Prefixes, Roots, & Suffixes Most words used in the English language today were not originally...

Prefixes, Roots, & Suffixes Most words used in the English language today were not originally English. These words were borrowed (taken) from other languages. The majority of English words have Latin or Greek origins.

Prefixes, Roots, & Suffixes Prefix: word element that is placed in front of a root; it changes the word's meaning or makes a new word. Root: the part of a word that contains the basic meaning (definition) of the word; is the base element of a word Suffix: word element that is placed behind a root; it can add information or change the meaning or part of speech

Why is this important? Helps build vocabulary Enhances the ability to comprehend course readings and learn new terminology Improves educated guesses about unknown words while reading or test taking

What to do on your paper If the word is a prefix, put a dash AFTER the word part Pre- If the word is a root, put a dash BEFORE and AFTER the word part -Cede- If the word is a suffix, put a dash BEFORE the word part -Ness

Re- Again, back, backward Examples Rebound- to spring back again, recover Rebuild- to build again Rewind- to wind something backward

Retro- Backward, back Examples Retroactive relating to something in the past Retrospect the remembering of past events

Anti- Against, opposite of Examples Antibody- a substance that destroys bacteria Antiseptic- a substance that prevents infection Antislavery- against slavery

De- Reduce down, remove Examples Debase- to reduce something in value or quality Decelerate- to slow down; to reduce speed Dethrone- to remove from power

Dis- Do the opposite, exclude, absence of, not Examples Disagree- to have a different opinion Disappear- to stop being seen Disassemble- to undo something thats assembled

Un- Not, opposite of, lacking Examples Unabridged- not shortened; full length Unfair- opposite of fair, just, and impartial Unfriendly- lacking friendliness; hostile

Non- No, not, without Examples Nonfiction true, real, not made up Nonsense without sense This is a non-smoking area.

-Fug- Flee, run away, escape Example Fugitive- a person who is running away Refuge-a sheltered place to flee to Refugee- a person seeking protection

-Numer- Number Examples Numerous a large number Numerology the study of magical uses of numbers

Numbers

Examples Plane with one wing on each side One wheel

Examples Two wheels

Examples From Physics something that has two poles Two vowel sounds joined together to make one sound. Ex: Book, Boat, Toy

Examples Three angles A cycle with three wheels.

Examples

All the shapes in Tetris are made of four blocks.

Examples Pentagon Quintuplets www.telegraph.co.uk drkaayladaniel.com

Numbers 6 7 8 9 10 Hex-/Sex- Hept-/Sept- Octa-/Octo- Novem-/ennea- /nona- Deca-

Examples Septuagenarian Someone who is at least 70 years old. Hexagon

Examples Octopus Nonagon Enneagram Nine different personality types www.familygamesamerica.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enneagram_of_Personality

Examples Decade A period of ten years Decathlon Ten different events

Numbers Cent-/Hecto- Milli- Kilo- Mega- Giga- Hundred Thousand(th) Thousand Million Billion

Examples Century Millimeter Kilometer Megaton Gigabyte 100 years One thousandth of a meter 1000 meters One million tons One billion bytes

Numbers Multi Many, more than one or two Multitask Doing more than one task at a time Poly- Many, more than one Polygon A shape with many sides

-Gon- Angle Octagon shape with eight angles Diagonal a slanting line (on an angle)

-Meter-/-Metr- Measure Diameter a measure of half a circle Gravimeter an instrument that measures gravity Metric system a system of measurement

Equi- Equal, equally Equivalent equal in value, meaning, effect, etc. Equidistant an equal distance from two points.

Circum- Around, about Circumnavigate to sail around Circumspect looking around, cautious

-Ann-/-Enn- Year Anniversary a date observed once a year Annual happening once a year Millennium 1,000 years

-Cycl- Circle, ring Bicycle a vehicle with two wheels Cycle a sequence that is repeated Cyclone a storm with circling winds

Mal- & Bene- Mal- Bad, badly, or inadequate Examples: malicious, malign, malfunction Bene- Good or well Examples: Benefactor, beneficial, benefit.

