All Ears English Podcast AEE: Pesky Prefixes Part 1: Insecurity or Lack of Security?
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Oct 25, 2025 The hosts dive into the nuances of the word 'secure,' exploring its meanings of confidence versus safety. They tackle whether places can be termed insecure and discuss the error of using 'unsecure.' A fascinating comparison emerges between security (safety) and insecurity (vulnerability). Through role play, they illustrate the practical use of these terms in everyday conversations while highlighting common mistakes with prefixes. Future discussions are teased, centered around pitfalls native speakers make with language.
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Longtime Listener In Brussels
- Aubrey gave a shout-out to Javier, a 10-year listener now living in Brussels.
- She mentioned meeting him at Open Conversation Club and reminisced about living there as an au pair.
Secure Has Two Different Meanings
- The adjective "secure" has two main meanings: confident and safe.
- That dual meaning makes negation with prefixes unpredictable.
Don't Automatically Add In- As A Negator
- Avoid automatically adding the prefix "in-" to form opposites for words with multiple meanings.
- Use context to choose the correct negation (e.g., "unsafe" vs "insecure").