Words with the prefix tele-
tele- means “distant; far off”, from Greek.
15 examples of the prefix tele-
- telephonetele- + phonesound from far away
- televisiontele- + visionseeing from far away
- telescopetele- + scopeview distant objects
- telegramtele- + gramwritten message from afar
- telegraphtele- + graphwrite or signal from afar
- telepathytele- + pathyfeeling across a distance
- telecasttele- + castbroadcast from a distance
- teleporttele- + portcarry oneself to distant place
- telethontele- + thonlong-distance fundraising broadcast
- telekinesistele- + kinesismoving objects from afar
- telecommunicationtele- + communicationcommunication over great distances
- teleconferencetele- + conferencemeeting held across distances
- telemetrytele- + metrymeasuring from a remote distance
- teleprompttele- + promptprompt a speaker from afar
- telemedicinetele- + medicinedelivering healthcare from a distance
How tele- works
The prefix 'tele-' does not change the part of speech of the base word, preserving whatever class the root belongs to (noun, verb, etc.). Unlike some prefixes, 'tele-' undergoes no spelling assimilation and remains unchanged before any letter or sound.
Watch out: The word 'tell' and its relatives (e.g., 'teller') may superficially suggest 'tele-' but derive from Old English 'tellan' (to count or relate) and have no connection to the Greek prefix meaning distant.
To see prefixes combine with other parts, try the word dissector and root builder, or test yourself in the vocabulary quiz.
Other common prefixes
Questions people ask
What does the prefix tele- mean?
tele- means “distant; far off”. It comes from Greek. The prefix 'tele-' does not change the part of speech of the base word, preserving whatever class the root belongs to (noun, verb, etc.). Unlike some prefixes, 'tele-' undergoes no spelling assimilation and remains unchanged before any letter or sound.
What are some examples of words with the prefix tele-?
telephone, television, telescope, telegram, telegraph, telepathy, telecast, teleport. The full list of 15 examples, with what each one literally means, is above.
Which words look like they have the prefix tele- but don’t?
The word 'tell' and its relatives (e.g., 'teller') may superficially suggest 'tele-' but derive from Old English 'tellan' (to count or relate) and have no connection to the Greek prefix meaning distant.
What is a prefix?
A prefix is a word part added to the front of a base word or root to change its meaning, like un- in unhappy or re- in rewrite. It does not usually change the part of speech.