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?
- Foreign Language
- English (Language)
Thank you for your participation!
No more boring flashcards learning!
Learn languages, math, history, economics, chemistry and more with free Studylib Extension!
- Distribute all flashcards reviewing into small sessions
- Get inspired with a daily photo
- Import sets from Anki, Quizlet, etc
- Add Active Recall to your learning and get higher grades!
Add to Chrome
It’s free
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
896380
accelerate — to increase the speed of; accessible — easily entered, approached, or obtained; admittance — allowing into;
acrobat — a «high walker»; acronym — a word formed from the first (capital) letters of a word; acrophobia — fear of height
Greek
again, throughout
Greek
aster
perceive — to take notice of something; captivating — taking hold of
completely, intensive,
according to
caut
Greek
cauterize — to burn with a hot instrument; caustic — capable of burning or eating away; holocaust — total devastation, especially by fire
ceed,
cess
exceed — to go beyond the limits; recede — to go back; accessible — easily entered, approached, or obtained;
circle
deka
not, to the opposite
apart, across
Greek
among, at, after,
to, outside
fleur
the meaning of a word)
genesis
formation, kind
Greek
Greek
homeo
Greek
excessive, beyond
Greek
Greek
in, ir
intro
/mat
leuc/o
lith/o
excessive desire
marina — a harbor for pleasure boats; maritime — relating to the sea; submarine — an undersea boat; aquamarine — color of sea water.
matr/i
mers
Greek
metr/y
Greek
to hate
nunc
surpasses, exceeds
assistant
patr/i
Greek
peps
/e/y
forming cells
for, forward
Latin
pung
radix
/oea/ag
Greek
script
spic
inferior to
or quantity
/n/l/s
third
Latin
vert
next in rank
vic
vit
vour
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.
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.
- Reusable – re + use + able
- Disappear – dis + appear
- Unhappiness – un + happy + ness
- Unacceptable – un + accept + ble
- Disqualified – dis + qualify + ed
- Childish – child + ish
- Unlikely – un + like + ly
- 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.
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.
- Tricycle
Base word = cycle, Root word = Latin cyclus (circle)
- Transportation
Base word = transport, Root word = Latin port (to carry)
- 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
-
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.
Send us feedback
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Look up root word for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the
words you need to know.
Sign up now (it’s free!)
Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.
Get started
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.
Are you an elementary or middle school teacher? Have you taken a look at Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage?
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.
Do you teach beginning writers or struggling writers? If you do, be sure to check out Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay on the homepage! It is the fastest, most effective way to teach students organized multi-paragraph writing… Guaranteed!
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
Pattern Based Writing: Quick & Easy Essay! Put simply, it works.
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
- 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: