Word for root word does

Do all words have a root word?

In most cases, a word is built upon at least one root. 2. Words can have more than one prefix, root, or suffix. Words can be made up of two or more roots (geo/logy).

What is a base of a word?

A base word is a word that can have a prefix or a suffix added to it. When a prefix or suffix is added to a base word, the word’s meaning changes and a new word is formed. A prefix is added to the beginning of a base word.

What is the difference between a base word and a root word?

A root word is the primary form of a word while a base word is a word that can stand on its own. 2. A root word may or may not have a meaning while a base word has a meaning on its own.

What is the last word on a page called?

guide word

What does 6 mean in Greek?

Hexa

Is Quad Latin or Greek?

The root -quad- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning “four, fourth.” This meaning is found in such words as: quad, quadrangle, quadrant, quadruped, quadruplet.

What is the prefix for 11 in chemistry?

Alkanes

Number of carbons 1 11
Prefix Meth Undec

What is the prefix for 3 in chemistry?

EXTENSION OF RULES A-1.1 AND A-2.5 CONCERNING NUMERICAL TERMS USED IN ORGANIC CHEMICAL NOMENCLATURE

1 mono- or hen-* hecta-
3 tri- tricta-
4 tetra- tetracta-
5 penta- pentacta-
6 hexa- hexacta-

What are the 10 alkanes?

Table: Structural Formulas of the First Ten Continuous-chain Alkanes

Name Molecular Formula Structural Formula
Pentane C5H12 CH3CH2CH2CH2CH3
Hexane C6H14 CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3
Heptane C7H16 CH3CH2CH2CH2CH2CH2CH3
Octane C8H18 CH3(CH2)6CH3

What are the 20 alkanes?

Terms in this set (20)

  • Methane. Ch4.
  • Ethane. C2H6 (CH3CH3)
  • Propane. C3H8 (CH3CH2CH3)
  • Butane. C4H10 (CH3(CH2)2CH3)
  • Pentane. C5H12 (CH3(CH2)3CH3)
  • Hexane. C6H14 (CH3(CH2)4CH3)
  • Heptane. C7H16 (CH3(CH2)5CH3)
  • Octane. C8H18 (CH3(CH2)6CH3)

What are the first 10 alkenes?

List of Alkenes

  • Ethene (C2H4)
  • Propene (C3H6)
  • Butene (C4H8)
  • Pentene (C5H10)
  • Hexene (C6H12)
  • Heptene (C7H14)
  • Octene (C8H16)
  • Nonene (C9H18)

What are the first 10 alkynes?

Here are the molecular formulas and names of the first ten carbon straight chain alkynes….Introduction.

Name Molecular Formula
Propyne C3H4
1-Butyne C4H6
1-Pentyne C5H8
1-Hexyne C6H10

What are the first 10 straight chain alkanes?

Terms in this set (10)

  • methane. CH4 (C)
  • ethane. C2H6 (C-C)
  • propane. C3H8 (C-C-C)
  • butane. C4H10 (C-C-C-C)
  • pentane. C5H12 (C-C-C-C-C)
  • hexane. C6H14 (C-C-C-C-C-C)
  • heptane. C7H16 (C-C-C-C-C-C-C)
  • octane. C8H18 (C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C)

What are the 5 alkanes?

12.2: Structures and Names of Alkanes

Name Molecular Formula (CnH2n + 2) Number of Possible Isomers
ethane C2H6
propane C3H8
butane C4H10 2
pentane C5H12 3

How do you remember the first 10 alkanes?

Mnemonic Device: My Enormous Penguin Bounces Pretty High, Helping Old No-named Donkeys Explanation: to remember these alkanes in organic chemistry Methane, Ethane, Propane, Butane, Pentane, Hexane, Heptane, Octane, Nonane, Read More…

What are the first six alkanes?

D. Alkanes are the simplest hydrocarbon chains. These are organic molecules that consist only of hydrogen and carbon atoms in a tree-shaped structure (acyclic or not a ring)….List the Simplest Hydrocarbons.

methane CH 4
propane C 3H 8
butane C 4H 10
pentane C 5H 12
hexane C 6H 14

What are the first three alkanes?

We introduced the three simplest alkanes—methane (CH 4), ethane (C 2H 6), and propane (C 3H 8)—in Chapter 4 “Covalent Bonding and Simple Molecular Compounds”, Section 4.6 “Introduction to Organic Chemistry”. They are shown again in Figure 12.1 “The Three Simplest Alkanes”.

What are the first 10 hydrocarbons?

Terms in this set (10)

  • methane. CH₄
  • ethane. C₂H₆
  • propane. C₃H₈
  • butane. C₄H₁₀
  • pentane. C₅H₁₂
  • hexane. C₆H₁₄
  • heptane. C₇H₁₆
  • octane. C₈H₁₈

What is the first alkene?

ethene


Is the category for this document correct?

  1. Foreign Language
  2. English (Language)


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English Root Words Video

Transcript

Hey, there! Welcome to this video on root words, prefixes, and suffixes.

Many of the words we speak in English are made up of Latin and Greek words, but we have added prefixes and suffixes to them. Prefixes and suffixes are known as affixes.

The original word, before you add the affixes, is known as a root word. A root word can stand on its own as a complete word. For example the word reform. Re- is the prefix, and form is the root word. Form, by itself, is still a word. A root, on the other hand, does not typically make up a complete word on its own. For example, transmit. The trans is the prefix meaning across, and mit is the root meaning “to send.” Mit, by itself, is not a complete word.

Now, let’s take a look at what prefixes and suffixes actually are.

Words can be long and difficult at times, but understanding root words and the affixes can help you to understand the meaning of those long words and make them less scary.

New words can be made by adding a prefix before or a suffix after a root or root word.

When an affix is added before the root or root word, it is called a prefix. A helpful way to remember this is by looking at the word prefix itself. Pre means “before,” and a prefix comes before the root or root word.

A prefix often changes the meaning of a word. For instance, the word usual just means that something is customary or habitual. However, when you add the prefix un-, meaning “not” or “opposite of,” to the beginning, it changes the meaning of the word. Now, we have the word unusual, which means that something is not usual, not common, or is rare. Prefixes have definitions of their own, so when we add them onto a root word or root, we have to understand that the meaning of the word has been modified.

Now, an affix that is added to the end of a root or root word is called a suffix. Unlike a prefix, a suffix typically does not change the meaning of the word, at least not in a major way. Instead, a suffix typically adds more specification. For instance, if I say that someone is tall, you think of a person who is above the average or normal height. However, when I say someone is taller, I’m letting you know that a person is tall in comparison to another person, but they may not be tall in general.

Take a look:

Mark is tall.
Mark is taller than Jeff.

The meaning of the word is still referring to the height of a person or an object, but adding the suffix has changed the specification.

A suffix can add plurality, which just means that there are more than one of something. The most popular suffixes are -s and -es. These are examples of suffixes that add plurality. I actually just did this with the word suffix. When I just say “suffix,” I am letting you know that there is only one, but when I say “suffixes,” I’ve added plurality, letting you know that there is more than one.

Words can have a prefix, root or root word, and suffix all in one.

Let’s look at the word destruction

De- is the prefix meaning “opposite.” Struct is the Latin root meaning “to build,” and -ion is the suffix meaning “act or process.” Understanding the meaning of prefixes, roots or root words, and suffixes helps us to understand the proper meaning of a word. With our definition of the prefix, root, and suffix, in the word destruction, we can see that the opposite of building is happening.

There are thousands of roots and root words out there that are used in the English language. There are fewer prefixes and suffixes combined than there are roots and root words. Practice finding the prefixes, roots and root words, and suffixes in the words you use in class and at home.

The more you practice, the easier it will be for you to understand the meaning of words that you have never even heard of.

I hope this video on prefixes, roots and root words, and suffixes was helpful for you!

See you next time!

Return to Reading Comprehension Videos

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list a/n not, without Greek abyss — without bottom; achromatic — without color; anhydrous — without water list a on Latin afire — on fire; ashore — on the shore; aside — on the side list a, ab/s
from, away, off Latin abduct — carry away by force; abnormal — away from normal, not normal; absent — away, not present; aversion — the act of turning away from; abbreviate: to shorten. list a/c/d to, toward, near Latin

accelerate — to increase the speed of; accessible — easily entered, approached, or obtained; admittance — allowing into;

list acro top, height, tip, beginning Greek

acrobat — a «high walker»; acronym — a word formed from the first (capital) letters of a word; acrophobia — fear of height

