Prefix · error / incorrectly
Signals doing something incorrectly or badly: misunderstand, mislead, misspell, mistake.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Mis- shows that something was done in an incorrect or mistaken way, or with an error. It almost always points to a failure in carrying out the action: it was not the intention, but it went wrong. The base word does not change: you just attach mis- in front.
Mis- is mostly used with verbs, but it also goes in front of nouns, and it even forms one of the most common words there is: mistake, which literally means "to take something wrongly". If you see mis-, the meaning is almost always "wrongly" or "by mistake". Do not confuse it with miss, the word for missing a target or someone.
Attaches directly to verbs and nouns with no spelling change:
The root never changes, even when it starts with s: misspell (double s). Pronunciation: /mɪs/, with a short "i" as in "this".
mis-/mɪs/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
When mis- precedes a root starting with "s," both letters are kept: mis- + spell = misspell. This is itself one of the most commonly misspelled words in English.
"There was a misunderstanding" is often used diplomatically to describe what was actually a significant conflict or disagreement, not just a small confusion.
A trick to remember it
Picture someone aiming and missing the shot: mis- = "aimed wrong". misunderstand, mislead (guide someone the wrong way).
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The ad was accused of ___ing consumers about the product's real performance."
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
Which sentence uses "misunderstanding" correctly?
The prefix mis- signals doing something incorrectly or badly: misunderstand, mislead, misspell, mistake.
The prefix mis- is pronounced /mɪs/. For example, "misunderstand".
"understand" becomes "misunderstand". It is a typical example of the mis- prefix.
un-, re-, pre-, dis-, over-, in-... every beginning you need to unlock thousands of English words at once.