What does the prefix tele- mean?
Tele- comes from the Greek tele, which means "far" or "at a distance". It shows that something is done or happens from far away. The central idea is always "across distance".
ESEN
Prefix · at a distance / far
tele-
Signals action or communication at a distance: television, telephone, telescope, telework.
Scientific
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Tele- in the digital age
Today tele- keeps growing: digital technology widened its reach to include any service or communication done remotely, like working, having a medical appointment or attending a meeting without being in the same place. If you see tele- next to an everyday activity, think: "it is done from a distance".
How it is used
Attaches to nouns and verbs:
- tele- + communicationphone → telephonevision → televisiongraph → telegraphconference → teleconference
- tele- + instrument/remote actionscope → telescopework → teleworkcommute → telecommutehealth → telehealth
Pronunciation: /ˈteli/, with a short "e." In British informal English, "telly" = the television.
How it is pronounced
tele-/ˈteli/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
Examples
Root word
With tele-
In a phrase
- visiontelevisionTelevision changed how people received news and entertainment.
- phonetelephoneShe preferred to discuss important matters over the telephone.
- scopetelescopeThe astronomer used a telescope to observe Saturn's rings up close.
- graphtelegraphBefore telephones, the telegraph sent messages across continents in minutes.
- workteleworkMillions began to telework from home for the first time during the pandemic.
- conferenceteleconferenceThe board held a teleconference with offices in five countries.
- pathtelepathyScientists have found no reliable evidence for telepathy.
Common mistakes
telescope and microscope do the same thing — both use "scope"
telescope = for viewing distant objects; microscope = for viewing very small objects
"Tele-" + scope = see objects far away (stars, planets). "Micro-" + scope = see objects too small for the naked eye (cells, bacteria). The prefix completely determines the function of the optical instrument.
television = only the physical screen
television can refer to the appliance, the medium of communication, or the industry
"Television" means: (1) the physical device (the television = the TV set); (2) the medium (television has changed journalism); (3) the industry (she works in television). Context determines the meaning.
A trick to remember it
Think of television and telephone, which bring something from far away: tele- = far. telescope, telepathy.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"During the pandemic, millions of people began to ___ from home for the first time in their careers."
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What is the difference between "telescope" and "microscope"?
Frequently asked questions
What does the prefix tele- mean in English?
The prefix tele- signals action or communication at a distance: television, telephone, telescope, telework.
How do you pronounce tele-?
The prefix tele- is pronounced /ˈteli/. For example, "television".
Can you give an example of a word with tele-?
"vision" becomes "television". It is a typical example of the tele- prefix.
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