Prefix · negation / opposition
Negates or reverses meaning: disagree, disconnect, disappear, dishonest.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Dis- comes from Latin dis- (apart, in a different direction). It does two jobs. The first is to mark active opposition: not just failing to do something, but rejecting it or going against it. The second is to undo or separate what was joined. With adjectives and nouns it does something simpler: it negates the quality.
All three are negative prefixes with different tendencies. Dis- is common with Latin or French-origin words and suggests active opposition or separation. Un- is most common with Anglo-Saxon roots and is more neutral (unhappy, undo). In- also goes with Latin words but signals a more inherent absence (incorrect, invisible). Many words only accept one of these three, so a dictionary check is always the safest step.
Attach directly in front of verbs, adjectives, and nouns:
No spelling change to the root. Pronunciation is always /dɪs/, with a short "i" as in "this." Dis- does not combine freely with every verb: "disgo" is not a word.
dis-/dɪs/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"Disrespect" is a noun (lack of respect) or a verb (to treat without respect). The adjective is "disrespectful."
You cannot create "disgo" or "dislive." Check that the result is a real English word before using it.
A trick to remember it
Picture a switch turning off whatever follows: dis- + agree = you switch off agreement (you disagree). dis- + connect = you switch off the connection.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What is the main difference between dis- and un- as negative prefixes?
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
"Her parents ___ of her decision to drop out of university and travel abroad."
The prefix dis- negates or reverses meaning: disagree, disconnect, disappear, dishonest.
The prefix dis- is pronounced /dɪs/. For example, "disagree".
"agree" becomes "disagree". It is a typical example of the dis- prefix.
un-, re-, pre-, dis-, over-, in-... every beginning you need to unlock thousands of English words at once.