-Ami- and -Belli- -Ami- Love Example: amiable, amity, amorous -Belli- War Examples: antebellum, bellicose, belligerent

Contra-/Contro-/Counter- Against, contrary, opposite, opposing Contradict to argue against Controversy disagreement Counteroffensive attack against an attack

Pan- All, of everything Cooperation or unity of all members Pan-American belongs to all Americans Pangaea- all continents were squashed together

Omni- All Omnipotent with all the power/all-knowing Omnivore one who eats all foods

Auto - Self Autobiography written by the subject of the book Autograph written by the person him/herself

-ar/-ard/-arian/-ant A person who does an action Beggar, burglar Wizard Veterinarian, librarian Servant, applicant

-Er/-Or A person who does an action Teacher, announcer Inventor, translator

-Ist A person who does an action Artist Pianist

Inter -, between, among Intra -, within Intramural sport played within the school Interact

Intro- Into, inward Introduce to lead into the main part of something Introvert a shy person who keeps to himself

-Cede-/-Ceed- To relinquish, abandon, transfer, surrender, give up Recede, concede Exceed go beyond limits

-Ceive-/-Cept- Take Accept - to take a thing that is offered Perceive to take notice of something

Sub- under, low Examples Submarine- under water Subway- a path or way to move under ground Subliminal- below the level of consciousness

Super- over, above, beyond Examples Superb-splendid; excellent; beyond the expected Superintendent-a person with the highest power Superior- above average in quality; excellent

Ultra- Beyond, extreme, more than Ultrahigh extremely high Ultramodern more modern than anything else

Extra- Outside, beyond Examples Extracurricular- outside the school curriculum Extraordinary- beyond ordinary Extraterrestrial- outside the Earth

-Ful Full of Examples Cheerful- full of cheer Helpful- full of help Thankful- full of thanks

-Ous Full of Examples Hazardous- full of dangers Humorous- full of humor Wondrous full of wonders

-Act- To do Activity something that a person does Reaction something that happens in response to something else

-Phob- abnormal fear of Example Claustrophobic- fear of confined spaces Acousticophobia - fear of noise

-Mania- Madness, insanity Bibliomania a crazy love of books Maniac an insane person

-Phil- Having an attraction to Bibliophile someone who loves books Thermophilia love of high temperatures Hydrophilic attraction to water

-Ward Shows specified direction Example Backward- in the opposite direction Eastward- toward the east Homeward- in the direction of home

Pre- Earlier, before, in front of Examples Preamble- a part in front of a formal document Prepare- to get ready in advance Prepay- to pay ahead of time

Ante- Before, in front Antecedent a word that comes before a pronoun to make it clear what the pronoun is referring to Anteroom a small room before the main room Antebellum something that existed before a war

Fore- In front of, previous, earlier Forebode to give an advance warning of something bad Forearm the part of the arm before the elbow

Post- After, later, behind Examples Postpone- to delay something until later Postscript- a message at the end of a letter Posthumous- happening after someones death

Pro- for, on the side of Examples Prolife Prochoice Proponent

-Ject- throw Examples Eject- to throw someone out Interject- to throw a remark into a discussion Project- to cast or throw something

-Gram- Letter, written Example Grammar- rules of how to write words in sentences Telegram- a message sent by telegraph Diagram- a simple drawing -Gram-

-Graph- write Examples Autograph- a persons hand written signature Stenography- writing in short hand Telegraph- long-distance writing by electrical codes

-Scribe-/-Script- Write Scribe a person who writes out documents Transcribe to write an exact copy of something Transcript a written document showing grades

-Dict- Speak Examples Contradict- to speak against someones statement Diction- clarity of speaking Predict- say in advance what is going to happen

Ambi- Both Examples Ambiguous- having more than one meaning Ambivalence- conflicting or opposite feelings, such as love and hate, toward a person or thing Ambidextrous- able to use both hands equally well

-Claim-/-Clam- To shout or speak out Clamor to shout and make noise Proclaim to announce something publicly Exclaim to cry out loudly and suddenly

Hemi-/Semi- Half, partial Examples Semicircle- a semicircular structure Hemisphere- one half the earth Hemistich- half a line of poetry Semiannual every half year

Ir-/il-/in-/im- not, without Examples Illegal- not legal Impossible- not possible Inappropriate- not appropriate Irrelevant not relevant

Tele- Far, distant Examples Telephone- a device to talk to a distant person Telescope- a device to view distant objects Television- a device to receive pictures from afar

-Scope- See Microscope a device used to see tiny things Telescope a device used to see distances

-Nav- Ship Circumnavigate to sail around a place Naval relating to navy or warships

-Clar- Clear Clarification an explanation to make clear Declare to state something clearly

Trans- Across, beyond, through Examples Transcontinental- across the continent Transfer- to move from one place to another Transport- to carry something across a space

-Fer- Bear, bring, carry Examples Confer- to bring an honor to someone Ferry- a boat that carries passengers Transfer- to move to another place