list act do Latin activity — something that a person does; react — to do something in response; interaction — communication between two or more things list aer/o air Greek aerate — to let air reach something; aerial — relating to the air; aerospace — the air space list agr/i/o farming Latin
Greek
agriculture — management of the land, agribusiness — making money by utilizing land; agrarian — relating to the management of land list alg/o pain Latin neuralgia — pain caused by a nerve; analgesic — a drug that makes one pain free; nostalgia — aching for the familiar list ambi, amphi both, on both sides, around Latin ambidextrous — able to use both hands equally; ambiguous — having more than one meaning; ambivalence — conflicting or opposite feelings toward a person or thing list ambul walk, move Latin amble — to walk in a slow, relaxed way; ambulant — walking or moving around; ambulance — a vehicle that moves a patient list ami/o love Latin amiable — friendly, pleasant, lovable; amity — friendly and peaceful relations; amorous — showing romantic love list ana up, back, against,
again, throughout Greek analysis — a close examination of something; anatomy — the structure of something as visible when cut up for analysis; anachronism — not being in the right place in time list andr/o man, male Greek androgynous — being both male and female; android — resembling a human; misandry — hatred towards men list anim life, spirit Latin animal — a living organism; animate — to make alive; equanimity — of balanced spirit list ann/enn year Latin anniversary — a date observed once a year; annual — happening once a year; millennium — 1,000 years list ante before, in front Latin antecede — to come before something in time; antemeridian — before noon; anteroom- a small room before the main room list anth/o flower Greek chrysanthemum and amaranth — names of flowers; anthology — a collection of treasured writings; anthozoan — half plant, half animal, like anemones and corals. list anthrop/o human Greek anthropology — the study of mankind; anthropomorphism — giving human form to non-human things; philanthropy — the love to mankind (expressed through good deeds) list anti against, opposite of Greek antibody — a substance that destroys micro-organisms; antiseptic — preventing infection; antisocial — opposing social norm list apo, apho away, off, separate Greek aphorism — a short expression of a general truth; apology — an explicit expression of regret, apostrophe — a small dash used in place of an omitted letter list aqu/a water Latin aquarium — a water container for fish; aquatic- relating to water; aqueduct — a pipeline for water list arbor tree Latin arborist — someone working with trees; arbor — a shady area formed by trees; arborous — having many trees list arch/i
chief, most important, rule Greek archbishop — the highest ranking bishop; archenemy — chief or worst enemy; matriarch — a female who rules a group; monarch — a king or queen list arch/a/i primitive, ancient Greek archaeology — the study of ancient cultures; archaic — belonging to an earlier period; archive — a collection of historical materials list arthr/o joint Latin
Greek arthroscope — a tool to see inside a joint; arthritis — inflammation of a joint; arthropod — invertebrates with jointed legs, like spiders, crustaceans, insects list art skill Latin artifact — object made by a person’s skill; artisan — a person skilled in a craft; artist — a person who creates skillfully list astro,
aster
star, stars, outer space Greek astronaut — a person traveling to the stars; astronomer — someone who studies the stars; asterisk — a star-shaped sign used as a reference tool list aud/i/io hear Latin audible — loud enough to be heard; audience — people who listen to a program; audiovisual — relating to sound and vision list auto self, same, one Greek autocrat — a person who governs with absolute power; autograph — a person’s own signature; automatic — moving by itself list avi/a bird Latin aviary — a large enclosure for birds; aviatrix — a female airplane pilot; aviation — the art of designing or operating aircraft list bar/o pressure, weight Greek baric — pertaining to pressure, esp. of the atmosphere; milliard — metric unit, equal to 1/1000th of a bar; baryon — heavy elementary particle list bell/i war Latin bellicose — warlike; belligerent — hostile, ready to fight; rebel — person who opposes and fights list bene good, well Latin benefactor — person who gives money to a cause; beneficial — producing a good effect; benevolent — showing kindness or goodwill list bi/n two, twice, once in every two Latin biannual — happening twice a year; binoculars — optical device with two lenses; bilateral — of or involving two sides list bibli/o book Greek bibliography — a list of books used as sources; bibliomania — an extreme love of books; bibliophile — a person who loves books list bio life, living matter Greek biography- a life story written by another person; biology — the science of life; biosphere — Earth’s surface inhabited by living things list blast/o cell, primitive, immature cell Greek blastula — an early stage of embryonic development; fibroblast — a cell that forms connective tissue; blastoderm — the layer surrounding the inside of an egg list burs pouch, purse Latin bursar- an administrative officer in charge of funds; bursary- the treasury of a college or monastery; disburse- to expend especially from a public fund list calc stone Latin calcite; calcium- the flame of acetylene gas generated by reaction of calcium carbide with water; calcification- impregnation with calcareous matter list cand glowing, iridescent Latin candid- free from bias, prejudice, or malice; candle- something that gives light; incandescent- white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat list capt, cept, ceive take, hold Latin intercept — to stop or interrupt;

perceive — to take notice of something; captivating — taking hold of

list cardi/o heart Greek cardiac — relating to the heart; cardiogenic — resulting from heart disease; cardiologist — a heart doctor list carn/i flesh, meat Latin carnivorous — flesh-eating; carnal — pertaining to the body or flesh; incarnate — given bodily form list cata down, against
completely, intensive,
according to Greek cataclysm — a flood or other disaster, catalog — a complete listing; catastrophe — turning for the worst, a substantial disaster list caust,
caut
to burn Latin
Greek

cauterize — to burn with a hot instrument; caustic — capable of burning or eating away; holocaust — total devastation, especially by fire

list cede,
ceed,
cess
go, yield Latin

exceed — to go beyond the limits; recede — to go back; accessible — easily entered, approached, or obtained;

