Two prefixes that look alike do different jobs. mis- means “wrongly” or “badly”: a mistake is something taken wrongly, and to misread is to read wrongly. dis- means “apart,” “away” or “not”: to dissect is to cut apart, to dismiss is to send away and to disagree is to not agree.
Key idea
mis- = wrongly, badly. dis- = apart, away, not. Before f, dis- becomes dif- (diffident, diffuse).
Many of the list’s dis- words use the “apart” sense. Dissent is feeling apart (sent, feel); discord is hearts apart (cord, heart); a dissident sits apart (sid, sit) from those in power. When you meet a new dis- word, try all three meanings and keep the one that fits.
The parts and their words
Words taken apart
| Word and meaning | Parts, and what they say |
|---|---|
| mishap an unlucky accident, usually minor | mis- badly + hap luck, chance → “bad luck” |
| mistake an error | mis- wrongly + take → “take wrongly” |
| dissent disagreement with an official or common view | dis- apart + sent feel → “feeling apart” |
| discord disagreement; lack of harmony | dis- apart + cord heart → “hearts apart” |
| diffident shy and lacking confidence in oneself | dif- not + fid trust + -ent → “not trusting (oneself)” |
| dissuade to persuade not to do something | dis- away + suad urge → “urge away from” |
| discern to notice or tell apart, often with effort | dis- apart + cern sift, separate → “sift apart” |
| dissident a person who opposes official policy | dis- apart + sid sit + -ent → “one who sits apart” |
Worked example: Use the parts
Nothing her friends said could cheer her; she was disconsolate. What does the word mean?
- Take it apart: dis- (not) + consol (comfort, as in console) + -ate.
- Literally: “not comforted.”
- The sentence fits: nothing her friends said helped.
Answer: So sad that nothing comforts.
Meet the words
Common mistake
Confusing two different mises. English mis- means wrongly (mistake, misread). But in misanthrope, the Greek mis- means hate: a misanthrope dislikes people in general. You will meet that part in the lesson on feeling and love. Also remember that dis- has three meanings: not (dishonest), apart (dissect) and away (dismiss).