Learn English Prefix 7: "Semi-", "Demi-" or "Hemi-"

Meaning: These three prefixes all mean "half".

Pronunciation: "Semi" is either pronounced as "semee" or as "sem-I" while "demi" is normally pronounced as "demee" and "hemi" is pronounced with a short "i" as in "middle".

Example 1: A "semicircle" is half of a circle. "We sat in a semicircle as we listened to the teacher talk".

Example 2: A "demigod" is someone who is so famous or so loved that he or she is almost like a god (or half a god!).

Example 3: The Earth can be divided into two "hemispheres", the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. "Our brain has two hemispheres, the left being very logical and the right being more creative".

Other useful words: 
semiannual - something that happens every six months 
semisweet - used to describe bitter chocolate 
a semester - half of a year at a university 
a semicolon - a dot over a comma ;