Word Formation with Prefixes: dis- and mis-

 

Explain Prefixes:

Prefix Meaning Example Meaning of the New Word
dis-     not, opposite of            disagree not agree
mis-       wrong, badly           misunderstand understand wrongly

Words with prefix „dis-„

Word Example Sentence
disagree I disagree with your opinion.
disappear The cat disappeared behind the curtain.
disapprove His parents disapprove of his lifestyle.
disconnect Please don’t disconnect the charger!
dishonest I don’t trust him – he seems dishonest.
disobey He disobeyed the rules and got punished.

disorder                                                        The patient was diagnosed with a mild anxiety disorder.

Words with prefix „mis-„

Word Example Sentence
misunderstand I’m sorry, I misunderstood your instructions.
mislead The news report misled the public.
misbehave She often misbehaves in class.
misplace I must have misplaced my keys somewhere.
misspell It’s common to misspell long scientific terms.
misinform The website misinformed readers about the event details.

miscalculate                              I miscalculated the budget, so we are short of money this month.

EXERCISE: Fill in the correct word (B2 level)

Use the base word in brackets and add mis- or dis- where appropriate.

  1. The politician was accused of __________ the public. (lead)
  2. It’s hard to trust someone who is __________. (honest)
  3. I think you completely __________ what I meant. (understand)
  4. My phone __________ during the call. (connect)
  5. She was fired for __________ the company rules. (obey)
  6. I accidentally __________ my passport at the airport. (place)
  7. He didn’t get the job because of his __________ with the manager. (agree)
  8. You should never __________ a child, even if they are wrong. (trust)
  9. The newspaper article was full of __________. (inform)
  10. She’s known for her __________ behaviour during meetings. (behave)

ANSWER KEY

  1. misleading 2. dishonest 3.misunderstood 4.disconnected 5.disobeying 6.misplace 7.disagreement 8.distrust      9. misinformation 10. misbehaving

 

WF – prefixes dis- and mis-