A prefix is something you add to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. Mis- is a prefix of Germanic origin that is means bad or wrong.
When you see the prefix mis- at the beginning of a word, it's a sign that whatever is being indicated in the base word is wrong or being done badly. You can use this knowledge as a clue to work out the new word’s meaning. For example: to misbehave means to badly behave or misinformation means wrong information.
Can you work out what is being done wrong or badly in the words in this list? How many other mis- words can you think of?
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misunderstanding |
Confusion can lead to misunderstanding.
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mistake |
Mispronunciation is making a mistake in how you say a word.
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mishap |
A mishap is a mistake.
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misplace |
Freya was worried she would misplace her trumpet on the music trip.
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misbehave |
Do not misbehave in class.
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mislead |
The statement was not intended to mislead.
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misread |
I misread my lines in the school play.
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misspell |
Many words are easy to misspell.
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misuse |
Do not misuse the computers in lessons.
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mishear |
Did you mishear me?
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* This sentence was added by a Spellzone user.
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