4th grade prefixes worksheets

By 4th grade the set expands to non-, over-, under-, in-, and im-, and the bases get longer: incomplete, overestimate, indecipherable. The skill matures from memorizing prefixes to weighing which one the sentence actually needs.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.4.4.b.

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The kind of sentences you'll get

Circle the letter of the word with the correct prefix.

  1. The runt of the litter looked next to its brothers. undersized · oversized · presized

    Answer: undersized

  2. The flight to Dallas is . misstop · nonstop · unstop
  3. Wear an beneath your jersey. overshirt · undershirt · reshirt

Every print pulls a fresh set of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Push into contrast pairs: overpaid against underpaid, overcooked against undercooked. When two opposite prefixes both make real words, the answer lives entirely in context clues, which is the reading skill the standard is really after. Invite skepticism, too: ask whether uncle, under, or invent actually contain prefixes.

Watch for: A prefix changes meaning, not spelling: the base word keeps all its letters (re + read = reread). Not every word that starts with those letters has a prefix. Uncle isn't un + cle.

Common questions about prefixes

What's new about prefixes in 4th grade?
Opposite pairs and longer bases. Over- and under- both attach to paid, cooked, and estimate, so students must weigh the sentence's evidence. The in-/im- family (incorrect, impossible, impatient) also arrives, with its spelling quirk of im- before p.
Why is it im-possible but in-complete?
English borrows the rule from Latin: in- shifts to im- before p, b, or m because it's easier to say. Impossible, imbalance, immovable. Kids don't need the history, but noticing the pattern beats memorizing word by word.

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Aligned to Common Core L.4.4.b. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.

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