-Luc- Light Examples Elucidate- to explain; to throw light on Lucid- easily understood; giving off light Translucent- allowing light through

-Scend- Climb, go Examples Ascend- to climb upward Crescendo- a climbing up of the volume of music Descend- to go or climb down

-Port- Carry Examples Export- to carry goods out of place Portable- able to be carried Porter- a person who carries luggage

Ex- From, out, out of, away from Examples Excavate- to dig out Exhale- to breathe out Extract- to draw or pull out

Aqu-/Aqua- Water Aquarium a container with water for fish Aqueduct a pipe for moving water

-Aer-/-Aero- Air Examples Aerate- to let air reach something Aerial- relating to the air Aerospace- air and space

-Terr- Land, earth Examples Extraterrestrial- existing outside the earth Terrain- ground or land Territory- an area of land

Geo- Earth, soil, global Geography study of the earths surface Geology study of the structure of the earth

Bio- Life, living matter Biography a life story written by another person Biology the science that deals with life

A- On Examples Afire- on fire Ashore- on the shore Aside- on the side

Ab-/Abs- From away, off Examples Abduct- carry away by force Abnormal- away from normal, not normal Absent- away, not present

With, together, joint Examples Coauthor- writer who writes with another author Coeducation- the education of males and females together Concur- t0 agree with someone

-Sol- Alone Desolate lonely, dismal, gloomy Solitary done alone, by yourself Solo a performance done by one person alone

Mis- Bad, badly, wrong, wrongly Examples Misbehave- to behave badly Misprint- an error in printing Misquote- to quote wrongly

Ob- In the way, against Object to be against something Obstruction something that is in the way

-Struct- Build Example Construct- to build Destruction- the act of destroying something that was built Structure- something built

-Tact-/-Tang- Touch Examples Contact- a state in which two things touch Tactile- relating to the sense of touch Tangible something you can touch

Arch- Chief, most important Examples Archbishop- the highest ranking bishop Archduke- nobleman with high rank, like a prince Archenemy- chief or worst enemy

Vice- Acting in place of, next in rank Vice president the person next in rank to the president Viceroy a governor who acts for a king or queen

Mother Example Matriarch- a female head of a household Father Example Patriarch- a male head of a household

-Cide Cut, kill Examples Homicide- murder Insecticide- a chemical used to kill insects

-Mort- Death Examples Immortal- living forever; unable to die Mortal- certain to die Mortician- an undertaker

-Corp- Body Examples Corporation- a company recognized by law as a single body Corpse- a dead body

-Miss-/-Mit- Send Examples Dismiss- to send someone away Missile- a weapon sent into the air Transmission- something sent by satellite, wire, radio waves, etc. Commit to send yourself

-Mob-/-Mot-/-Mov-/-Migr- Move Examples Immobilize- to stop from moving Mobile- able to move freely Motion- the act of moving Motivate- to move someone to action Movie- rapidly projected pictures that move Remove- to move away from a place Migrant someone who moves from place to place

-Temp- Time Temporal relating to time Contemporary existing at the same time

-Chron- Time Examples Chronic- lasting for a long time Chronological- arrangement of events in time order Synchronize- happen at the same time

-Path- Feeling, emotion Examples Antipathy- a feeling of great anger Apathy- a lack of feeling or interest Empathy- ability to understand anothers feelings

Primitive, ancient Examples Archaic- belonging to an earlier period Archaeology the scientific study of ancient cultures Archive a collection of historical materials

Hearing, auditory, sound Examples Telephone a device used to hear over long distances Phonograph a device used to record sound

-Ocu-/-Opt- Eye Binoculars 2-lens device for seeing distances Oculist an eye doctor Optical relating to sight Optician a person to fits eyeglasses

-Photo- Light Photograph image made on light-sensitive film Photon the smallest possible unit of light

-Vid-/-Vis- See Vision the ability to see Vista a big, wide view Evident clearly seen

-Spec- See, look Spectacles something one wears to see better Circumspect cautious, looking all around Retrospective a looking back at past events

-Voc-/-Vok- Voice Vocalize to produce with your voice Advocate to speak in favor of Evoke to bring something to mind

-Audi- Hear Audible loud enough to be heard Audience people who hear and see a program Audiovisual relating to sound and vision

-Son- Sound Consonant a speech sound Supersonic faster than sound

-Ped-/-Pod- Foot Pedicure something done to the feet Tripod a stand or frame with three legs Podiatrist a foot doctor

