--- title: "How to play Prefixo: rules and a sample game · SIWA" description: "Prefixo rules explained: a shared word start, five French words to complete from their definitions, unlimited tries and a joker. With a worked example." canonical_url: "https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo" last_updated: 2026-10-27 locale: en meta: "og:description": "Prefixo rules explained: a shared word start, five French words to complete from their definitions, unlimited tries and a joker. With a worked example." "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": "How to play Prefixo: rules and a sample game" "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 # How to play Prefixo: rules and a sample game To play Prefixo, you complete five French words that all begin with the same letters, helped by a short definition and the number of squares. Tries are unlimited, and you win when all five words are found. Updated October 27, 2026 [Play Prefixo](https://play.dev.siwa.io/game/prefixo) ## What is Prefixo? [Prefixo](https://dev.siwa.io/en/games/prefixo) is a daily French word game built around a **shared word start**. Each grid has **five words** that all begin with the same letters: this prefix is already in place at the start of every row. Your job is to fill in the rest. For each word, you get two clues: a **definition** of two to four French words, shown under the selected row, and the **number of squares**, which gives the exact length. The prefix is two to six letters long, and words go up to twelve letters. ## Grammatical prefix or just a word start? The game's name can be misleading. Some days, the prefix is a real prefix in the grammatical sense: RE, DÉ, ANTI, SUPER, MICRO, TÉLÉ… Other days, it is simply two shared opening letters, such as PA, CH or TR. Either way, the words aren't necessarily built with the prefix. With RE, you might get REFAIRE (to redo), but also RENARD (fox) or REPAS (meal), which start with the same letters without "re-doing" anything. Keep an open mind: only the spelling of the start matters. Grids vary from day to day: the game avoids reusing a prefix from the last ten days, as well as words already played over the past two months. The five words come from the game's French dictionary, and a grid usually contains at most one conjugated verb form. Knowing a few Latin and Greek roots, shared by French and English, gives learners a real head start. ## How does a game work? 1. **Tap a row** to select it: its definition appears. On a computer, the up and down arrow keys move between words. 2. **Type the letters** that follow the prefix, on the on-screen keyboard or your own. 3. **Submit** once every square is filled. 4. If the word is right, the row is marked as found. If not, correctly placed letters turn **orange** and stay locked, and the other squares are cleared. You can tackle the five words in any order, and tries are unlimited. Each mistake does lower your score a little. The grid changes every day at midnight and is the same for every player. ## A sample game, step by step Let's take an imaginary grid with the prefix **RE**. Here are three of its five words. **"Animal à queue touffue" (bushy-tailed animal), 6 letters.** RE plus four letters, an animal known for its tail: RENARD, the fox. Accepted first time. Note that RE isn't a prefix at all here. **"Plat du midi" (midday meal), 5 letters.** We type REPOS (rest) too quickly. The game checks each letter against the answer: P and S are in the right place and turn orange, O isn't. That leaves RE, P, an empty square, S. A midday meal: REPAS. Accepted. **"Faire de nouveau" (to do again), 7 letters.** This time, RE really is the prefix of repetition: REFAIRE, which echoes the verb in the definition. When a definition says "de nouveau" or "encore" (again), think of the repetition RE, just like in English. ## The joker: a letter in exchange for points The **Joker** button reveals one letter of the selected word, after the prefix, in a position you don't know yet. The letter is locked in place. Jokers are unlimited, but each takes about 60 points off the score of a winning game. Use them to unlock a word whose definition means nothing to you. ## What if you are completely stuck? Before giving up, reread the definition and forget the prefix meaning, then think of the joker: one or two letters are often enough. You can also abandon. The game then counts as lost: your partial score, based on the words already found, is capped at 400 points and earns no stars. ## How is the score calculated? Your score out of 1,000 rewards words found **with few mistakes** and **few jokers**. Time matters too: the reference time is 2 min 30 s at medium difficulty, with a bonus if you are faster and a capped penalty if you are much slower. A winning game also earns 1 to 3 stars. To improve, read our [Prefixo tips](https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/astuces-prefixo). And if you enjoy word games, discover our other [daily French word games](https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/jeu-de-mots-du-jour), such as [Synonymo](https://dev.siwa.io/en/games/synonymo). ## Frequently asked questions
How many words do I need to find in Prefixo? Five words per grid. They all start with the same letters, already in place, and each comes with a two-to-four-word definition in French.
Is the Prefixo prefix always a real prefix? Not always. It can be a prefix in the grammatical sense, such as RE or ANTI, or simply the first two letters the five words share, such as PA or CH.
Is Prefixo in English? No, Prefixo is a French word game: the words and definitions are French. Many French prefixes (ANTI, SUPER, MICRO, TELE) also exist in English, which helps learners.
What does the joker do in Prefixo? It reveals one letter of the selected word, after the prefix, in a position you don't know yet. Jokers are unlimited but each costs 60 points at medium difficulty.
## 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/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#webpage","dateModified":"2026-10-27","datePublished":"2026-10-27","description":"Prefixo rules explained: a shared word start, five French words to complete from their definitions, unlimited tries and a joker. With a worked example.","name":"How to play Prefixo: rules and a sample game","url":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo","@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#breadcrumb"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#website"},"mainEntity":[{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#/schema/question/1"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#/schema/question/2"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#/schema/question/3"},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#/schema/question/4"}],"potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo"]}],"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#logo"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#article","@type":"Article","dateModified":"2026-10-27","datePublished":"2026-10-27","description":"Prefixo rules explained: a shared word start, five French words to complete from their definitions, unlimited tries and a joker. With a worked example.","headline":"How to play Prefixo: rules and a sample game","inLanguage":"en","mainEntityOfPage":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-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/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#webpage"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/#identity"}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-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":"How to play Prefixo","position":3}]},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#/schema/question/1","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"How many words do I need to find in Prefixo?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Five words per grid. They all start with the same letters, already in place, and each comes with a two-to-four-word definition in French."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#/schema/question/2","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Is the Prefixo prefix always a real prefix?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Not always. It can be a prefix in the grammatical sense, such as RE or ANTI, or simply the first two letters the five words share, such as PA or CH."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#/schema/question/3","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"Is Prefixo in English?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"No, Prefixo is a French word game: the words and definitions are French. Many French prefixes (ANTI, SUPER, MICRO, TELE) also exist in English, which helps learners."}},{"@id":"https://dev.siwa.io/en/guides/comment-jouer-a-prefixo#/schema/question/4","@type":"Question","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"What does the joker do in Prefixo?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It reveals one letter of the selected word, after the prefix, in a position you don't know yet. Jokers are unlimited but each costs 60 points at medium difficulty."}},{"@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.