What are affixes?

Affixes are linguistic elements added to a root word to modify its meaning or grammatical function. They include both prefixes, which are placed at the beginning of a root word, and suffixes, which are added to the end. For instance, in the word "unhappiness," "un-" is a prefix that negates the meaning of "happy," while "-ness" is a suffix that turns the adjective "happy" into a noun.

Recognizing that affixes are not interchangeable with vowel combinations or types of root words is important. While vowel combinations refer to specific pairings of vowels that might change pronunciation or meaning (such as in diphthongs), and root words represent the core components of words to which affixes can attach, affixes themselves specifically refer only to prefixes and suffixes used to modify root words. Therefore, understanding affixes as a critical part of word formation aids in decoding and constructing language effectively.