list celer fast Latin accelerate — to increase the speed of; decelerate — to reduce the speed of list cent/i hundred, hundredth Latin centennial- the 100th anniversary; centimeter — 1/100 of a meter; century — 100 years list centr/o/i center Greek egocentric — self-centered; eccentric — not having a common center, not according to norm; centrifugal — moving outward from a center list cephal/o head Greek encephalitis — inflammation of the brain; cephalic — pertaining to the head; cephalopod — marine mollusks like octopus and squid who have tentacles growing from their head list cerebr/o brain Latin cerebral — pertaining to the brain; cerebrate — to use the brain; cerebrospinal — pertaining to the brain and the spinal cord list cert sure Latin ascertain- to find out something with certainty; certain — being absolutely sure; certify — to state that something is true list chrom/o chromat/o, chros color, pigment Greek achromatic — without color; chromium — a blue-white metallic chemical element, chromatics — the study of color list chron/o time Greek chronic — lasting for a long time; chronological — arranging events in time order, synchronize — happening at the same time list chrys/o gold, yellow Greek chrysanthemum and helichrysum — golden/yellow flowers; chrysolite — a yellowish gem list cide, cise cut, kill Latin homicide — murder; incisor — a sharp tooth for cutting food; insecticide — a chemical used to kill insects list circum,
circle
around, about Latin circumnavigate — to sail around; circumscribe — to draw around; circumspect — looking around list claim, clam shout, speak out Latin clamor — to shout and make noise; exclaim — to cry out loudly and suddenly; proclamation — something announced officially in public list clar clear Latin clarification — an explanation; clarify — to make something clear; declare — to state something clearly list clud, clus close Latin conclusion — the end or last part; exclusion — shutting out, rejecting; seclude — to keep away from; to isolate list cline lean Latin inclination — a leaning toward; incline — a surface that slopes or leans; recline — to lean back and relax list co with, together, joint Latin coauthor — writer who collaborates with another author; coeducation — educating males and females together; cohousing — planning your neighborhood in an intentional neighborly fashion list col together, jointly Latin Collaborate — to work together; collision — smashing together; colloquial — words formed by everday interaction list com together, common Latin commemorate — to memorize together; composition — an arrangement or putting together of parts; commune — living together while owning things in common list cogn/i know Latin cognition — process of acquiring knowledge; incognito — disguised so no one knows you; recognize — to discover that one knows list con with, jointly Latin concur — to agree with someone; contemporary — of the same time period as others; convention — a gathering of people with a common interest list contra/o against, opposite Latin contradict to argue against, Contraflow, contraception, contrary not in agreement, controversy disagreement list corp/o body Latin corporation — a company recognized by law as a single body; corpse — a dead body; corporal — pertaining to the body list cosm/o universe Greek cosmonaut — a Russian astronaut; cosmos — the universe; microcosm — a miniature universe list counter opposite, contrary, opposing counteract — to oppose the effects of an action; countermand — to cancel a previous order; counteroffensive — attack against an attack list cranio skull Greek craniology — the study of skull characteristics; cranium — skull of vertebrates; cranial — pertaining to the skull list cred believe Latin credence — belief that something is true or valid; credulous — believing things too easily, gullible; incredible — unbelievable list cruc cross Latin crucial-characteristic of or having the form of a cross ; crucifix- the cross itself as a Christian emblem; excruciating-  so intense as to cause great pain or anguish list crypto hidden, secret Greek cryptic — of hidden meaning; cryptography — science of secret codes; encrypt — encode into secret code list cumul mass, heap Latin accumulate — to gather or pile up; cumulative — gradually building up list curr, curs run Latin concurrent- running parallel; current- flowing easily and smoothly; cursive- having a flowing, easy, impromptu character list cycl circle, ring Greek bicycle — a vehicle with two wheels; cycle — a sequence that is repeated; cyclone — a storm with circling winds list de reduce, away, down, remove Latin decelerate — to slow down, reduce speed; dethrone — to remove from power; debug — to remove bugs list dec/a,
deka
ten Greek decade — 10 years; decathlon — athletic contest that includes 10 disciplines in which each participant competes; December — formerly the 10th month of the Roman calendar list deci one tenth Latin deciliter — a tenth of a liter; decimate — reduce dramatically; decibel — one tenth of the sound volume unit bel list dem/o people Greek democracy — government of the people; demographic — the study of people; epidemic — spreading among people in a region list demi half, less than Latin demitasse — a small cup of coffee; demimonde — someone of little respected life style list dendr/o/i tree Greek philodendron — a climbing plant that grows on trees; dendrochronology — dating events by studying growth rings in trees; dendriform — in the shape of a tree list dent, dont tooth Latin dental — relating to teeth; dentist — a doctor for the teeth; dentures — a set of false teeth list derm/a skin Greek dermatologist — a doctor for the skin; pachyderm — a class of animals with very thick skin (elephant, rhinoceros); dermatitis — inflammation of the skin list di/plo two, twice Greek dichromatic — displaying two colors; diploma — a certificate, literally «a letter folded double»; dilemma — a situation that requires a choice between two alternatives. list di/s apart, away,
not, to the opposite Latin digression — a departure from the main issue, subject; disappear — to move out of sight; dissect — to cut apart piece by piece. list dia through, between,
apart, across Greek diabetes — disease characterized by excessive thirst and discharge of urine; diagnosis — understanding a condition by going through a detailed review of symptoms; dialog — conversation between two people. list dict speak Latin contradict — to express the opposite of; prediction — a statement foretelling the future; dictate — to speak out loud for another person to write down. list domin master Latin dominate — to be the master of; domineering — excessively controlling; predominate — to have more power than others list don/at give Latin donation — a contribution or gift; donor — someone who gives something; pardon — to give forgiveness for an offense list duc/t lead Latin conduct — to lead musicians in playing music; educate — to lead to knowledge; deduction — a subtraction of an amount. list du/o two, twice Latin duplicate — make an identical copy; duet — a musical composition for two voices or instruments; duo — a pair normally thought of as being together. list dur harden, to last, lasting Latin durable — having the quality of lasting; duration — the length of time something lasts; enduring — able to last. list dyn/a/am power, energy, strength Greek dynamo — a generator of energy; dynamic — having physical energy/power; dynamite — a powerful explosive. list dys abnormal, bad Greek dyspepsia — abnormal digestion; dystopia — an imaginary place of total misery; dyslexia — impairment of the ability to handle words. list e- out, away Latin eloquent — speaking beautifully and forcefully; emissary — a representative of a country or group sent on a mission; eject — throw out forcefully. list ego self Latin
Greek egoistic — self-centered; alter ego — a higher aspect of oneself; egomania — excessive preoccupation with oneself. list em, en into, cover with, cause empathy — intention to feel like another person; empower — put into power; engorge — make larger. list endo within, inside Greek endotherm — a creature that can keep its inside temperature fairly constant; endocrine — relating to glands that secrete directly into the blood or lymph; endogamy — the custom to marry within one’s clan, tribe etc. list enn/i, anni years Latin bicentennial — of or relating to an age or period of 200 years; centennial — of or relating to an age or period of 100 years; perennial -lasting through many years. list en, in inside, inwards Latin envision — to picture in the mind; enclose — lock inside; inwards — towards the inside. list ep/i on, upon, over,
among, at, after,
to, outside Greek epidemic — the rapid spread of something negative; epilogue — a short speech delivered after a play; epicenter — the center of an earthquake. list equ/i equal, equally Latin equidistant — an equal distance from two points; equanimity — calm temperament, evenness of temper; equation — a statement of equality. list erg/o work Greek ergonomics — study of the working environment; energy — the power to accomplish work; energetics — science that looks at energy and its transformation. list esth/aesth feeling, sensation, beauty Latin esthetician — someone who beautifies; aesthetic — pertaining to a sense of beauty; kinesthesia — the sensation of bodily movement. list ethno race, people Greek ethnic — pertaining to a defined group of people; ethnocentric — focusing on the ethnicity of people; ethnology — the science of people and races. list eu good, well Greek euphemism — replacing an offensive word with an inoffensive one; euphonious — having a pleasant sound; euphoria — feeling of well-being. list ex from, out, Latin excavate — to dig out; exhale — to breathe out; extract — to pull out. list extra, extro outside, beyond Latin extraordinary — beyond ordinary; extraterrestrial — outside the Earth; extrovert — an outgoing person. list fac/t make, do Latin artifact — an object made by a person; factory — a place where things are made; malefact — a person who does wrong. list fer bear, bring, carry Latin confer — to bring an honor to someone; ferry — a boat that carries passengers; transfer — to move to another place. list fid faith Latin confide — place trust in someone, fidelity — faithfulness; fiduciary — a trustee; list flect bend Latin deflect — to bend course because of hitting something; inflection — a bending in the voice’s tone or pitch; flexible — easily bending. list flor/a,
fleur
flower Latin florist — someone working with flowers; floral — flowerlike; flora — the plant life of a particular time or area list for completely (used to intensify
the meaning of a word) forsaken or forfeited — completely lost; forgiven — completely given (a release of debt). list fore in front of, previous, earlier forebear — ancestor; forebode — to give an advance warning of something bad; forecast — a preview of events to be. list form shape Latin conformity- correspondence in form, manner, or character; formation- something that is formed; reformatory- intended for reformation list fract, frag break Latin fracture — a break; fragile — easy to break; fragment or fraction — a part or element of a larger whole; list fug flee, run away, escape Latin fugitive — a person who is running away; refuge — a sheltered place to flee to; refugee — a person seeking protection list funct perform, work Latin defunct — no longer working or alive; function — to work or perform a role normally; malfunction — to fail to work correctly. list fus pour Latin confusion — being flooded with too much information that is hard to make sense of; fuse — to melt by heating; infuse — to put into. list gastr/o stomach Greek gastric — pertaining to the stomach; gastronomy — serving the stomach by providing good food; gastritis — inflammation of the stomach. list gen/o/e/
genesis
birth, production,
formation, kind Greek genealogy — the study of the history of a family; generation — all the people born at approximately the same time; genetic -relating to heredity encoded in the genes. list geo earth, soil, global Greek geography — study of the earth’s surface; geology — study of the structure of the earth; geoponics — soil based agriculture. list ger old age Greek geriatrics — medicine pertaining to the elderly; gerontocracy — the rule of the elders; gerontology — the science of aging. list giga a billion Greek gigabyte — unit of computer storage space; gigahertz — unit of frequency (one billion Hz/sec); gigawatt unit of electric power (one billion watts). list gon angle Latin
Greek decagon — a polygon with 10 angles; diagonal — a slanting line running across a space; octagon — a geometrical figure with 8 angles. list gram letter, written Greek diagram — a simple drawing; grammar — rules of how to write words in sentences; telegram — a message sent by telegraph. list gran grain Latin granary- a storehouse or repository for grain especially after it is threshed or husked; granola- a mixture of rolled oats and other ingredients; granule- a little grain (as of sugar) list graph/y writing, recording, written Greek Graphology — the study of handwritings; autograph — written with one’s own hand; seismograph — a machine noting strength and duration of earthquakes. list grat pleasing Latin gratify — to please someone; grateful — feeling thankful; gratuity — a tip, token of appreciation. list gyn/o/e woman, female Greek gynecology — the science of female reproductive health; gynephobia — fear of women; gynecoid — resembling a woman. list gress, grad/e/i to step, to go Latin digression — a departure from the main issue, subject, etc.; progress — movement forward or onward; gradual — step by step. list hect/o, hecat hundred Greek hectoliter — 100 liters; hectare — metric unit equaling 100 ares or 10,000 square meters; hectometer — 100 meters. list helic/o spiral, circular Greek helicopter — an aircraft with horizontal rotating wing; helix — a spiral form; helicon — a circular tuba. list heli/o sun Greek heliotropism — movement or growth in relating to the sun; heliograph — apparatus used to send message with the help of sunlight; helianthus — genus of plants including sunflowers. list hemi half, partial Greek hemicycle — a semicircular structure; hemisphere — one half of the earth; hemistich — half a line of poetry. list hem/o/a blood Latin
Greek hemorrhage — clotting of the blood; hemorrhoids — swelling of the blood vessels; hemoglobin — red blood particle. list hepa liver Latin hepatitis — inflammation of the liver; hepatoma — a tumor of the liver; hepatotoxic — toxic and damaging to the liver. list hept/a seven Greek heptagon — a shape with seven angles and seven sides; Heptateuch — the first seven books of the Old Testament; heptameter — a line of verse consisting of seven metrical feet. list herbi grass, plant Latin herbicide — any chemical used to kill unwanted plants, etc.; herbivorous — plant-eating; herbal — relating to plants. list hetero different, other Greek heterogeneous — made up of unrelated parts; heteronyms — words with same spelling but different meanings; heterodox — not conforming to traditional beliefs. list hex/a six Greek hexagon — a shape with six angles/sides; hexameter — a verse measured in six; hexapod — having six legs. list histo tissue Greek histology — study of the microscopic structure of tissues; histochemistry — study of the chemical constitution of cells and tissues. list homo,
homeo
like, alike, same Latin
Greek homogeneous — of the same nature or kind; homonym — sounding alike; homeopath — a therapy that is based on treating «same with same» list hydr/o liquid, water Greek hydrate — to add water to; hydrophobia — intense fear of water; hydroponics — growing plants in liquid nutrient solution; hydraulic — operated by force created by a liquid. list hygr/o moisture, humidity Greek hygrometer — tool used to measure humidity; hygrograph — instrument for recording variations in atmospheric humidity. list hyper too much, over,
excessive, beyond Latin
Greek hyperactive — very restless; hypercritical — too critical; hypertension — above normal pressure. list hyp/o under Greek hypoglycemia — an abnormally low level of sugar in the blood; hypothermia — abnormally low body temperature; hypothesis — a theory that is unproven but used under the assumption that it is true. list iatr/o medical care Greek geriatrics — medical care of the elderly; pediatrician — a doctor who treats children; podiatry — medical care for feet. list icon/o image Latin
Greek icon — an (often religious) image, in modern usage a simplified graphic of high symbolic content; iconology — science of symbols and icons; iconoclast — someone who destroys religious images and traditional beliefs. list idio peculiar, personal, distinct Greek idiomatic — Peculiar to a particular language; idiosyncracy — a physical or mental characteristic typical or a particular person; idiot — someone who is distinctly foolish or stupid. list il, in in, into Latin illuminate — to give light to; innovation — a new idea, method, or device; inspection — the act of examining or reviewing. list ig, il, im,
in, ir
not, without Latin illegal — not legal; impossible — not possible; inappropriate — not appropriate; irresponsible — not responsible. list imag likeness Latin image — a likeness of someone; imaginative — able to think up new ideas or images; imagine — to form a picture or likeness in the mind. list infra beneath, below Latin infrastructure — underlying framework of a system; infrared — below the regular light spectrum. list inter between, among, jointly Latin international — involving two or more countries; intersection — place where roads come together; intercept — to stop or interrupt the course of. list intra,
intro
within, inside Latin intrastate — existing in one state; intravenous — inside or into a vein; introvert — shy person who keeps within him/herself. list ir not Latin irredeemable — not redeemable; irreformable — not reformable; irrational — not rational. list iso equal isobar — a line on a map connecting points of equal barometric pressure; isometric — having equality of measure; isothermal — having equal or constant temperature. list ject throw Latin eject — to throw someone/something out; interject — to throw a remark into a discussion; project — to cast or throw something. list jud law Latin judgment — a decision of a court of law; judicial — having to do with judges or courts of law; judiciary — a system of courts of law. list junct join Latin conjunction — a word that joins parts of sentences; disjunction — a disconnection; junction — a place where two things join. list juven young Latin juvenile — youthful or childish; rejuvenate — to bring back to youthful strength or appearance. list kilo thousand Greek kilobyte — 1,000 bytes; kilometer — 1,000 meter; kilograms — 1,000 grams. list kine/t
/mat
motion, division Greek kinetics — study of the force of motion; psychokinesis or telekinesis — the ability to move objects with your mind; cinematography — motion picture making. list lab work Latin collaborate — to work with a person; elaborate — to work out the details; laborious — requiring a lot of hard work. list lact/o milk Latin lactate — to give milk, nurse; lactose — the sugar contained in milk; lactic acid. list later side Latin bilateral — of or involving two sides; unilateral — affecting one side of something. list leuk/o,
leuc/o
white, colorless Greek leukemia — abnormal increase of white blood cells in the blood; leukocyte — a mature white blood cell; leucine — a white, crystalline amino acid. list lex word, law, reading Greek lexicology — the study and history of words; alexia -loss of the ability to read; illegal — not authorized by the official rules or laws. list liber free Latin liberate — to set free; libertine — a person with a free, wild lifestyle; liberty — freedom. list lingu language, tongue Latin linguist — one who studies languages; multilingual — able to communicate in multiple languages; linguine — long, flat «tongue-shaped» pasta. list lip/o fat Greek liposuction — the mechanical removal of fat reserves in the tissue; lipase — enzyme that breaks down fat; lipoid — resembling fat. list lite, ite,
lith/o
mineral, rock, fossil Greek apatite — a group of common minerals; granite — a hard, granular rock; monolith — a remarkable, unique stone. list loc place Latin dislocate — to put something out of its usual place; location — a place; relocate — to move to a new place. list log/o word, doctrine, discourse Greek logic — correct reasoning; monologue — a long speech by one speaker;analogy — similarity, especially between things otherwise dissimilar. list loqu, locu speak Latin eloquent — speaking beautifully and forcefully ; loquacious — very talkative; elocution — art of public speaking. list luc light Latin elucidate — to explain, to throw light on; lucid — easily understood, giving off light; translucent — allowing light through. list lud, lus to play Latin prelude — introduction to the major performance; illusion — misleading optical image or impression; delude — to mislead, deceive. list lumin light Latin illuminate — to fill with light; lumen — unit measuring light. list lun/a/i moon Latin lunar — relating to the moon; lunarscape — the surface of the moon; lunatic — insane (as if driven mad by the moon). list macro large, great Greek macroevolution — large scale evolution; macromolecule — a large molecule; macroeconomics — study of the overall forces of economy. list magn/a/i great, large Latin magnify — make larger; magnificent — grand; magnate — a powerful person, especially in business or industry. list mal/e bad, ill, wrong Latin malcontent — wrong content; malaria — «bad air», infectious disease thought to originate from the «bad air» of the swamps, but caused by the bite of an infected mosquito; malicious — showing strong ill will. list man/i/u hand Latin maneuver — to move by hand; manual — done with the hands; manuscript — a book written by hand. list mand to order Latin command — an order or instruction; demand — a hard-to-ignore order; mandate — an official order. list mania madness, insanity,
excessive desire Greek bibliomania — a crazy love of books; egomania — a mad love of oneself; maniac an insane person. list mar/i sea Latin

