[Vocabulary] non- V.S un-

[maiabulela]

What is the difference between the two prefixes "non-" and "un-"?

What is the difference for example betweem the two words "non- pronounced" and "unpronounced"??

Thanks a lot.

 

[Raymott]

What is the difference between the two prefixes "non-" and "un-"?

What is the difference for example betweem the two words "non- pronounced" and "unpronounced"??

Thanks a lot.

Often there's no difference.
'Non-' means 'not'. 'Un-' can also means 'not'.
But 'un-' can also mean 'reversed', as in tied/untied, done/undone,

I'm not sure that 'non-pronounced' is a word. Anyway, you have to learn which prefix is used with which words. Note that variants of 'un-' are 'in-', 'im-', il-, ir-
In-: inhumane, inexplicable, insane ...
Im-: 'impossible', 'improper', imbalance, immature ...
Il- : illegal, illegitimate
Ir-: irreducible, irrelevant, irreplacable

You might notice that 'im-' is used before 'b','p','m' - that is, bilabial consonants.

Also look here:
http://www.e-tme.com/complete%20list%20of%20prefixes%20and%20suffixes.htm