Prefix: re-
Source: DfE, English Appendix 1: Spelling (2013) — Years 3–4 statutory prefix
Origin: Latin re-, meaning "again" or "back"
Purpose: Guide to the prefix re- for KS2 — meaning 'again' or 'back', word list with definitions, and morpheme-based spelling practice activities.
What it means
re- means again or back.
redo = do again
return = go back
recycle = use again
Where it comes from
re- is one of the oldest Latin prefixes in English, entering through French after 1066. It is extraordinarily productive — it can attach to almost any verb to mean "do that thing again." This is why it's the highest-frequency prefix in English.
Statutory examples (Appendix 1, Y3/4)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| redo | do again |
| return | go back |
| refresh | make fresh again |
| reappear | appear again |
| rebuild | build again |
| rewrite | write again |
| reread | read again |
| remember | bring back to mind |
| recent | not long past (from re- + cent- — going back is recent) |
Morpheme matrix
| re- | (nothing) | |
|---|---|---|
| -do | redo | do |
| -play | replay | play |
| -cycle | recycle | cycle |
| -build | rebuild | build |
| -appear | reappear | appear |
| -write | rewrite | write |
| -arrange | rearrange | arrange |
| -fill | refill | fill |
| -use | reuse | use |
| -turn | return | turn |
Word family
re- + a wide range of verbs:
reconsider · rethink · reorganise · reload · reopen · refund · reimburse · reprint · reproduce · reschedule · reset · restart · restore · retrieve · revise · rewind
Common confusions
re- before a vowel sometimes takes a hyphen to avoid misreading:
- re-enter (not reenter — though both are accepted)
- re-educate
- re-elect
In most cases, no hyphen is needed: reread, reuse, redo.
Classroom activity: the re- generator
Write a base verb on the board. Ask: if I add re-, what would it mean? Does that word exist?
- reheat → heat again ✓
- redo → do again ✓
- resit → sit an exam again ✓ (British English for retaking)
- resleep → sleep again? ✗ (not a standard word — but why not?)
Discuss: re- can attach to almost anything — but not everything sounds natural. What makes a re- word "stick"?
Dictation sentences
- She had to rewrite the whole letter because the first version was unclear.
- Return the book to the library and refill your water bottle on the way back.
- They rebuilt the bridge and reopened the road recently.
- He decided to reconsider and reorganise the whole project from scratch.
- Reread the instructions carefully before you redo the experiment.
Source: DfE English Appendix 1: Spelling (2013). Etymology: Oxford English Dictionary, from Latin re-.
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