--- title: "Prefixo tips: 7 ways to complete the French words faster · SIWA" description: "Prefix meanings, word length, part of speech, orange letters and jokers: 7 Prefixo tips to find the five French words of the day faster, with fewer mistakes." canonical_url: "https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo" last_updated: 2026-10-27 locale: en meta: "og:description": "Prefix meanings, word length, part of speech, orange letters and jokers: 7 Prefixo tips to find the five French words of the day faster, with fewer mistakes." "og:image": "https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/prefixo.jpg?v=407e86e0" "og:image:alt": "Prefixo · Find the 5 words sharing one prefix" "og:image:height": "630" "og:image:type": image/jpeg "og:image:width": "1200" "og:title": "Prefixo tips: 7 ways to complete the French words faster" "twitter:image": "https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/prefixo.jpg?v=407e86e0" "twitter:image:alt": "Prefixo · Find the 5 words sharing one prefix" --- > Index of every page on this site: [llms.txt](https://dev.siwa.io/llms.txt) How to play # Prefixo tips: 7 ways to complete the French words faster To do well at Prefixo, read each definition for the part of speech first, use the meaning of the prefix when it has one, and don't forget words that simply start with the same letters. Clear the obvious words first and save the joker for a real block. Updated October 27, 2026 [Play Prefixo](https://play.dev.siwa.io/game/prefixo) ## What counts towards your score In [Prefixo](https://dev.siwa.io/en/games/prefixo), the French prefix game, a winning game is worth up to 1,000 points. Your score depends on **accuracy** (how many wrong guesses you made), **jokers** (about 60 points each) and **time**, measured against a reference time of 2 min 30 s at medium difficulty. Finishing in under 1 min 15 s earns up to 200 bonus points. Mistakes weigh less and less: the first costs about 50 points, the second about 35. A wrong guess therefore costs slightly less than a joker, and it turns every correctly placed letter orange. ## 1. Read the definition for the part of speech Prefixo definitions are very short, two to four French words. Their form tells you what kind of answer to expect: - a definition starting with an **infinitive verb** ("Faire de nouveau", to do again) often calls for an infinitive: REFAIRE; - a definition led by a **noun** ("Mesure de prudence", a cautious measure) calls for a noun: PRÉCAUTION; - a definition starting with "**Qui…**" (which, who) often calls for an adjective. This habit stops you hunting for a noun when the grid wants a verb, or the other way round. ## 2. Use the meaning of the prefix When the prefix of the day is a real prefix, its meaning guides your search. Here are the most useful ones, many of which work the same way in English: | Prefix | Meaning | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | RE | again | REFAIRE | | DÉ, DES | undoing, removal | DÉFAIRE | | PRÉ | before | PRÉVOIR | | ANTI | against | ANTIVOL | | SUR, SUPER | above, excess | SURCHARGE | | SOUS, SUB | below | SUBAQUATIQUE | | TRANS | across | TRANSPORT | | AUTO | self | AUTOPORTRAIT | | TÉLÉ | at a distance | TÉLÉPHONE | | MICRO, MACRO | small, large | MICROSCOPE | If the definition contains "avant" (before), "contre" (against) or "de nouveau" (again), the link with the prefix is often direct. ## 3. Also think of plain word starts Watch out for the opposite trap: the five words aren't always built with the prefix. Grids are drawn from words that **begin** with those letters, and some days the "prefix" is only a shared start such as PA, CH or TR. With RE, RENARD (fox) and REPAS (meal) are just as valid as REFAIRE. When the prefix meaning leads nowhere, forget it: read the definition, find the word, then simply check it starts with the right letters. ## 4. Make the most of the length The number of squares is as strong a clue as the definition. Count the letters left after the prefix: with two or three squares, you can count the candidates on one hand. For long words, think of common French endings: -TION, -MENT, -ABLE, -ISTE, -EUR, -AGE, -ITÉ. Accents disappear in the squares: PRÉCAUTION is typed PRECAUTION. Don't let an É make you doubt a word that fits the length. ## 5. Clear the obvious words first You can tackle the five words in any order. Skim the definitions, solve the ones that jump out first, then come back to the rest. On a computer, type straight on your keyboard and move between words with the up and down arrows. If a word won't budge, don't force it: moving on and coming back later with fresh eyes often saves time. ## 6. Read the orange letters After a mistake, correctly placed letters turn orange and stay locked. They are gold dust: two or three fixed letters are often enough to reveal the word, just like in a crossword. Before trying again, reread the definition in the light of those letters. ## 7. Save the joker for a real block The joker reveals one letter of the word after the prefix, in a position you don't know yet. It costs about 60 points, slightly more than a first mistake. Use it when the definition means nothing to you, even after trying a candidate: one well-placed letter in the middle of a long word often unlocks everything. To review the rules, read [how to play Prefixo](https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo). And if you enjoy finding words from definitions, try our [games like crosswords](https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/jeux-comme-mots-croises). ## Frequently asked questions
How many points does a mistake cost in Prefixo? In a winning game, the first mistake costs about 50 points, and each one after that a little less. A joker costs 60 points at medium difficulty.