marina — a harbor for pleasure boats; maritime — relating to the sea; submarine — an undersea boat; aquamarine — color of sea water.

list mater,
matr/i
mother Latin maternal — relating to motherhood; maternity — the state of being a mother; matriarch — a woman head of a household. list max greatest Latin maximal — the best or greatest possible; maximize — to make as great as possible; maximum — the greatest amount. list medi middle Latin medieval — pertaining to the Middle Ages; medium — in the middle; mediocre — only of medium (inferior) quality. list mega great, large, million Greek megalopolis — an area with many nearby cities; megaphone — a device that projects a loud voice; megastructure — huge building or other structure. list melan/o black Greek melancholy — a state of dark emotions; melanoma — malignant dark tumor of the skin; melodrama — a dark, pathetic drama. list memor/i remember Latin commemorate — to honor the memory of, as by a ceremony; memorial — related to remembering a person or event; memory: an ability to retain knowledge or an individual’s stock of retained knowledge. list merge,
mers
dip, dive Latin immerge or immerse — to put or dip something into a liquid; submerge to dip something completely into wate.r list meso middle Latin
Greek Mesoamerica — Middle America; meson — elementary particle with a mass between an electron and a proton. list meta change, after, beyond, between Greek metaphysics — study of nature and reality; metamorphosis — a complete change of form; metastasis — the transmission of disease to other parts of the body. list meter,
metr/y
measure Greek audiometer- an instrument that measures hearing acuteness; chronometer- an instrument that measures time; metric — measured. list micro very small, short, minute Greek microbe — a very small living thing; microchip — a tiny wafer with an integrated circuit; microscope — a device to see very small things. list mid middle Latin
Greek midriff — the area between the chest and the waist; midterm — middle of a term in school; midway — halfway between. list migr move Latin immigrant — a person who moves to a new country to settle; migrant — person who moves from place to place; migration — the process of moving. list milli onethousandth Latin millimeter — one thousandth of a meter; millibar — one thousandth of a bar; milliliter — one thousandth of a liter. list min/i small, less Latin mini — something that is very small; minuscule — extremely tiny; minutiae — very small or trivial details. list mis/o bad, badly, wrong, wrongly,
to hate Greek misbehave — to behave badly; misprint — an error in printing; misnomer — an error in naming a person or thing. list miss, mit send, let go Latin dismiss — to send someone away; missile — a weapon sent into the air; emit — to send something out; admittance — entry. list mob move Latin immobilize — to stop from moving; mobile — able to move freely; mobility — the quality of being able to move. list mon/o one, single, alone Greek monochromat — having one color; monologue — a speech spoken by one person; monotheism — belief in one god. list mot, mov move Latin motion — the act of moving; motivate — to move someone to action; promote to move someone forward; removable — able to be taken or carried away. list morph/o form Greek metamorphosis — complete change of form; endorphins — chemical in the brain able to transform pain; amorphous — without distinct shape or form. list mort death Latin immortal — living forever, unable to die; mortal — certain to die; mortician — an undertaker. list multi many, more than one or two Latin multicolored — having many colors; multimedia — using a range of media; multitasking — doing many things at once. list mut change Latin immutable — not changing; mutant — an organism that has undergone change; mutate — to undergo a change. list my/o muscle Latin myocardium — the middle muscle of the heart; myasthenia — muscle fatigue or weakness; myosin — common protein in muscle tissue. list narr tell Latin narrate — to tell a story; narrative — a story; narrator — a person who tells a story. list nat born Latin innate — included since birth; natal — relating to birth; natural — gotten at birth, not afterward. list nav ship Latin circumnavigate — to sail around a place; naval — relating to a navy or warships; navigate — to sail a ship through a place. list necr/o dead, death Greek necrophil — loving death; necrosis — the death of tissue due to disease or injury; necrology — a list of persons who have recently died. list neg no Latin negate — to say it didn’t happen; negative — meaning «no»; renege — to go back on a promise. list neo new, recent neoclassic — a revival of classic form, neocolonialism — the indirect («new») economical and political control of a region by a more powerful foreign power; neonatal — a newborn child, especially the first few weeks. list nephr/o kidney Greek nephritis — inflammation of the kidneys; nephrotomy — surgical incision of a kidney; nephron — a single, excretory unit in the kidney. list neur/o nerve Greek neuralgia — pain along a nerve; neurologist — doctor specializing in the nerves; neurotic — mental disorder that usually does not include an impaired perception of reality. list nom/in name Latin misnomer — an error in naming a person or thing; nominal — being something in name only but not in reality; nominate — to name for election or appointment, to designate. list non no, not, without Latin nondescript — with no special characteristics; nonfiction — true, real, not made-up; nonsense — without sense. list not mark Latin notable — marked as worthy of attention; notarize — to certify a signature on a legal document; annotate — to add remarks. list noun,
nunc
declare Latin announce — to declare in public; denounce — to proclaim harsh criticism; enunciate — to speak or declare something clearly. list nov new Latin innovate — to introduce a new way; novelty — something new; novice — a person who is new at a job; renovate — to make something like new again. list numer number Latin enumerate — to name a number of items on a list; numerology — the study of magical uses of numbers; numerous — a large number. list ob, op in the way, against Latin object — to be against something; obscure — hard to understand; opposition — the act of resistance or action against. list oct/a/o eight Greek octagon — a figure with 8 sides and 8 angles; octogenarian — person in his or her 80s; octopus — sea animal with 8 arms. list ocu eye Latin binoculars — lens device for seeing distances; monocula — relating to one eye; oculist — an eye doctor. list od path, way Greek diode —  an electron tube having two electrodes, a cathode and an anode; odometer —  an instrument attached to a vehicle to measure the distance traversed; triode — an electron tube with an anode, a cathode, and a control grid list odor  smell, scent Latin deodorant — a substance that helps prevent body odor; malodorous — having a terribly bad smell; odoriferous- something that bears or diffuses a scent
list omni all Latin omnipotent — with all the power; omniscient — knowing all things; omnivorous eating all foods. list op/t/s eye, visual condition, sight Greek optic — relating to the eyes; optician — a person who fits eyeglasses; autopsy — the examination of a dead body. list opt best Latin optimal — the best, the most desirable; optimize — to make the best of; optimum — the best something could be. list ortho straight Greek orthodontist — a dentist that straightens teeth; orthopedic — a doctor concerned with the proper alignment of the bones; orthography — the correct way of writing. list osteo bone Greek osteoarthritis — inflammation caused by degeneration of the joints; osteopathy — therapy that uses among others manipulation of the skeleton to restore health; osteology — the study of bones. list out goes beyond,
surpasses, exceeds Outgoing — being of lively, sharing nature; outdoing — doing better than; outdoor — outside. list over excessive English overconfident — more confident than is appropriate; overstock — more supplies than is desirable; overexcited — ,more excited than one should be. list oxi/oxy sharp Greek oxymoron — combining two ideas that sharply contradict each other; oxidize — corrode a surface. list pale/o ancient Greek paleontology — study of ancient fossils; paleography — the study of ancient forms of writing; Paleolithic — period of the Stone Age. list pan all, any, everyone Greek panacea — a cure for all diseases or problems; panorama — an all-around view; pantheism — the worship of all gods; pandemic — affecting all. list para beside, beyond, abnormal,
assistant Greek parasite — an organism that lives on and off another living being; parallel — alongside and always an equal distance apart; paragraph — a portion of a writtenn document that presents a distinct idea. list para protection from parachute — protection from falling; parasol — an umbrella used to protect from the sun; list pater,
patr/i
father Latin
Greek paternal — relating to fathers; paternity — fatherhood; patriarch — a man who rules a group. list path feeling, emotion antipathy — a feeling of great dislike; apathy — a lack of feeling or interest; empathy — ability to understand another’s feelings. list ped/i/e foot, feet Latin pedal — a lever pushed by the foot; pedestrian — one who walks; pedicure — cosmetic treatment of feet and toes. list pel drive, force Latin compel — to force someone to act; expel — to drive someone out of a place; repel — to force back. list pent/a five Greek pentagon — shape having 5 angles and 5 sides, pentagram — a five-pointed star formerly used as a symbolic figure in magic; pentathlon — an athletic contest that includes five events. list pept,
peps
digestion Greek dyspepsia — abnormal digestion; peptic — aiding digestion; pepsin — a digestive enzyme. list per through, throughout Latin permanent — lasting throughout all time; permeate — to spread throughout; persist — to continue for a long time; perennial — lasting through many years. list peri around, enclosing Greek periodontal — pertaining to bone and tissue around a tooth; peripheral — lying outside of the center; perimeter — the outer boundary of an area. list phag/e to eat Greek esophagus — muscular tube that carries food to the stomach; anthropophagy or sarcophagy — cannibalism; xylophagous — feeding on wood. list phil/o love, friend Greek philanthropist — one who loves humanity; philology — the love of words; philosophy — the love of wisdom; bibliophil — loving books. list phon/o
/e/y
sound Greek cacophony — loud, unpleasant sounds; microphone — a device that records and amplifies sound; phonetic — relating to human speech sounds. list phot/o light Greek photogenic — caused by light; photograph — image made on light-sensitive film; photon — the smallest possible unit of light. list phyll/o leaf Greek chlorophyll — a group of green pigments found in leaves; phyllotaxis — the arrangement of leaves on a stem; phyllite — a rock that forms sheets, similar to slate. list phys nature, medicine, the body Greek physical — relating to the body; physician — a doctor; physique — nature and shape of one’s body. list phyt/o/e plant, to grow Greek epiphyte — a plant growing independently on the surface of another; hydrophyte — a plant that grows only in water; neophyte — a beginner, especially a person recently converted to a new belief. list plas/t/m to form, development,
forming cells Greek protoplasm — something that is the first made or formed, also the living portion of a cell; plastic — able to be formed, especially when warm; plaster — a mixture of lime, sand and water that forms a smooth solid covering for walls. list plaud, plod, plaus, plos approve, clap Latin applaud- to show approval of especially by clapping the hands; explosion- an act of exposing something as invalid or baseless; plausible- worthy of being applauded list pneum/o breathing, lung, air, spirit Greek pneumonia — inflammation of the lungs; pneumatic — using the force of air; dyspnea — difficulty breathing. list pod/e foot Greek podiatrist — a doctor for the feet; podium — a small platform to stand on; tripod — a stand or frame with 3 legs. list poli city Greek metropolis — a large city; police — people who work for the government to maintain order in a city; politics — actions of a government or political party. list poly many, more than one Greek polychrome — with many colors; polyglot — a person fluent in many languages; polygon — shape with 3 or more straight sides. list pon place, put Latin opponent — a person who places him/herself against an action, idea, etc.; postpone — to put off doing something. list pop people Latin popular — appealing to a lot of people; population — all of the people who live in a particular area; populist — a supporter of the rights of people. list port carry Latin export — to carry goods out of a place to another; portable — able to be carried; porter — a person who carries luggage. list pos place, put Latin deposit — to place or drop something; expose to place out into the open for all to see; position — the place where someone is. list post after, behind Latin posthumous — after someone’s death; postpone — to delay something; postscript — an addition to an already completed document. list pre earlier, before, in front of Latin preamble — a part in front of a formal document; prepare — to get ready in advance; prediction — a statement foretelling the future. list pro before, in front of,
for, forward Greek
Latin prognosis — a prediction of what will happen; prologue — a passage before the main part; prophet — a person who foretells the future. list prot/o primitive, first, chief Greek prototype — the first of a kind; proton — on of the very basic parts of an atom; protocol — a first draft from which a document is prepared. list pseud/o wrong,false Greek pseudonym — a fictitious name; pseudoscience — theories presumed without proof of a scientific nature; pseudopregnancy — a false pregnancy. list psych/o mind, mental Greek psyche — the human spirit or soul; psychic — relating to the human mind or someone who has supernatural mental abilities; psychology — the study of the mind. list pugn/a,
pung
