A prefix is a word part that comes at the beginning of a word and modifies its meaning. The root word is the base of the word, providing the core meaning. They are combined directly, without any spaces or punctuation.
For example:
* pre (prefix) + view (root word) = preview
* un (prefix) + happy (root word) = unhappy
Sometimes, there might be a combining form between the prefix and root word, especially in scientific or technical terms. A combining form is a word part that connects a prefix or suffix to a root word, often with a slightly different meaning than the root word itself.
For example:
* auto (prefix) + -graph (combining form) + y (suffix) = autography
However, even with a combining form, the prefix and root word are still directly connected.