most affixes are their own syllable.
• 3What is left is the base word, often just one syllable.