to fight Latin pugnacious — having a quarrelsome or aggressive nature; repugnant — distasteful, offensive or revolting; pungent — piercing. list pul urge compulsion — a very strong urge; expulsion — to someone out; impulsive — having a spontaneous urge to do something. list purg clean Latin purge — remove anything undesirable; purgatory — according to Roman Catholics a place where souls must clean themselves of sin; expurgate — remove objectionable passages from a publication. list put think Latin computer — an electronic thinking device; dispute — to disagree with what another person thinks; input — contribution of one’s thinking. list pyr/o fire, heat Greek pyrotechnics — the art of making fireworks; pyrometer — a thermometer for measuring high temperature; pyretic — relating to or producing fever. list quad/r/ri four Latin quadrant — open space with buildings on 4 sides; quadrennium — period of 4 years; quadruped — a 4-footed animal. list quart fourth Latin quarter — one fourth; quart — a fourth of a gallon; quartet — a musical composition or group involving 4 voices or instruments. list quin/t five, fifth Latin quintett — a composition for 5 voices or instruments; quintessence — pure essence, based on the ancient philosophy that there was a fifth element that was present in all things; quintuple — fivefold. list radic,
radix
root Latin eradicate — pull out at the roots; radical — fundamental, looking at things from a drastic point of view; radish — an edible root of the mustard family. list radio radiation, ray radioactive — emitting radiation; radiologist — someone diagnosing or treating via radiation. list ram/i branch Latin ramification — the resulting consequence of a decision; ramify — to spread or branch out; ramus — a branchlike part. list re again, back, backward Latin rebound -to spring back again; rewind — to wind something backward; reaction: a response; recognize: to identify someone or something seen before. list reg guide, rule Latin regent — a person who rules on behalf of a king or queen; regime — a government that rules; regulate — to apply a rule. list retro backward, back Latin retroactive — relating to something in the past; retrogress — to go back to an earlier condition; retrospect — the remembering of past events. list rhin/o nose Greek rhinoceros — a species of animals with a big horn on the snout; rhinoplasty — surgery of the nose; rhinovirus — viruses that are causing the common cold. list rhod/o red Greek rhododendron — a flower with red/pink flowers; rhodium — an element which produces a red solution; rhodopsin — a purple pigment in the retina that is needed for vision. list rid laugh Latin deride — to make fun of someone; ridicule — to make fun or mock; ridiculous — silly, causing laughter. list rrh/ea
/oea/ag
flow, discharge Latin
Greek diarrhea — abnormally excessive bowl movement; hemorrhage — heavy blood flow; catarrh — inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially the nose and throat. list rub red Latin ruby — deep red color and a precious stone of the same color; rubella — measles; bilirubin — reddish pigment in bile. list rupt break, burst Latin bankrupt — unable to pay because you’re «broke»; interrupt — to break into a conversation or event, to disturb; rupture — a break in something. list san health Latin sane — mentally healthy; sanitary — relating to cleanliness and health; sanitation — maintenance of public health and cleanliness. list scend climb, go Latin ascend — to climb upward; crescendo — a climbing up of the volume of music; descend — to go or climb down. list sci know Latin conscience — sense of knowing right from wrong; conscious — knowing what is happening; omniscient — knowing everything. list scler/o hard Greek arteriosclerosis — hardening of the arterial walls; multiple sclerosis — disease which causes the tissue of the brain and spinal cord to harden; sclerometer — instrument for measuring hardness. list scop/e/y see, examine, observe Greek microscope — a device used to see tiny things; periscope — a seeing instrument on a submarine; telescope — a device used to see over a distance. list scrib,
script
write, written Latin inscribe — to write letters or words on a surface; scribe — a person who writes out documents; describe — to represent with words or pictures. list se apart Latin secede — to formally break away from; seclude — to keep away from; serum — a liquid isolated out of another. list sect cut Latin dissect — to cut apart piece by piece; intersection — the place or point where two things cross each other; bisect — to cut into two equal parts. list sed, sid, sess sit Latin reside- be stationed; sediment- the matter that settles to the bottom of a liquid; session- an actual or constructive sitting of a body list self of, for, or by itself self-discipline — the ability to discipline yourself; self-respect — respect for yourself; selfish concerned only with your own interests. list semi half, partial Latin semiannual — every half year; semicircle — half a circle; semiconscious — partly conscious; semiannual — every half of a year. list sept/i seven Latin September — this used to be the seventh month in the Roman calendar; septet — a group of seven musicians; septuagenarian — a person in his/her seventies. list serv save, keep Latin conserve — to save or keep something safe; preserve — to save something; reservation — a place kept for a person. list sex six Latin sextet or sextette — a composition or group of six, sextuple — sixfold; sexagenarian — person in his/her sixties. list sol alone Latin desolate — lonely, dismal, gloomy; solitary — done alone, by yourself; solo — a performance done by one person alone. list sol sun Latin solar — involving the sun; parasol — umbrella protecting from the sun; solarium — a room where one is exposed to sun light. list somn/I sleep Latin insomnia — inability to fall asleep; somniloquy — talking in your sleep; somnolent — feeling sleepy. list son sound Latin consonant — a speech sound; sonorous — producing loud, full, rich sounds; supersonic — faster than sound; unison — as one voice. list soph wise Greek philosopher — a wise person; sophisticated — wise about the ways of the world; sophism — a clever but misleading argument. list spec/t,
spic
see, look Latin circumspect — cautious, looking all around; retrospective — a looking back at past things; spectator — a person who sees an event. list sphere ball Greek biosphere — the whole round surface of the earth; hemisphere — half the earth spherically shaped like a ball. list spir breathe Latin inspire — to stimulate or animate; transpire — to give of vapor with waste product through the skin or a membrane; spirit — invisible life force. list sta stand Latin stable — standing steady and firm; stagnant — standing still, not moving; stationary — at a standstill, fixed. list stell star Latin constellation — a group of stars that forms a pattern; interstellar — between the stars; stellar — relating to stars. list struct build Latin construct — to build; destruction — the act of destroying something that was built; structure — something built; infrastructure — underlying framework of a system. list sub under, lower than,
inferior to Latin submarine — an underwater boat; submerge — to put underwater; substandard — inferior to accepted standards. list sum highest Latin sum — the combined total of everything; summation — the total, highest amount; summit the highest point or top. list super higher in quality
or quantity Latin Super bowl — the final annual football game; superior — above average, better in quality; supersonic — faster than the speed of sound. list sy/m
/n/l/s
together, with, same Greek symmetry -similarity in size, form or arrangement; synergy — the combined effect; synchronize — to cause to occur at the same time. list tact, tang touch Latin  contact — a state in which two things touch; tactile — relating to the sense of touch; tangible — able to be touched; intact — with nothing missing. list tax/o arrangement Greek  syntax — the systematic arrangement of words; taxonomy — the science of classification; ataxia — loss of the ability to coordinate muscle action. list techno technique, skill Greek  technology — the practical application of knowledge; technocracy — rule of technology; technologically — characterized by technology. list tel/e/o far, distant, complete Greek  telephone — a device to talk to a distant person; telescope — a device to view distant objects; television — a device to receive pictures from afar; telecommuting — working remotely, bridging the distance via virtual devices. list temp/or time Latin  contemporary- existing at the same time; temporal — relating to time; temporary — lasting for a limited time. list ten, tin, tent hold Latin continent- serving to restrain or limit; detention-  the act or fact of detaining, tenacious- having parts or elements strongly adhering to each other list ter, trit rub Latin attrition-  the act of rubbing together or wearing down; detritus- a product of disintegration or wearing away; trite- used or occurring so often as to have lost interest, freshness, or force list term/ina end, limit Latin  determine — to find something out at the end of an investigation; terminate — to end; exterminate — to destroy or get rid of completely. list terr/a/i land, earth Latin  extraterrestrial — existing outside the earth; terrain — ground or land; territory — an area of land. list tetra four Latin tetrapod — having 4 legs; tetrarchy — government by 4 rulers; tetrose — a monosaccharide with four carbon atoms. list the put Greek bibliotheca-  a list or catalog of books; theme- a proposition for discussion or argument; thesis- a dissertation embodying results of original research and especially substantiating a specific view list the/o god Greek  monotheism — belief in one god; polytheism — worshiping more than one god; theology — the study of religion, god, etc. list therm/o heat Greek  thermal — relating to heat; thermos — an insulated jar that keeps heat in; thermostat — a device that controls heat. list tort twist Latin contortion — a twisted shape or position; distort — to alter the shape or condition of; retort — reply in a manner that is supposed to change the effect of something previously said. list tox poison Latin detoxification — the process of removing poisons; toxic — poisonous; toxicology — the study of poisons; intoxicated — influenced by drugs. list tract pull, drag Latin  attract — to pull objects nearer; distract — to drag attention away from something; tractor — a motor vehicle that pulls things. list trans across,beyond, through Latin  transcontinental — across the continent; transfer — to move from one place to another; transport — to carry something across a space. list tri three, once in every three,
third Greek
Latin   triangle — a figure with 3 sides and 3 angles; triathlon — an athletic contest with 3 events; tricycle — a 3-wheeI vehicle with pedals. list ultra beyond, extreme, more than Latin  ultrahigh — extremely high; ultramodern — more modern than anything else; ultrasonic — sound waves beyond human hearing. list un not,opposite of, lacking  Latin unabridged — not shortened; unfair — opposite of fair; unfriendly — lacking friendliness. list uni one, single Latin  unicycle — a vehicle with one wheel; unilateral — decided by only one person or nation; unique — the only one of its kind; unison — as one voice. list urb city Latin  suburb — residential area on the edge of a city; urban — relating to a city; urbanology — the study of city life. list vac empty Latin  evacuate — to empty a dangerous place; vacant — empty, not occupied; vacation — a time without work. list ven/t come Latin  circumvent — to go around or bypass restrictions; convention — a gathering or assembly of people with a common interest; intervene — to come between. list ver/I truth Latin  veracious — truthful, honest; veracity — the truth; verify — to make sure that something is true. list verb word Latin  verbalize — to put into words; adverb — a word relating to a verb; proverb — a short saying that expresses a well-known truth. list vers,
vert
turn Latin  reverse — to turn around; introvert — being turned towards the inside; version — a variation of an original; controversy — a conversation in which positions are turned against each other. list vice acting in place of,
next in rank Latin vice-president — the person next in rank to the president list vid see Latin  evident clearly seen list vince,
vic
conquer Latin convince — to win someone over; invincible — not able to be conquered; victory — the conquest of an enemy. list vis, vid see Latin  vision — the ability to see; envision — to picture in the mind; evident — clearly visible. list viv/i
vit
live, life Latin  revival — the act of bringing back to life; vital — pertaining to live; vivacious — high-spirited and full of life. list voc/i voice, call Latin  advocate — to speak in favor of; equivocate — to use misleading language that could be interpreted two different ways; vocalize — to produce with your voice. list vol/i/u wish, will Latin  benevolent — showing good will and kindness; volition — the act of making a choice or decision, voluntary — resulting from your own free will. list vor,
vour
eat Latin  carnivorous — meat-eating; voracious — desiring or eating food in great quantities; devour — to eat quickly. list xanth yellow Latin xanthium- a genus of coarse and rough or spiny herbs; xanthochromia- yellowish discoloration (as of the skin or cerebrospinal fluid); xanthogenic list xen/o foreign Greek  xenophobic — afraid of foreigners; xenogenesis — the creation of offspring that is completely different from either parent; xenophile — attracted to foreigners. list xer/o/I dry Greek  xerophyte — a plant that grows in dry climate; xerography — a dry photocopying process; xeric — requiring small amounts of moisture. list xyl wood Greek xylocarp; xyloid- resembling wood; xylophone-an organ percussion stop of similar tone quality list zo/o animal life Greek  zoology — study of animals; zooid — resembling an animal; zooplankton — minute floating aquatic animals. list zyg/o pair Greek  zygote — a cell formed by the union of two gametes and the organism developing from that; zygomorphic — pertaining to organisms that can be divided into symmetrical halves along one axis only.

