The prefix “mis-” is very common in the English language. It is added to the beginning of words to change their meaning, usually to indicate something is wrong, bad, or incorrect. By understanding the meaning of “mis-” and learning how to use it correctly, you can expand your vocabulary and express yourself more clearly.

What Does “Mis-” Mean?

The prefix “mis-” comes from Old English and typically means:

  • Wrongly (e.g., misunderstand – to understand something incorrectly)
  • Badly (e.g., misbehave – to behave badly)

When you see “mis-” at the beginning of a word, it usually means something has gone wrong or not happened as it should.

Key Rules for Words with “Mis-“

Rule 1: “Mis-” Changes the Meaning of the Root Word

The prefix “mis-” is added to root words to form new words that mean something has gone wrong. For example:

  • Understand becomes misunderstand (to understand incorrectly).
  • Lead becomes mislead (to lead someone in the wrong direction).

Rule 2: “Mis-” Is Always Added to the Beginning of a Word

Unlike some other prefixes, “mis-” always goes at the start of a word. For example:

  • Behave becomes misbehave.
  • Inform becomes misinform.

Rule 3: “Mis-” Words Can Be Verbs or Nouns

Many words with the “mis-” prefix are verbs (actions), but they can also be nouns (things or ideas). For example:

  • Mislead (verb) means to give someone the wrong idea.
  • Misunderstanding (noun) means a situation where something is not understood correctly.

Common Examples of “Mis-” Words

Here are some common words that use the prefix “mis-“:

  • Misunderstand: To understand something wrongly.
  • I think you misunderstood what I said.
  • Mislead: To give someone the wrong idea or direction.
  • The sign misled us, so we got lost.
  • Misbehave: To act badly or wrongly.
  • The children were misbehaving during the lesson.
  • Misinform: To give wrong information.
  • She was misinformed about the time of the meeting.
  • Misjudge: To form a wrong opinion or estimate about something.
  • I misjudged how long it would take to finish the homework.
  • Misspell: To spell something incorrectly.
  • He misspelled several words in the test.

Tips and Tricks for Using “Mis-” Words

  1. Look for the Root Word: If you’re not sure what a “mis-” word means, break it down. Find the root word (e.g., “understand” in “misunderstand”) and think about how the meaning changes with “mis-” added.
  2. Think of “Mis-” as Something Gone Wrong: Most “mis-” words mean something has gone wrong. This can help you figure out what the word means, even if you’ve never seen it before.
  3. Practice with Examples: The more you use and see “mis-” words in sentences, the easier it will be to recognise and understand them.

Easy Difficulty Questions

  1. What does the prefix “mis-” mean?
  • Answer: Wrongly or badly.
  1. What does the word “misunderstand” mean?
  • Answer: To understand something wrongly.
  1. Choose the correct meaning of “misbehave”:
  • a) To behave well
  • b) To behave badly
  • Answer: b
  1. What does the word “misspell” mean?
  • Answer: To spell something incorrectly.
  1. What does the word “mislead” mean?
  • Answer: To give someone the wrong idea or direction.
  1. Which word means “to form a wrong opinion”?
  • a) Misjudge
  • b) Misbehave
  • Answer: a
  1. What does “misinform” mean?
  • Answer: To give wrong information.
  1. Choose the correct sentence:
  • a) He misspelled the word in his essay.
  • b) He misspelled the word in his homework.
  • Answer: Both are correct.
  1. What does “misjudge” mean?
  • Answer: To make a wrong judgement or estimate.
  1. What does the word “misplace” mean?
    • Answer: To put something in the wrong place and lose it.
  2. Choose the correct word for this sentence: I gave you the wrong information, I __ you.
    • a) Misled
    • b) Misunderstood
    • Answer: a
  3. What does “misheard” mean?
    • Answer: To hear something wrongly.
  4. What does “misread” mean?
    • Answer: To read something incorrectly or wrongly.
  5. What does the word “misuse” mean?
    • Answer: To use something incorrectly or wrongly.
  6. Which word means “to think something incorrectly”?
    • a) Misjudge
    • b) Misbehave
    • Answer: a
  7. What does the word “miscount” mean?
    • Answer: To count something wrongly.
  8. Choose the correct word for this sentence: I didn’t hear you correctly, I must have __ what you said.
    • a) Misunderstood
    • b) Misbehaved
    • Answer: a
  9. What does “misinterpret” mean?
    • Answer: To understand something wrongly or incorrectly.
  10. Choose the correct sentence:
    • a) He misjudged the distance and fell.
    • b) He misbehaved the distance and fell.
    • Answer: a
  11. What does the word “misfortune” mean?
    • Answer: Bad luck or unfortunate events.

