Prefixes are powerful tools that can transform your English skills by unlocking new words and meanings. Understanding them helps you decode unfamiliar vocabulary and use language more precisely.

If something is “disheveled” or “unkempt,” could it also be “heveled” or “kempt”? So asked Ruth Penticoff of New Milford, Ill. And my wife threw in “disgruntled” and “gruntled.” So let’s explore the ...