Base words are words that exist as recognizable words in the English language. These words cannot be divided into smaller units. Prefixes and suffixes can be added to these words to create new words. There are two theories about root words. Some people use the term root word as a synonym for the base word. However, in some contexts, root words refer to the part of the base word that comes from another language. This article will mainly focus on this second meaning. The key difference between base word and root word is that base words are recognizable words in the English language whereas root words are from another language.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is a Base Word
3. What is a Root Word
5. Side by Side Comparison – Base Word vs Root Word in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is a Base Word?

There are two types of words in the English language: the words that can be broken down into smaller units and words that cannot be broken down into smaller units. Words that cannot be broken down into smaller units are known as base words. In other words, base word is the base form of a word and gives its basic meaning. For example, let’s look at the two words happy and unhappy. The word happy cannot be broken down into smaller units, but unhappy can be broken down into two units since this word is made by adding the prefix un to the base word happy. Prefixes and suffixes are always added to base words.Difference Between Base Word and Root Word

Prefixes and Suffixes

  • Prefix is a word element is found in front of a base word.
  • Suffix is a word element is found after a base word.

Look at the following words and see if you can identify the base word by removing the suffixes and prefixes.

Reusable, disappear, unhappiness, unacceptable, disqualified, childish, unlikely, reinvention

The base words of the above list are underlined in the following section.

  1. Reusable – re + use + able
  2. Disappear – dis + appear
  3. Unhappiness – un + happy + ness
  4. Unacceptable – un + accept + ble
  5. Disqualified – dis + qualify + ed
  6. Childish – child + ish
  7. Unlikely – un + like + ly
  8. Reinvention – re + invent + ion

What is a Root Word?

In linguistics, the term root word is often used synonymously with base word, and refers to a morpheme from which words have been created by the addition of prefixes or suffixes. For example, the word transportation is formed from the root word transport.

However, the term root word also refers to the origin of the word. In this sense, root word is the part of the base word that comes from another language. For example, the word maternal comes from Latin mater and gives the meaning mother. So, this Latin word, mater can be considered as the root word of maternal. The root words of words like maternity, maternally, maternalism, etc. is also the Latin word mater.

Key Difference - Base Word vs Root Word

Examples of Base Words and Root Words

Let’s look at some other examples to understand the meaning of base words and root words more clearly.

  1. Tricycle

Base word = cycle, Root word = Latin cyclus (circle)

  1. Transportation

Base word = transport, Root word = Latin port (to carry)

  1. Immoderately

Base word = moderate, Root word = Latin moderatus (reduced, controlled)

What is the Difference Between Base Word and Root Word?

Base Word vs Root Word

Base Word is a morpheme from which words have been created by the addition of prefixes or suffixes. Root word is the part of the base word that comes from another language.
Individual Meaning
Base word can stand alone. Root word cannot often stand alone.
Nature
Base words cannot be further divided. Root word comes from another language.

Summary – Base Word vs Root Word

Base word is a form of a word to which affixes can be added to create new words.  Base words and root words are two terms that are sometimes used as synonyms. However, root words are also defined as parts of the base word that come from another language. This is the difference between base word and root word.

Download PDF Version of Base Word vs Root Word

You can download PDF version of this article and use it for offline purposes as per citation note. Please download PDF version here Difference Between Base Word and Root Word

References:

1. Merrell, Shelly. “Base Words: Definition & Examples.” Study.com, Available here.
2. Nordquist, Richard. “Base Forms of Words in English.” ThoughtCo, Available here.

Other forms: root words

A root word has no prefix or suffix — it’s the most basic part of a word. The root word at the heart of «conformity,» for example, is «form.»

In linguistics, a root word holds the most basic meaning of any word. It’s what’s left after you remove all the affixes — the prefixes like «un-» or «anti-» and suffixes such as «-able» and «-tion.» With a word like «lovely,» when you take away the suffix «-ly,» you’re left with the root word «love.» Other words, like «schoolhouse» and «armchair,» are made up of two root words together.