-Somn- Sleep Insomnia inability to fall asleep Somnolent feeling sleepy

-Ambul- Walk Amble to walk in a slow, relaxed way Ambulatory able to walk

-Cardi- Heart Cardiologist a heart doctor Cardiac relating to the heart

-Dent- Tooth Dental relating to the teeth Dentist a doctor trained to treat teeth

-Phys- Nature, medicine, the body Physical relating to the body Physician a doctor Physique nature, shape, and size of ones body

-Therm- Heat Thermostat a device that controls the heat Thermos an insulated jar that keeps heat in or out

-Anim- Life, spirit Animal a living organism Animate to make alive Inanimate not alive or active

-Psych- Mind, soul Psyche the human spirit or soul Psychology the study of the mind

-Gen- Birth, race Genealogy the study of the history of a family Generation all the people born at approximately the same time

-Nat- Born Innate inborn, native, natural Natal relating to birth Natural received at birth

-Man- Hand Maneuver to move with the hand Manual done with the hands Manuscript a book written by hand

-San- Health Sane mentally healthy Sanitary relating to cleanliness and health Sanitation maintenance of public health

-Tox- Poison Toxic poisonous Detoxification the process of removing poisons

-Sci- Know Conscience sense of knowing right from wrong Conscious knowing what is happening Omniscient knowing everything

-Soph- Wise Philosopher a wise person who explains about life Sophisticated wise about the ways of the world

-Astro Star, stars, outerspace Astronaut a person trained to travel in space Astronomer someone who studies the stars

-Stell- Star Constellation a group of stars that form a pattern Stellar relating to stars

-Cosm- Universe Cosmos the universe Microcosm a miniature universe

-Luna- Moon Lunar relating to the moon Lunatic insane (as if driven mad by the moon)

-Sol- Sun Solar relating to the sun Solstice when the sun reaches its highest or lowest point

Study of, science of Examples Anthropology- the study of human kind Archaeology- the study of past cultures Biology- the study of all forms of life

Give Examples Donation- a contribution or gift Donor-someone who gives something Pardon- to give forgiveness for an offense

-Tract- Pull, drag Attract to pull objects nearer Tractor a motor vehicle that pulls things

break Example Fracture- a break in a bone Fragment broken into pieces

-Flect- To bend Deflect to bend or change course because of hitting something Inflection a bending in the voices tone or pitch

-Rupt- Break Bankrupt unable to pay because youre broke Interrupt to break in, to disturb Rupture a break in something

Master Examples Dominate- to be the master of Domineering- excessively controlling Predominate- to have more power than others

Know Examples Cognizant- having knowledge Incognito- disguised so no one knows you Recognize- to know a thing, person, etc

-Ion/-Ing/-Ization Action or process Examples Celebration- the act of celebrating Completion- the act of completing Dancing the act of taking part in a dance Seeing- the act of looking at something Colonization establishing a colony Modernization making more modern

-Ade/-Age/-Ation Act, action, or process Blockade an action to block people or goods Promenade leisurely strolling in public Passage the act of going place to place Voyage a journey to a distant place Creation the act of causing something to exist Narration the process of telling a story

-Er/-Ment/-Ure Action, condition, or process Ponder to think carefully Stutter to say something haltingly Movement the act of moving Shipment the process of shipping something Closure the action of ending Failure the action of failing

Place Examples Locomotion moving from place to place Locate to find the place Dislocated moved away from its place

-Ory A place for Armory where weapons are stored Dormitory a college building where people sleep Laboratory a place where scientific work is done

Believe Examples Credence- belief that something is true or valid Credulous- believing things too easily; gullible Incredible- unbelievable

Sure Examples Ascertain- to find out something with certainty Certain- being absolutely sure Certify-to state that something is true

Able to be Examples Excitable- able to be easily excited Portable- able to be carried Preventable- able to be prevented

Sea Examples Marina- a harbor for pleasure boats Maritime- relating to the sea Submarine- an undersea boat

Small, less Examples Mini- something that is very small Minuscule- extremely tiny Minutiae- very small or trivial details

-Max-/-Opt- Greatest, best Maximal the best or greatest possible Maximum the greatest amount Optimal the best, most desirable Optimize make the best of

Magni-/Mega- Great, large, huge Magnify to make appear larger Magnificent grand, impressive Megaphone a device that projects a loud voice Megastructure huge building or other structure

Micro- Very small, short, minute Microbe a very small living thing Microscope a device to see very small things