Are Prefixo words always built with the prefix? No. The five words share the same start, but that start doesn't always carry its prefix meaning: with RE, you can get REFAIRE (to redo) as well as RENARD (fox).
Are there conjugated verbs in Prefixo? Rarely: as a rule, word selection allows at most one conjugated form per grid. Most answers are nouns, adjectives or infinitives.
Does time count in the Prefixo score? Yes. The reference time is 2 min 30 s at medium difficulty: be faster and you earn a bonus, be much slower and you take a capped penalty.
## Ready to play? Today's grid is waiting, free and without sign-up. [Play Prefixo](https://play.dev.siwa.io/game/prefixo) ## More guides [TMSPMPR

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Love Scrabble? Four free French word games: anagrams, a timed letter grid, prefixes and a chain of words. One grid a day, in the browser, no sign-up.AlternativeRead the guide](https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/jeux-comme-scrabble) [Play Prefixo](https://play.dev.siwa.io/game/prefixo) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#identity","@type":"Organization","email":"hello@siwa.io","name":"SIWA","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/","logo":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#logo"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#website","@type":"WebSite","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"SIWA","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/","publisher":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#identity"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#webpage","dateModified":"2026-10-27","datePublished":"2026-10-27","description":"Prefix meanings, word length, part of speech, orange letters and jokers: 7 Prefixo tips to find the five French words of the day faster, with fewer mistakes.","name":"Prefixo tips: 7 ways to complete the French words faster","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo","@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#breadcrumb"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#website"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#/schema/question/1"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#/schema/question/2"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#/schema/question/3"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#/schema/question/4"}],"potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo"]}],"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#logo"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#article","@type":"Article","dateModified":"2026-10-27","datePublished":"2026-10-27","description":"Prefix meanings, word length, part of speech, orange letters and jokers: 7 Prefixo tips to find the five French words of the day faster, with fewer mistakes.","headline":"Prefixo tips: 7 ways to complete the French words faster","inLanguage":"en","mainEntityOfPage":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo","thumbnailUrl":"https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/prefixo.jpg?v=407e86e0","author":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#identity"},"image":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#/schema/image/1"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#webpage"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#identity"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#breadcrumb","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Home","item":"https://dev.siwa.io/en","position":1},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Guides","item":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides","position":2},{"@type":"ListItem","name":"Prefixo tips","position":3}]},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#/schema/question/1","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"How many points does a mistake cost in Prefixo?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"In a winning game, the first mistake costs about 50 points, and each one after that a little less. A joker costs 60 points at medium difficulty."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#/schema/question/2","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Are Prefixo words always built with the prefix?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No. The five words share the same start, but that start doesn't always carry its prefix meaning: with RE, you can get REFAIRE (to redo) as well as RENARD (fox)."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#/schema/question/3","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Are there conjugated verbs in Prefixo?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Rarely: as a rule, word selection allows at most one conjugated form per grid. Most answers are nouns, adjectives or infinitives."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo#/schema/question/4","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Does time count in the Prefixo score?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. The reference time is 2 min 30 s at medium difficulty: be faster and you earn a bonus, be much slower and you take a capped penalty."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#logo","@type":"ImageObject","caption":"SIWA","contentUrl":"https://dev.siwa.io/logo-siwa.svg","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/logo-siwa.svg"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#/schema/image/1","@type":"ImageObject","contentUrl":"https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/prefixo.jpg?v=407e86e0","inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/og/en/prefixo.jpg?v=407e86e0"}]} ``` ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](https://dev.siwa.io/sitemap.md) for all pages.