Definitions of root word

  1. noun

    (linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘root word’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Teachers frequently debate this question: What’s the difference between a root, base word, and stem? The reason teachers are forced to debate this question is that their textbooks present a model that quickly falls apart in the real world.

If teachers are confused, their students will also be confused. By the end of this page, you won’t be confused. To end this confusion, we will look at two systems:

1. The Traditional Root and Base-Word System for Kids
2. A Modern System of Morphemes, Roots, Bases, and Stems from Linguistics

The Traditional Root and Base-Word System for Kids

Here is a problem-filled system that, unfortunately, some students still learn.

Students learn that ROOTS are Greek and Latin roots. Most of these roots cannot stand alone as words when we remove the prefixes and suffixes.

Q e.g., Word: justify      Latin Root: jus (law)

Students also learn that BASE WORDS can stand alone as words when we remove all of the prefixes and suffixes. Students learn that if it cannot stand alone when we remove all of the prefixes and suffixes, then it is not a base word.

Q e.g., Word: kindness      Base Word: kind

The problem comes later in the day when the teacher is teaching verb tenses.

Q Teacher: Look at these two verbs: responded and responding. What’s the base word?

Q Student #1: Respond.

Q Teacher: Correct!

Q Student #2: Isn’t re- a prefix? If re- is a prefix, then respond can’t be a base word. I suspect that spond is a Latin root. Is it?

Q Teacher: I’m not sure. Let me research this. Yes, the word respond has the prefix re- attached to the Latin root spond. The Latin root spond comes from sponder, which means to pledge.

Although the teacher was looking for the answer “respond,” Student #2’s answer was the correct answer according to this Traditional System. That’s how easily the Traditional System falls apart. And the problems get worse from here.

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Modern Linguistics

I looked at a few current student textbooks from major publishers, and most of them don’t mention the terms base or base word. They only use the term root in their basic word studies. I suspect that this is because modern linguistics has created a new meaning for the term base.

In case you are not aware, modern linguistics and modern grammar fix many of the broken models from centuries past—i.e., models and definitions that quickly fall apart when you question them. These days, most books on linguistics and morphology present a somewhat standardized model. In English Word-Formation (1983), Laurie Bauer explains this model succinctly and definitively. Let’s take a look.

English Word-Formation (1983) by Laurie Bauer

As you can see below, Bauer acknowledges the root/stem/base problem and then explains a model that removes the ambiguity.

The Problem: “‘Root’, ‘stem’ and ‘base’ are all terms used in the literature to designate that part of a word that remains when all affixes have been removed. Of more recent years, however, there has been some attempt to distinguish consistently between these three terms.”

Root: “A root is a form which is not further analysable, either in terms of derivational or inflectional morphology. It is that part of word-form that remains when all inflectional and derivational affixes have been removed… In the form ‘untouchables’ the root is ‘touch’.”

Stem: “A stem is of concern only when dealing with inflectional morphology. In the form ‘untouchables’ the stem is ‘untouchable’.” [In short, when you remove the inflectional suffixes, you have the stem.]

Base: “A base is any form to which affixes of any kind can be added. This means that any root or any stem can be termed a base… ‘touchable’ can act as a base for prefixation to give ‘untouchable’.”

This model holds up across the curriculum. This model is the foundation of what I teach my students.

My Perfect Model: Roots, Stems, and Bases

I always like to have a complete model in mind that holds up across the curriculum. This lets me find teaching moments and ensures that I can answer my students’ questions clearly and consistently. Although I may not teach my students the entire model, at least the concepts are straight in my mind.

For this reason, I created this “Perfect Model of Roots, Stems, and Bases.” To be clear, this model is an interpretation and fuller explanation of what you might find in a linguistics book. Let me explain it to you. It all begins with morphemes.

Keep in mind that teachers don’t need to teach their students this entire model. In fact, most teachers will want to keep their morphology lessons simple and focus on roots, prefixes, and suffixes. But all teachers will want to understand this entire model.

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Morphemes

The term morpheme unifies the concepts of roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and therefore, it is an extremely valuable word. In short, words are composed of parts called morphemes, and each morpheme contributes meaning to the word. Morphemes are the smallest unit of language that contains meaning. Roots, prefixes, and suffixes all have one thing in common—they are all single morphemes. In contrast, stems and bases can be composed of one or many morphemes.

Root / Root Morpheme

When I use the term root, I always mean the root morpheme. The root is always the main morpheme that carries the main meaning of a word. Since a morpheme is the smallest unit of language that contains meaning, we can’t divide or analyze the root morpheme any further. Although a root can be a stand-alone word, to avoid confusion, I never use the term “root word.” I use the term root, and I use the term root morpheme to reinforce what a root is.

We have two types of root morphemes:

1. Dependent (bound) Roots: These roots cannot stand alone as words. These roots are usually Greek and Latin roots. Here are a few examples:

    • liberty          root: liber (free)
    • interrupt         root: rupt (break)
    • similar         root: sim (like)

2. Independent (free) Roots: These roots are stand-alone words. Practically speaking, these roots are almost always single-syllable words. You know the ones. It seems to me that most multi-syllable words can be further divided and further analyzed. With a little research, one finds that an ancient prefix or suffix has merged with a root. In short, most multi-syllable words are not root morphemes.

Here is what they thought 150 years ago. Although modern linguistics does not agree with these statements, it’s still food for thought. My point is that most of the independent roots that we deal with inside of the classroom are single-syllable words.

Q “All languages are formed from roots of one syllable.” – New Englander Magazine (1862)

Q “All words of all languages can be reduced to one-syllable roots.” – New Jerusalem Magazine (1853)

Here are a few examples:

    • replaced          root: place
    • mindfulness         root: mind
    • carefully         root: care

The Terms: Dependent Root and Independent Root

Modern linguistics use the term bound (for dependent) and free (for independent) to classify morphemes. Since teachers spend so much time teaching students about dependent clauses and independent clauses, I transfer this knowledge and terminology over to morphemes. Put simply: independent morphemes CAN stand alone; dependent morphemes CAN’T stand alone.

Q PREFIXES and SUFFIXES are almost always dependent morphemes—i.e., they can’t stand alone as words.

Q ROOTS are either dependent or independent morphemes.

Now, we will examine words that contain one root and words that contain two roots. As you examine these words, pay special attention to the dependent root and independent root aspect.

One Root: Many words have just one root. That one root may be a Dependent Root or an Independent Root. Remember, the root carries the main meaning of the word.

Q Word: justify             Dependent Root: jus

Q Word: kindness           Independent Root: kind

Two Roots: Some words have two roots. The roots may be Dependent Roots or Independent Roots. With two roots, each root contributes near equal meaning to the word.

Two Dependent Roots

Q Word: geography       Dependent Root: geo (earth)    Root: graph (write)

Q Word: carnivore   Dependent Root: carn (flesh)   Dependent Root: vor (swallow)

Q Word: cardiovascular   Dependent Root: cardi (heart)    Dependent Root: vas (vessel)

Two Independent Roots

Q Word: bathroom    Independent Root: bath    Independent Root: room

Q Word: downfall    Independent Root: down    Independent Root: fall

Q Word: popcorn    Independent Root: pop    Independent Root: corn

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Stem

I use the term stem just as Bauer does. To find the stem, simply remove the inflectional suffixes. It’s that simple.

When to Use the Term Stem: The term stem is quite unnecessary in many classrooms, as all stems are bases. For this reason, teachers can always use the term base instead of stem. However, the concept of stems is helpful in teaching students about inflectional suffixes. Inflectional suffixes are different from derivational affixes (derivational prefixes and derivational suffixes).

Q Word: reddest    Stem: red

Q Word: girls’    Stem: girl

Q Word: boats    Stem: boat

Q Word: preapproved    Stem: preapprove

Q Word: justifying    Stem: justify

Q Word: responded   Stem: respond

Q Word: unjustifiable    Stem: no stem

Q Word: kindness    Stem: no stem

Base / Base Word

Bauer says, “A base is any form to which affixes of any kind can be added. This means that any root or any stem can be termed a base.”

In the table below, I use two labels to show how base and root relate to each other. Sometimes a base is a root (marked   Q Base/Root), and sometimes it is not a root (marked   Q Base).

To be clear, we can add a prefix or suffix to every base even if it already has a prefix or suffix. Furthermore, if we can add a prefix or suffix to something, we can call it a base.

Word: reread    Q Base/Root: read

Word: unhelpful    Q Base: helpful    Q Base/Root: help

Word: justifying    Q Base: justify    Q Base/Root: jus

Word: unreliable    Q Base: reliable    Q Base/Root: rely

Word: preponderance    Q Base: ponderance (uncommon)    Q Base/Root: ponder

Word: responded    Q Base: respond    Q Base/Root: spond

Word: preapproved    Q Base: preapprove    Q Base: approve    Q Base: approved    Q Base: proved    Q Base/Root: prove

Base vs. Base Word: To keep things simple, teachers should probably strike the term “base word” from their vocabulary. However, if the base is a complete word that can stand alone, teachers may choose to (or through force of habit) refer to it as a base word. If the base can’t stand alone, be sure not to call it a base word.

When to Use the Term Base: The term base is somewhat of a generic term for when we are not interested in or concerned with the root morpheme. As an example, we may choose to use the term base when we are ADDING prefixes and suffixes. When we are adding prefixes and suffixes, we often are unconcerned with finding or discussing the root morpheme. (Remember, we often add prefixes and suffixes to words that already contain prefixes and suffixes.) We may also choose to use the term base when removing a single, specific prefix or suffix, as the word may still contain other prefixes or suffixes.

Putting It All Together

Here is a table to help get you started in your word analysis studies related to root, stem, and base.

Example Word Stem Root: Dependent Root: Independent Base
1. undeniable  deny ** deny; deniable
2. reinvented reinvent ven/vent ven/vent; invent; reinvent
3. deforestation forest *** forest; forestation
4. interacted interact act * act; interact
5. demographics demographic demo graph * demo; graph; demographic
6. responding respond spond spond; respond
7. preserving preserve serv serv; preserve
8. hopefully hope hope; hopeful

The Asterisks: The asterisks may be the most important part of this table. They help illustrate that every word has a unique history that often makes analysis and classification complicated and debatable.

