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, which is exactly how strong readers attack big words.
Free printable PDF, aligned to Common Core L.4.4.b. One skill per page, answer key on page two.
Every sheet is one of a kind and prints with a version code, so you can reprint the exact same one later. New version every click.
The kind of sentences you'll get
Circle the letter of the word with the correct prefix.
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The scientists will ______ the fossil today.
disexamine · unexamine · reexamine
Answer: reexamine
- The ______ trail made us check the map twice. unfamiliar · disfamiliar · refamiliar
- The billboard letters were ______ on purpose so drivers could read them. undersized · oversized · resized
Every print draws a fresh mix of sentences at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different sheet.
What's on each sheet
- Choose the word. Circle the letter of the word with the correct prefix. 10 questions per page.
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.
Related worksheets
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Aligned to Common Core L.4.4.b. Reviewed by the One More Sheet curriculum team. Content version 68, updated July 2026.