As Monica says, they are very different words with different uses. Just one hint - the word 'rife' is always used for something negative eg crime.

These three words are all extraordinarily different in meaning, so it would be best to look them up in a dictionary first to see if you can understand what the meanings are. Regardless, here is a quick definition of these words: general - can mean "on average". As an adjective and adverb, it is used to describe behavior that is demonstrated by a majority. When used as a noun, it refers to someone who is in the military. rife - "filled with", "abundant" prevailing - "ongoing", "persisting"