Medium Difficulty Questions

  1. Choose the correct meaning of “misinform”:
  • a) To inform correctly
  • b) To give wrong information
  • Answer: b
  1. Which of the following means “to spell something wrongly”?
  • a) Misplace
  • b) Misspell
  • Answer: b
  1. What does “misunderstanding” mean?
  • Answer: A situation where something is not understood correctly.
  1. Choose the correct word for this sentence: I gave you the wrong directions, I __ you.
  • a) Misled
  • b) Misspelled
  • Answer: a
  1. What does “misjudgement” mean?
  • Answer: An incorrect judgement or opinion.
  1. Choose the correct meaning of “misuse”:
  • a) To use something correctly
  • b) To use something incorrectly
  • Answer: b
  1. Which of the following means “to form the wrong opinion”?
  • a) Misbehave
  • b) Misjudge
  • Answer: b
  1. What does “misplace” mean?
  • Answer: To put something in the wrong place.
  1. Choose the correct word for this sentence: I couldn’t hear you clearly, so I __ you.
  • a) Misunderstood
  • b) Misled
  • Answer: a
  1. What does “misfortune” mean?
    • Answer: Bad luck.
  2. Choose the correct meaning of “misinterpret”:
    • a) To understand something correctly
    • b) To understand something wrongly
    • Answer: b
  3. Which word means “to count something wrongly”?
    • a) Miscount
    • b) Misplace
    • Answer: a
  4. What does “misread” mean?
    • Answer: To read something wrongly.
  5. Choose the correct word for this sentence: He __ the meaning of the poem.
    • a) Misinterpreted
    • b) Misunderstood
    • Answer: a
  6. What does “miscalculate” mean?
    • Answer: To calculate something wrongly.
  7. Which of the following means “to behave badly”?
    • a) Misbehave
    • b) Misread
    • Answer: a
  8. What does “mishandle” mean?
    • Answer: To handle something badly or wrongly.
  9. Choose the correct meaning of “mislead”:
    • a) To guide correctly
    • b) To guide someone wrongly
    • Answer: b
  10. Which word means “to place something in the wrong place”?
    • a) Misplace
    • b) Miscount
    • Answer: a
  11. What does “misconduct” mean?
    • Answer: Wrong or bad behaviour.

High Difficulty Questions

  1. What does “misconception” mean?
  • Answer: A wrong or incorrect belief or idea.
  1. Choose the correct word for this sentence: She misunderstood the instructions and __ the process.
  • a) Miscalculated
  • b) Misused
  • Answer: b
  1. What does “misrepresent

” mean?

  • Answer: To give a false or incorrect representation of something.
  1. Choose the correct meaning of “misconstrue”:
  • a) To understand something wrongly
  • b) To use something wrongly
  • Answer: a
  1. What does “misapply” mean?
  • Answer: To apply something wrongly or in the wrong way.
  1. Choose the correct word for this sentence: He __ the situation and caused confusion.
  • a) Misrepresented
  • b) Misbehaved
  • Answer: a
  1. What does “mistrust” mean?
  • Answer: To not trust or have doubts about something.
  1. What does “misapprehend” mean?
  • Answer: To misunderstand something.
  1. Which of the following means “to misjudge or misunderstand the meaning of something”?
  • a) Misinterpret
  • b) Miscalculate
  • Answer: a
  1. What does “misstep” mean?
    • Answer: A wrong or bad step or action.
  2. Choose the correct word for this sentence: He __ the instructions and made mistakes.
    • a) Misunderstood
    • b) Misjudged
    • Answer: a
  3. What does “misgiving” mean?
    • Answer: A feeling of doubt or uncertainty.
  4. Choose the correct meaning of “misappropriate”:
    • a) To wrongly take or use something for oneself
    • b) To wrongly guide someone
    • Answer: a
  5. What does “misfire” mean?
    • Answer: To fail to achieve the intended result.
  6. Choose the correct word for this sentence: The weapon __ and didn’t shoot properly.
    • a) Misfired
    • b) Misbehaved
    • Answer: a
  7. What does “misdemeanour” mean?
    • Answer: A minor wrongdoing or crime.
  8. Choose the correct word for this sentence: He __ the meaning of the letter and got confused.
    • a) Misconstrued
    • b) Misbehaved
    • Answer: a
  9. What does “misinterpretation” mean?
    • Answer: An incorrect understanding of something.
  10. Choose the correct meaning of “misappropriate”:
    • a) To take something for oneself wrongly
    • b) To guide someone in the wrong direction
    • Answer: a
  11. What does “misnomer” mean?
    • Answer: A wrong or inaccurate name or term.

By understanding how “mis-” works, you can use these words to describe situations where something has gone wrong or not worked out as expected. Keep practising, and you’ll be able to use these words confidently in your writing!