Words Were the Enemy – Reader's Bonus

For readers only

The Words Are Not
Your Enemy

You scanned the code. That means you finished the book — or you're somewhere in the middle of it — and you cared enough to look for more. This page is just for you. A prefix decoder and the exact words that gave her the hardest time, broken down so they never trip you up again.

I wrote this book because I know what it feels like to sit in a classroom with an answer in your chest and not trust the words enough to let it out. I watched students do this for years. Brilliant, funny, full of things worth saying — sitting quietly while the moment passed.

She didn't have a name in the book because she is every girl who ever crossed out a sentence and started over. She might be you. She might be someone you know.

The words in this book are not obstacles. They are the way in. And once you know how they work, they belong to you.

— Leah T. Williams

Tool

The Prefix Decoder

Type any word and see if it contains a prefix that unlocks its meaning. Once you know what the prefix means, you can decode hundreds of words you've never even seen before.

No known prefix found in that word. Try another — or it might be a root word all on its own, which is perfectly fine.

Reference

Prefixes Worth Knowing

Click any card to search for that prefix in the decoder above.

un-
not / opposite of
unhappy, unclear, unusual, uncertain
pre-
before
preview, prepare, predict, prevent
mis-
wrongly / badly
misread, mistake, misplace, misunderstand
re-
again / back
rewrite, return, review, rebuild
dis-
not / apart
disagree, dislike, disconnect, disorder
im- / in-
not
impossible, incorrect, invisible, incomplete
super-
above / beyond
supernatural, superhero, superpower, superior
sub-
under / below
subway, submarine, subtract, subzero
ex-
out / former
export, exhale, exit, exclude
trans-
across / through
transport, transfer, transform, translate
inter-
between / among
interact, international, internet, interview
over-
too much / above
overdue, overwork, overcome, overlook

From the book

The Words That Tripped Her Up

These are the exact words she wrestled with — chapter by chapter. Now they're yours to keep.

their / there / they're
their
belonging to them
Their house has a yellow door.
there
a place; or to introduce something
The light goes golden over there.
they're
they are
They're the same thing sometimes.
Memory trick
They're = they are. If you can swap in "they are" and it still makes sense, use they're.
loose / lose
loose
not tight; free
The button came loose.
lose
to misplace something; to not win
I didn't want to lose the grade.
Memory trick
Loose has a double o — it's roomy, like something that isn't tight. Lose has one o — it already lost one.
to / too / two
to
toward; part of a verb
Dad left to find himself.
too
also; more than enough
She says it too much.
two
the number 2
There are two of us in this house.
Memory trick
Too has an extra o — it has too much. Two has a w — think of it as the w in "twin."
affect / effect
affect
the action (verb) — to influence something
A wrong grade affects how you feel.
effect
the result (noun) — what happens after
The effect was a girl drawing pebbles instead of raising her hand.
Memory trick
RAVEN: Remember Affect is a Verb, Effect is a Noun.
your / you're
your
belonging to you
Your quiet belongs to you.
you're
you are
You're right.
Memory trick
You're = you are. If you can replace it with "you are" and it still sounds right, use you're.
then / than
then
next; at that time
First the button fell, then the seam gave up.
than
used for comparison
Kneeling was worse than a gap in my collar.
Memory trick
Than is for comparisons — both words have an a. Then is about time — think "when then."
accept / except
accept
to receive or agree to something
I had to accept the grade.
except
not including; but
Everyone moved on, except me.
Memory trick
Accept starts with ac — think "acknowledge." Except starts with ex — think "exclude."
it's / its
it's
it is
It's a small thing. A button.
its
belonging to it
The word kept its shape in my mind.
Memory trick
It's = it is. If swapping in "it is" sounds right, use the apostrophe. If not, leave it out.
principal / principle
principal
the head of a school; main or most important
The principal called her in.
principle
a rule or belief
She had principles she never broke.
Memory trick
The principal is your pal. A principle is a rule — both end in -le.
passed / past
passed
moved by; handed something; went through
Marcus passed her a look.
past
time gone by; beyond a place
She walked past the lockers.
Memory trick
Passed is always a verb — it's the past tense of "pass." If you can replace it with "went by," use passed.
desert / dessert
desert
a dry, sandy place; to abandon someone
He deserted them without a word.
dessert
the sweet course at the end of a meal
She saved room for dessert.
Memory trick
Dessert has two s's because you always want seconds. Desert has one — just like the lonely sand.
brake / break
brake
what stops a vehicle
She hit the brake hard.
break
to shatter; a pause or rest
She needed a break from the words.
Memory trick
Brake stops things — think of "rake" slowing down. Break is what happens when something snaps.

The words belong to you now.

She spent a whole school year learning that. You just got it on one page. That's what reading does — it gives you what took someone else so much longer to find.

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