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 | 