* act and graph are also Latin roots

** deny is from Latin denegare = de (away) + negare (to refuse; to say no); since deny technically
has a Latin prefix (de-), you may choose to classify the word differently.

*** forest is from Latin foris meaning outdoors, and unlike the word deny, cannot be analyzed as
having a prefix or suffix attached.

Learning root words in English is not only helpful to fetch good marks in the verbal ability section of competitive exams but also help to hone up the English vocabulary skills in general. 

English is one of the important sections of various Government exams like Bank, SSC, RRB, etc. and aspirants preparing for these examinations are required to have a good vocabulary to ace this section. 

Now, the English language being vast and comprehensive, it is difficult to memorise each and every word and their meaning. So, English root words can help you to understand the meaning of all the words easily. 

Therefore, this article will provide the list of root words with detailed explanation. Candidates will also be able to download the root words pdf for convenient preparation.

English Root Words PDF:-Download PDF Here

To understand vocabulary, we need to understand each word and history attached to it. English is considered as a global language because it is a culmination of all popular languages like Spanish, Latin, Greek etc. Learning the root words will make it easy for the aspirants to work out the meaning of the new words as they encounter them.

What is the root word?

A root word is a word that forms the basis of new words by adding affixes (prefixes or suffixes). It is the most basic part of any word. 

The basic structure of roots are either affixed or suffixed and then they become a new word. An understanding of the usual root words will help make a good guess about the meaning of newly known words and will, in turn, strengthen your vocabulary.

Check out General English for competitive exams for various conceptual based topics along with their explanations. 

Let’s check out various root words in English, their combination and different new words formed by them.

Candidates can go through the video on English Vocabulary – Root Words to understand the concept.

English Root Word List

  1. Root Word – Mal – a Latin word, Meaning – bad or evil. 

English words having ‘mal’ root word –

  • Malignment – defame something badly
  • Malice – evil intention
  • Maltreat. – Treat someone/something badly
  • Malfunction – working badly
  • Dismal – A gloomy situation
  • Maleficent – Someone who deliberately try causing harm to someone

*All the words having ‘mal’ root word gives a negative connotation.

Candidates can check the List of Homophones/Homonyms in the given link to prepare for the English section. 

2. Root Word – Phobia, Meaning – Fear or dislike

English words formed of it –

  • Demophobia – demo is people so one who fears public speaking have demophobia
  • Zoophobia – people who fear animals.
  • Theophobia – Thei is God/Religion, so a person who fears religion has theophobia.
  • Pedophobia – Pedo means child, so a person who doesn’t like children has pedophobia.
  • Gynophobia – a person who dislikes girls/women because Gyno is a girl/woman. 

You can check the List of Phobias in the given link which is important for the general awareness section as well. 

3. Root word – Fin – a Latin word, Meaning – to end something, limit, or boundary. 

English words containing ‘Fin’ in them –

  • Infinity – No limit
  • Infinitesimal – immeasurably small
  • Confinement – concluding state of pregnancy
  • Definite – Precise

We can see, the words mean to end or limit something. Examples:  We take a final exam at the end of the course. The one who watches reality TV Shows, see the Finale episode or the final episode of the season.In a race, the Finish line is known as the end of it.

4. Root word – Phil – a Greek word, Meaning – to Love. 

English word with root word ‘Phil’-

  • Bibliophile – the one who loves books
  • Philologist – word lover who is a scholar of language
  • Philanthropist – is a person who loves mankind. 
  • Philosopher – A person who will love wisdom
  • Philodendron – A tree that curls up while growing and are called love trees.

So we can see all the words with root words are associated with love. Did you know the city of Philadelphia actually means the city of brotherly love.

5. Root word – Logy a Greek word, Meaning – to study something

Words formed with the root word ‘logy’ are –

  • Analogy – the study of comparison of two or more things
  • Anthropology – the study of human beings as ‘anthrop’ means human.
  • Theology – ‘theo’ means God/religion so theology is the study of religion
  • Morphology – the study of structures is morphology. Morph means structures.

The above-given examples for ‘logy’ root words form a part of one-word substitution which is again an important topic to study in the English language section. Candidates can go the category-wise list of one-word substitution for assistance in preparation.

6. Root word – Thie, a Greek word – Meaning – God/Religion

English words formed using the root word ‘Thei’ are –

  • Theist – ‘ist’ is follower, so theist is one who believes in God
  • Atheist – A [person who do not believe in God
  • Pantheist – Pan means that is all over, so the person who believes in all God across all religion is Pantheist
  • Monotheist – Mono connotes one, so those who believe in one god are monotheists. 

Also, check the One Word substitution Questions & Answers asked in various government exams.

7. Root word – Fact – coming from the Latin language – Meaning – something that is “made” or “done”. Let’s check the different words with this root word –

  • Factory: is a place where something is “made”.
  • Manufactured: A place where something is made too. Manufactured originally means something that is made in large scale.
  • Artifact – something that is made by human skills
  • Factor – is a “maker”. For example, a beautiful painting done by someone is a deciding factor who gained the rank of a master- painter.
  • Benefactor – Someone who does good for other people
  • Stupefaction –  something that made you completely surprised
  • Petrifaction – a superpower that makes people turn into stones by just gazing at them
  • Malefactor – someone that does evil to human
  • Satisfaction – done enough

All the words formed of the root word ‘fact’ connotes something done or made. 

8. Root Word – Dict/Dic – a Latin word – Meaning– Say

English words containing Dict/Dic in them –

  • Prediction – say something beforehand.  
  • Dictated – say something to someone
  • Verdict – speaking or saying the truth
  • Indicate – make known about something by saying
  • Contradict – say something against
  • Dictionary – a book that tells us how to say a certain word correctly.
  • Addicted – when we want to say or declare that we are in love with certain things. 

Candidates preparing for various government exams can check the following topics for preparation:

  • Idioms And Phrases
  • List of Synonyms and Antonyms
  • Letter Writing Format
  • Active And Passive Voice Rules

9. Root Word – Cide, a Latin word, Meaning a person or something that kills, Act of killing.

There are many words in the English language formed with the root word Cide –

  • Patricide – Patri means Father, so the killing of one’s father is Patricide
  • Uxoricide – Husband who kills his wife, Uxor means Wife. 
  • Maritricide – Marit is husband, so Maritricide is killing of one’s husband
  • Infanticide – Infant is a child, the killing of a child is infanticide. 

So, it can be understood that the words with root word Cide connote killing of someone or something.

10. Root Word – Anti, a Greek word, Meaning – Opposite or against

The English words formed of the root word ‘Anti’ –

  • Antiseptic – working against infection
  • Antidote – working against the effect of the poison
  • Antisocial – opposite to social norms
  • Antioxidants – compounds that work against the chemical reactions that damage the cells of an organism. 

Remember, anything with the root word ‘anti’ is supposed to do against or opposite of something.  

Given below are a few links that give questions and answers of important verbal ability topics that are asked in various government examinations, candidates can check these for practice and revision.

For more such questions and answers on different topics or to get more concepts and rules-based explanations of various topics covered in the Verbal Ability section, check the linked page.  

Root Words That are Common English Words

There are certain root words that form a standalone word of its own or as part of other common words in the English language. Given below are some common English words that are root words as well:

  • Act – meaning – to move or do, other English words-  actor, acting, reenact
  • Crypt – Meaning – to hide, other English words –  cryptic, apocryphal, cryptography
  • Ego – meaning – Self-importance, Other words formed of it egotist, egocentric, egomaniac
  • Legal – meaning – related to the law, other words in English – illegal, legalities, paralegal
  • Form – meaning – shape, words formed from it – conform, reform, formulate
  • Phobia – meaning – fear – words formed from this root word are already discussed above.
  • Norm – meaning – typical, other English words – abnormal, paranormal, normality.

Given below is the Root words list that originates from either Latin or Greek words and forms the basis of different English words. 

Root Words from the Greek Language
Root Words Meaning Examples
meter/metr measure thermometer, perimeter
tele far off television, telephone
psycho soul; spirit psychology, psychic
therm heat thermal, thermometer
techno art; science; skill technique, technological
pseudo not genuine, false pseudonym, pseudoscience
morph form; shape morphology, morphing
photo/phos light photograph, phosphorous
phon sound phone, symphony
hydr water hydration, dehydrate
mono one monologue, monotonous
mis/miso hate misanthrope, misogyny
micro small microbe, microscope
hetero different heteronym, heterogeneous
scope viewing instrument microscope, telescope
hypo below; beneath hypothermia, hypothetical
homo same homonym, homogenous
chron time chronological, chronic
gram thing written epigram, telegram
auto self autobiography, automobile
dyna power dynamic, dynamite
bio life biology, biography
dys bad; hard; unlucky dysfunctional, dyslexic
phobia fear claustrophobia, phobic
logy study of biology, psychology
graph writing graphic, phonograph
nym name antonym, synonym
anthrop man; human; humanity anthropologist, philanthropy

Candidates preparing for various government exams can check the relevant links given below:

  • Free Online Mock Tests For Government exams
  • Previous Year Question Papers WIth Solution For Government exams

The table below gives the English root words taken from the Latin language:

English Root Words From the Latin Language
Root Words Meaning Examples
aqua water aquarium, aquamarine
bene good benefactor, benevolent
circum around circumference, circumstance
duc/duct to lead conduct, induce
cent one hundred century, percent
mal bad malevolent, malefactor
mater mother material, maternity
form shape conform, reform
ambi both ambiguous, ambidextrous
dict to say dictation, dictator
mit to send transmit, admit
fort strength fortitude, fortress
fract to break fracture, fraction
struct to build destruction, restructure
scrib/scribe to write inscription, prescribe
ject throw projection, rejection
multi many multimedia, multiple
fac to do; to make factory, manufacture
aud to hear audience, audition
sect/sec to cut bisect, section
jud judge judicial, prejudice
mort death mortal, mortician
pater father paternal, paternity
port to carry portable, transportation
contra/counter against contradict, encounter
rupt to break bankrupt, disruption
voc voice; to call vocalize, advocate
spect to look inspection, spectator
vid/vis to see video, televise
sent to feel; to send consent, resent

English Root Words List:-Download PDF Here

Candidates preparing for the various government exams can refer to the detailed exam syllabus in the links given below:

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