Prefix Hyphenation: re-, self-, ex- (B1)

Your task

Fill in the gap in each sentence with the correct word or phrase.

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Keep practising! Focus on the explanations below.

She has a lot of -confidence and never doubts her abilities. (complete the word beginning with "self")

Correct answer: self-confidence

"Self-confidence" always takes a hyphen — "self-" is a prefix that is hyphenated when attached to any base word. The hyphen distinguishes it from compounds like "selfish" where "self" is part of the word root.

We need to the document before submitting it. (use "re-" + write, to mean "write again")

Correct answer: rewrite

"Re-write" (or "rewrite") — when "re-" is added to a word and could be confused with another word, a hyphen clarifies meaning. "Rewrite" (no hyphen) is the common standard spelling; "re-write" is acceptable for emphasis or disambiguation.

My wife attended the ceremony. (use "ex-" to mean "former")

Correct answer: ex-wife

"Ex-" meaning "former" always takes a hyphen: "ex-wife", "ex-president", "ex-colleague". Without the hyphen, "exwife" is not a standard form.

The organisation is by a team of volunteers. (re- + run, meaning "run again/managed again")

Correct answer: rerun

"Re-run" takes a hyphen when "re-" precedes a word beginning with a vowel, to prevent awkward doubling or misreading — "rerun" (no hyphen) is also standard in informal contexts.

She is very -aware and thinks carefully about how she comes across. (self- + aware)

Correct answer: self-aware

"Self-aware" always hyphenates "self-" with the following word. Unlike prefixes such as "re-" that sometimes merge, "self-" always keeps its hyphen.

The government plans to the old railway line. (re- + open)

Correct answer: re-open

"Re-open" takes a hyphen because "re-" precedes a vowel, which would create an awkward "reopen" — though "reopen" is the more common modern spelling. Both are acceptable; "re-open" is preferred in formal British English.

The price needs to be . (re- + assess, meaning "assessed again")

Correct answer: re-assessed

"Re-assess" or "reassess" — both are acceptable. The hyphen is used to avoid the double-vowel sequence "reaa-" or to signal "assess again" clearly in formal contexts.

She is an of the board and still attends meetings. (ex- + member)

Correct answer: ex-member

"Ex-member" hyphenates "ex-" (former) before the noun. "Ex-" meaning "former" always requires a hyphen in standard written English.

He wrote a -biography about his years in politics. (auto- + biography)

Correct answer: autobiography

"Autobiography" is written as one word — no hyphen. Some prefixes, including "auto-", "bio-", and "micro-", typically merge with the base word without a hyphen.

The of the book took three months. (re- + writing, the process of writing again)

Correct answer: rewriting

"Rewriting" or "re-writing" — "rewriting" is the standard spelling. The hyphen is optional but may be used for emphasis or to distinguish from a different meaning if "rewriting" could be confused.

The contract was -signed by both parties. (co- + signed, meaning "signed together")

Correct answer: co-signed

"Co-signed" — "co-" (together/joint) is typically hyphenated when attached to a word to avoid ambiguity: "co-signed", "co-author", "co-worker". Some dictionaries also accept "cosigned" without a hyphen.

She is very -reliant and never asks for help. (self- + reliant)

Correct answer: self-reliant

"Self-reliant" always hyphenates "self-" before an adjective or noun. The "self-" prefix is consistently hyphenated in standard British and American English.

The results were to check we hadn't made a mistake. (re- + calculated)

Correct answer: recalculated

"Recalculated" is the standard form — "re-" merges with consonant-starting words without a hyphen. "Re-calculated" is acceptable but less common in modern usage.

He is the -president of the student union. (ex- + president)

Correct answer: ex-president

"Ex-president" always hyphenates "ex-" (former). The hyphen is mandatory: "ex-president", "ex-prime minister" (note: "prime minister" is two words so "ex-prime minister" uses one hyphen after "ex").

The report was after new data came in. (re- + evaluated)

Correct answer: re-evaluated

"Re-evaluated" or "reevaluated" — because "re-" precedes a vowel (e-), a hyphen is often preferred to avoid the repeated "e": "re-evaluated" is clearer than "reevaluated", though both are found.

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