Why this matters more than flashcards
Flashcards work when you've seen the word before. Prefixes and suffixes work on words you've never seen. The ASVAB will throw unfamiliar words at you — this is the tool that keeps you from guessing blind.
English borrows heavily from Latin and Greek. The same building blocks show up in thousands of words across science, law, military terminology, and everyday speech. Learn the blocks, decode the words.
The prefixes worth memorizing first
Negative/reversal:
- un- — unable, unfit, unkempt
- dis- — displace, disloyal, disrupt
- mis- — misjudge, misconduct, mislead
- mal- — malfunction, malicious, malnourished
- non- — noncombatant, nonessential, nonfatal
- anti- — antidote, antiaircraft, antisocial
Time and position:
- pre- — predict, precaution, premature
- post- — postwar, postpone, posterior
- sub- — submarine, subordinate, substandard
- inter- — intercept, intervene, international
- trans- — transport, transfer, transcend
Degree and size:
- over- — overestimate, overpowered
- hyper- — hyperactive, hypersensitive
- micro- — microscopic, microcosm
Suffixes that signal meaning
-ous (full of): hazardous, conspicuous, strenuous -ful (having): resourceful, forceful, dreadful -less (without): reckless, careless, relentless -able / -ible (capable of): capable, flexible, compatible -tion / -sion (act or state): mission, operation, condition -ist (one who): strategist, specialist, antagonist -ify / -fy (to make): fortify, clarify, magnify
Worked breakdown: dissect before you guess
Take noncombatant: non- (not) + combat + -ant (one who does). A noncombatant = one who does not combat — a civilian or medical personnel in a military context.
Take subversive: sub- (under/against) + vers (to turn) + -ive (tending to). Subversive = tending to undermine or turn against authority.
Two or three parts, decoded separately, give you the full meaning.
Study priority
Focus on the 30 most common Latin and Greek prefixes first. They cover the majority of hard ASVAB words. Add suffixes second — they're easier because they mostly signal part of speech, not meaning. Roots come third (see the Root Words guide).