Elementary School Reading Quiz: Decode Words With Prefixes And Suffixes
20 questions · exam conditions
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Decode Words With Prefixes And SuffixesQuestion 1 of 20

Read the word: replay. What does re- mean in this word?

before
small
not
again
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Elementary School Reading Quiz

Elementary School Reading Quiz: Decode Words With Prefixes And Suffixes

Practice Decode Words With Prefixes And Suffixes in Elementary School Reading with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Decode Words With Prefixes And Suffixes, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Elementary School Reading.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Read the word: replay. What does re- mean in this word?

  1. before
  2. small
  3. not
  4. again (correct answer)
Explanation: The prefix re- means again, so replay means to play again. That is why again is correct. Before is the meaning of a prefix like pre-, not re-. Small is not a meaning connected to this prefix at all. Not is the meaning of a prefix like un-, so it does not match re- either.

Question 2

Read the word parts. What word is made when you add [un] to [safe]?

[un] + [safe] =  
Meaning: not safe

  1. unsafe (correct answer)
  2. safed
  3. safety
Explanation: We are learning about prefixes. When we add 'un' to 'safe', we get 'unsafe'. The prefix 'un' means 'not', so unsafe means not safe.

Question 3

Read the word parts: [care] + [less] = careless. What does careless mean?​

  1. full of care
  2. without care (correct answer)
  3. care again
Explanation: We are learning about suffixes. The suffix -less means without something. When you are careless, you are without care.

Question 4

Read the word parts: [un] + [lock] = unlock. What does unlock mean?

  1. to lock again
  2. to not lock (correct answer)
  3. to lock
Explanation: We're learning about prefixes. The prefix 'un-' means 'not' or 'opposite.' So unlock means to NOT lock something.

Question 5

Read the word parts: [care] + [less] = careless. What does -less mean?

  1. full of
  2. without (correct answer)
  3. again
Explanation: We're learning about suffixes. The suffix '-less' means 'without' or 'not having.' Careless means without care.

Question 6

Read the word parts: [re] + [read] = reread. What does reread mean?

  1. to read before
  2. to not read
  3. to read again (correct answer)
Explanation: We're learning about prefixes. The prefix 're-' means 'again.' So reread means to read something again.

Question 7

Look at the word redo. What does the beginning re- mean?

  1. again (correct answer)
  2. not
  3. before
Explanation: We are learning about prefixes. The prefix 're-' means to do something again. When you 'redo' something, you do it again.

Question 8

Look at the word jumping. What does the ending -ing mean?

  1. happening now (correct answer)
  2. already happened
  3. more
Explanation: We are learning about word endings. The ending '-ing' tells us something is happening right now. 'Jumping' means you are jumping now.

Question 9

Add the prefix un- to the word lock. What new word is formed?

  1. unlock (correct answer)
  2. relock
  3. locked
  4. locks
Explanation: Adding the prefix un- to lock forms the word unlock, which means to open something that was locked. Relock is not formed by adding un-, since re- is a different prefix. Locked is formed by adding -ed, not un-. Locks is formed by adding -s, not un-. Knowing how prefixes like un- change a word's meaning helps readers build new words.

Question 10

Read the word unsafe. What does the beginning un- mean?

  1. again
  2. before
  3. not (correct answer)
Explanation: We are learning about prefixes. The prefix 'un-' means 'not.' When something is 'unsafe,' it is not safe.

Question 11

Read the word parts: [quick] + [ly] = quickly. What does quickly mean?​

  1. in a quick way (correct answer)
  2. not quick
  3. more quick
Explanation: We are learning about suffixes. The suffix -ly tells how something is done. Quickly means in a quick way.

Question 12

Look at the word parts: [teach] + [er] = teacher. What does -er mean here?

  1. showing more of something
  2. something that happened already
  3. not the case at all
  4. a person who does something (correct answer)
Explanation: Adding -er to teach makes teacher, which means a person who teaches. Showing more of something is the meaning of -er in a word like faster, not here. Something that happened already describes the ending -ed, not -er. Not the case at all describes a prefix like un-, not the ending -er.

Question 13

Read the word parts. What word is made when you add [-ly] to [quick]?

[quick] + [ly] =  
Meaning: in a quick way

  1. quick
  2. quickest
  3. quickly (correct answer)
Explanation: This is about making adverbs. When we add '-ly' to 'quick', we get 'quickly'. It tells how something is done in a quick way.

Question 14

Look at the word parts. What does the ending [-ed] mean in [play] + [ed] = played?

  1. happening now
  2. more than
  3. already happened (correct answer)
Explanation: This is about suffix meanings. The ending '-ed' tells us something already happened. If you played yesterday, it already happened.

Question 15

Read the word: unlock. What does the beginning [un] mean in unlock?

  1. again
  2. not or opposite (correct answer)
  3. before
Explanation: We are learning prefix meanings. The prefix 'un' means 'not' or 'opposite'. Unlock means the opposite of lock.

Question 16

Read the word: played. What is the base word in played?

  1. play (correct answer)
  2. played
  3. pla
Explanation: We are finding base words. The base word is the main word without any endings. In 'played', the base word is 'play'.

Question 17

Look at the word: helpful. What is the base word?

  1. help (correct answer)
  2. helpful
  3. ful
Explanation: We're finding the base word. A base word is the main word without any parts added. In helpful, the base word is 'help.'

Question 18

Look at the word parts: [un] + [safe] = unsafe. What does un- mean?

  1. again
  2. not (correct answer)
  3. before
  4. a person who
Explanation: This question tests 2nd grade ability to decode words with prefixes and suffixes (CCSS.RF.2.3.d). Prefixes are word parts added to the beginning; suffixes are word parts added to the end. The prefix un- means 'not' or the opposite of something. When you add it to a base word like safe, which means protected from harm, unsafe means not safe or in danger. Choice B is correct because un- means not, and in unsafe, un- is added to the beginning of safe to change its meaning to the opposite. Choice A is incorrect because it confuses un- with re-, which means again; this error happens when students mix up similar-looking prefixes. To help students, use visual breakdowns with color coding like [un] in red + [safe] in blue = unsafe, and teach prefix meanings explicitly with charts showing un- = not, using familiar base words like happy to make unhappy. Practice covering up the prefix to reveal the base word, and watch for confusion between prefixes like un- and re-.

Question 19

Read the word parts: [un] + [safe] = unsafe. What does un- mean?​

  1. not (correct answer)
  2. again
  3. more
Explanation: We are learning about prefixes. The prefix un- means not. When something is unsafe, it is not safe.

Question 20

Read the word parts: [re] + [play] = replay. What does re- mean?​

  1. not
  2. again (correct answer)
  3. before
Explanation: We are learning about prefixes. The prefix re- means to do something again. When you replay a game, you play it again.