A prefix is a group of letters added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. The original word may be recognizable, which is the case in the following examples: 

"Unhappy" means "not happy."

Caption 20, The Alphabet: The Letter U

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The prefix "inter-" means "between" or "among," so "international" refers to being between different nations. "Neo-" means "new," while "proto-" means "first" or "original." 

It was four men from Jamaica who made international headlines.

Caption 5, 16x9 - Cool Runnings: Truth Behind Original Jamaican Bobsled Team

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The palace was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style.

Caption 45, London: City Sights

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We need some sort of 3D prototype.

Caption 29, Apple Advertising: The Underdogs

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In this sentence, "hyper-" means "extra" or "extreme," and "pan" means "all." 

Many millions of years ago, a race of hyperintelligent, pandimensional beings...

Caption 2, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Answer to Life, Universe and Everything

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You may also encounter words with roots that you don't recognize. Here, the prefix "omni-" means "all" and "vore" comes from the Latin word "vorare," which relates to eating or devouring. The prefix "dys" means "bad" or "abnormal," and "lexia" comes from the Greek word for "word." 

Like all bears, the glacier bears are also omnivores.

Caption 60, Nature & Wildlife: Search for the Ghost Bear

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If dyslexia takes over, you are lost in the middle of the ocean.

Caption 24, Movie Trailers: True Spirit

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You may be wondering why some prefixes are followed by a hyphen and others aren't. Generally, a hyphen is used before proper nouns or terms (like "Gothic" above), numbers, or abbreviations. It is also used when the prefix ends with the same vowel that is at the beginning of the main word. Certain prefixes, such as "ex-," "self-," "all-," and "quasi-," are always hyphenated. 

Further Learning
From "anti-" to "super-," you'll find many prefixes on Yabla English. 

Let's talk today about office supplies that we use in the workplace and at school. Some words, like "ballpoint pen," you probably know already, but let's take a look at some items that may be new to your vocabulary.

This is a felt-tipped pen because the tip, the end — usually a small end — is made of felt or something synthetic.

Captions 15-17, Sigrid explains: The Tipping Point

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Felt-tipped pens are also called "marking pens" or "permanent markers." This is because you can write on surfaces like steel or plastic with them and the ink does not rub off. They also often smell bad!

This highlighter is pink, and pink is usually just red and white mixed together,

Captions 31-32, Luana explains: Colors

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A highlighter, also called a "highlighter pen," is often used to mark passages of text in books with bright colors so you can more easily find them again. Since this makes it difficult for someone else to read it later, you may want to consider marking the book lightly with a pencil instead. It's also more environmentally friendly.

The caveman assembles the board with glue.

Caption 5, Caveman Skatetech: Desert

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Glue is a sticky fluid used to fasten objects such as wood and paper together. There are many different kinds of glue for different purposes.

I use a ruler to draw a straight line.

Caption 52, The Alphabet: The Letter U

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A ruler is a straight, flat, and narrow piece of wood, plastic, or metal that you can draw a straight line with, but it usually also has centimeter or inch markings on it so that you can measure something. Builders often use a tape measure, which is much longer than a ruler, and rolls up into a small case that is portable.

Most people think that the pink part of the eraser is for pencil marks.

Captions 36-37, Facts Verse: 10 Things You Did Not Know The Use For

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An eraser is a rubber-like object you use to remove or erase pencil marks.

Further Learning
Go to Yabla English and watch the videos above to get a better overview of the words you just learned. Stay tuned for the last part of our office supplies series next month!