Prefix · without / not / absence of
From Greek "a-/an-" (without, not): negates the root that follows, as in amoral (without morals) or atypical (not typical).
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
This prefix comes from Greek and means "without" or "lack of". It is spelled a- before a consonant and an- before a vowel, which makes it easier to say. It removes the idea of the word that follows completely: it is not "a little less", it is "none of that".
Choosing between the two works like the articles a and an: use a- before a consonant sound and an- before a vowel sound. Do not confuse this prefix with ab-, which means "away from". If you can swap the start of the word for "without", you are looking at a- or an-.
A- (before consonants) and an- (before vowels) negate the root completely:
Use "an-" before vowels: anonymous (an- + onym = without name), anaerobic (an- + aerobic = without air/oxygen). Use "a-" before consonants: amoral, atypical, asymmetric. The pattern mirrors the English articles "a" vs "an."
a-/an-/ə/ or /æn/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"Amoral" does not mean "a moral" (one moral). The Greek prefix "a-" is bound — it attaches directly to a root and changes its meaning to "without/not." Context makes the distinction clear: "a book" vs "amoral behavior."
A trick to remember it
Picture crossing the word out with a line: a-/an- erases the meaning of what follows. atypical = you cross out "typical" and get "not typical".
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What is the key difference between "immoral" and "amoral"?
The prefix a-/an- from Greek "a-/an-" (without, not): negates the root that follows, as in amoral (without morals) or atypical (not typical).
The prefix a-/an- is pronounced /ə/ or /æn/. For example, "amoral".
"moral" becomes "amoral". It is a typical example of the a-/an- prefix.
un-, re-, pre-, dis-, over-, in-... every beginning you need to unlock thousands of English words at once.