Introduction
Many English words are created from Greek or Latin root words. Root words hold the most basic meaning of a word.
Most root words are not stand-alone words in English — they need a prefix and/or a suffix to create a meaningful word. For example, the Latin root word aud meaning “to hear or listen” is not an English word on its own, but it is the root of common words such as audio, audible, or auditorium which all have to do with hearing or listening.
Some root words can be stand-alone words — for example, the Greek root word scope meaning “viewing instrument” can stand alone or be combined with other Greek root words to create the words microscope and telescope.
Common Latin roots
| Latin Root | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ambi | both | ambiguous, ambidextrous |
| aqua | water | aquarium, aquamarine |
| aud | to hear | audience, audition |
| bene | good | benefactor, benevolent |
| cent | one hundred | century, percent |
| circum | around | circumference, circumstance |
| contra/counter | against | contradict, encounter |
| dict | to say | dictation, dictator |
| duc/duct | to lead | conduct, induce |
| fac | to do; to make | factory, manufacture |
| form | shape | conform, reform |
| fort | strength | fortitude, fortress |
| fract | to break | fracture, fraction |
| ject | throw | projection, rejection |
| jud | judge | judicial, prejudice |
| mal | bad | malevolent, malefactor |
| mater | mother | material, maternity |
| mit | to send | transmit, admit |
| mort | death | mortal, mortician |
| multi | many | multimedia, multiple |
| pater | father | paternal, paternity |
| port | to carry | portable, transportation |
| rupt | to break | bankrupt, disruption |
| scrib/scribe | to write | inscription, prescribe |
| sect/sec | to cut | bisect, section |
| sent | to feel; to send | consent, resent |
| spect | to look | inspection, spectator |
| struct | to build | destruction, restructure |
| vid/vis | to see | video, televise |
| voc | voice; to call | vocalize, advocate |
Download a copy of the common Latin roots chart.
Common Greek roots
| Greek Root | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| anthropo | man; human; humanity | anthropologist, philanthropy |
| auto | self | autobiography, automobile |
| bio | life | biology, biography |
| chron | time | chronological, chronic |
| dyna | power | dynamic, dynamite |
| dys | bad; hard; unlucky | dysfunctional, dyslexic |
| gram | thing written | epigram, telegram |
| graph | writing | graphic, phonograph |
| hetero | different | heteronym, heterogeneous |
| homo | same | homonym, homogenous |
| hydr | water | hydration, dehydrate |
| hypo | below; beneath | hypothermia, hypothetical |
| logy | study of | biology, psychology |
| meter/metr | measure | thermometer, perimeter, metrics |
| micro | small | microbe, microscope |
| mis/miso | hate | misanthrope, misogyny |
| mono | one | monologue, monotonous |
| morph | form; shape | morphology, morphing |
| nym | name | antonym, synonym |
| phil | love | philanthropist, philosophy |
| phobia | fear | claustrophobia, phobic |
| phon | sound | phone, symphony |
| photo/phos | light | photograph, phosphorous |
| pseudo | false | pseudonym, pseudoscience |
| psycho | soul; spirit | psychology, psychic |
| scope | viewing instrument | microscope, telescope |
| techno | art; science; skill | technique, technological |
| tele | far off | television, telephone |
| therm | heat | thermal, thermometer |
Download a copy of the common Greek roots chart.
Prefixes and suffixes
One method of understanding the meanings of new words is to analyze the different parts of the word and the meanings of those parts. Many new words are formed by adding an affix (a prefix or a suffix) to the beginning or end of a Latin or Greek root or root word.
Prefixes are added to the beginning of root words; suffixes are added to the end of root words. Prefixes and suffixes are word parts that carry meaning. For example, the prefix un- means means “not” or “the opposite of” as in the word unusual, and the suffix -est means “the most” as in the word smartest.
Common prefixes
| Prefix | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| anti- | against | anticlimax |
| de- | opposite | devalue |
| dis- | not; opposite of | discover |
| en-, em- | cause to | enact, empower |
| fore- | before; front of | foreshadow, forearm |
| in-, im- | in | income, impulse |
| in-, im-, il-, ir- | not | indirect, immoral, illiterate, irreverent |
| inter- | between; among | interrupt |
| mid- | middle | midfield |
| mis- | wrongly | misspell |
| non- | not | nonviolent |
| over- | over; too much | overeat |
| pre- | before | preview |
| re- | again | rewrite |
| semi- | half; partly; not fully | semifinal |
| sub- | under | subway |
| super- | above; beyond | superhuman |
| trans- | across | transmit |
| un- | not; opposite of | unusual |
| under- | under; too little | underestimate |
Download a copy of the common prefixes chart.
Common suffixes
| Suffix | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -able, -ible | is; can be | affordable, sensible |
| -al, -ial | having characteristics of | universal, facial |
| -ed | past tense verbs; adjectives | the dog walked, the walked dog |
| -en | made of | golden |
| -er, -or | one who; person connected with | teacher, professor |
| -er | more | taller |
| -est | the most | tallest |
| -ful | full of | helpful |
| -ic | having characteristics of | poetic |
| -ing | verb forms; present participles | sleeping |
| -ion, -tion, -ation, -tion | act; process | submission, motion, relation, edition |
| -ity, -ty | state of | activity, society |
| -ive, -ative, -itive | adjective form of noun | active, comparative, sensitive |
| -less | without | hopeless |
| -ly | how something is | lovely |
| -ment | state of being; act of | contentment |
| -ness | state of; condition of | openness |
| -ous, -eous, -ious | having qualities of | riotous, courageous, gracious |
| -s, -es | more than one | trains, trenches |
| -y | characterized by | gloomy |
Download a copy of the common suffixes chart.
Citation
McEwan, E.K. (2008). The Reading Puzzle: Word Analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
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