Introduction: The prefix "mis-" comes from Old French and means "wrong," "bad," or "incorrect." When added to the beginning of a word, it indicates that something is done incorrectly, badly, or in an unintended way.
How to Use the Prefix "Mis-"
The prefix "mis-" is attached to verbs, adjectives, and nouns to give them the meaning of something being wrong, badly, or incorrectly. For example, the verb "understand" becomes "misunderstand" when the prefix "mis-" is added, meaning to understand something incorrectly.
Examples of Words with and without "Mis-"
| Word without "Mis-" | Word with "Mis-" |
|---|---|
| Behave | Misbehave |
| Lead | Mislead |
| Understand | Misunderstand |
| Place | Misplace |
| Calculate | Miscalculate |
| Direct | Misdirect |
| Judge | Misjudge |
| Spell | Mispell |
| Manage | Mismanage |
| Treat | Mistreat |
| Use | Misuse |
| Place | Misplace |
| Match | Mismatch |
| Interpret | Misinterpret |
| Align | Misalign |
| Misprint | |
| Apply | Misapply |
| Understand | Misunderstand |
| Communicate | Miscommunicate |
| Handle | Mishandle |
| Calculate | Miscalculate |
| Place | Misplace |
| Represent | Misrepresent |
| Conduct | Misconduct |
| Match | Mismatch |
| Judge | Misjudge |
| Judge | Misjudge |
| Write | Miswrite |
| Behave | Misbehave |
| State | Mistate |
| Lead | Mislead |
| Provide | Misprovide |
| Adopt | Misadopt |
| Guide | Misguide |
| Understand | Misunderstand |
| Know | Misknow |
| Take | Mistake |
| Live | Mislive |
| Manage | Mismanage |
| Represent | Misrepresent |
| Recognize | Misrecognize |
| Apply | Misapply |
| Communicate | Miscommunicate |
| Place | Misplace |
| Interpret | Misinterpret |
| Arrange | Misarrange |
| Match | Mismatch |
| Review | Misreview |
| Produce | Misproduce |
| Calculate | Miscalculate |
| Direct | Misdirect |
| Misprint | |
| Provide | Misprovide |