Mid- Middle Midway halfway between Midterm middle of a term in school

Hyper- Too much, over, above Hyperactive very restless Hypertension pressure above normal www.peteralsop.com

-Er More Braver more brave Cooler more cool -Est Most Bravest most brave Coolest most cool

-Less Without Fearless without fear Hopeless without hope

New Examples Innovate- to introduce a new way Novelty- something new Novice- a person who is new at a job

People Examples Popular- appealing to a lot of people Population- all of the people who live in a place Populist- a supporter of the rights of people

Guide, rule Examples Regent- a person who rules on behalf of a king or queen Regime- a government that rules

Highest Examples Sum- the combined total of everything; the limit Summation- the total, highest amount Summit- the highest point or top

Truth Examples Veracious- truthful, honest Veracity- the truth Verify- to prove that something is true

State, condition, or quality Examples Childhood- the state of being a child Motherhood- the state of being a mother Sainthood- the condition of being a saint

State or quality of, condition, action Examples Annoyance- the state of being annoyed Brilliance- the quality of being brilliant Defiance- the act of defying; bold resistance Absence- the state of being away Dependence- the action of depending Negligence- the condition of being careless

State or quality of Examples Affectionate- the quality of showing affection Desolate- the state of being deserted, uninhabited Obstinate- the quality of being stubborn, inflexible

State, condition or quality Examples Belligerency- the state of being at war Efficiency- quality of being efficient and capable Privacy- condition of being private and secluded

Condition of, quality of Examples Boredom- the state of being bored Freedom- the state of living and acting freely Stardom- the condition of being a star

State, condition, or quality Examples Abnormality- the condition of not being normal Civility- the quality of politeness Necessity- the condition of being necessary

Doctrine, system, manner, condition, act and characteristic Examples Exorcism the act of driving out an evil spirit Plagiarism the act of copying someone elses work Catholicism a religious system of beliefs

- State or quality (makes a noun) Examples Kindness- the state of being kind Shyness- the condition of being shy Weakness- the condition of being weak

State or condition of; skill of Examples Authorship- the skill of being an author Citizenship- the condition of being a citizen Friendship- the state of being a friend

State or quality Examples Attention- the state of mentally focusing Caution- the state of taking care to avoid risk Fascination- the state of being very interested Confusion the state of being confused Depression- the state of hopelessness Tension- the state of being anxious, nervous, edgy

-Ern/-th/-uous State or quality of Eastern the state of being east of a place Depth the quality of being deep Virtuous the quality of having moral goodness

-Ate/-Ed/-D/-En/-Fy All are used to make words become verbs Activate to make something active Called did call Ensured did ensure Strengthen to make stronger Amplify to make larger or louder

-Ize To cause to become Antagonize to cause a person to become angry Authorize to give someone power or authority

-Ative/-Etic Used to make words into adjectives Creative inclined to create things Athletic relating to athletes -Ily/-Ly Used to make words into adverbs Sloppily in a sloppy manner Quickly in a speedy manner

-Grat- Pleasing Gratify to please someone Ingrate a person who doesnt say thank you

-Jud- Law Judgment a decision of a court or law Judicial having to do with judges or courts of law

-Urb- City Urban relating to a city Suburb residential area on the edge of a city

-Poli- City Metropolis a large city Politics actions of a government or political party

-The-/-Theo- God Monotheism belief in one god Theology the study of religion, god, etc.

-Vac- Empty Evacuate to empty a dangerous place Vacant empty, not occupied Vacation a time empty of work

Biblio- Book Bibliography a list of books used as sources Bibliomania an extreme love of books

Hetero- Homo- Different, other Heterogeneous made up of unrelated parts Heteronyms words with the same spelling but different meanings Like, alike, same Homogenous of the same nature or kind Homophones words with the same sound but different spellings

Hydro-/Hydr- Water, liquid, moisture Hydrate to add water to Hydrophobia intense fear of water

-Ant/-Ent/-Ive Inclined to, tending to Defiant tending to disobey Competent inclined to be able to the job Attractive inclined to attract

-Ery/-ry/-y Trade, job, activity Archery the activity of shooting arrows with a bow Dentistry the job of caring for peoples teeth Robbery the act of stealing from somebody

-Al/-an/-ian/-ar/-ary Relating to, belonging to Bacterial relating to bacteria American belonging to America Italian belonging to Italy Solar relating to the sun Literary relating to literature

-Ese Relating to a place Chinese relating to China Japanese relating to Japan

Of or relating to, characterized by, capable of -Ic/-ical -Ile/-ine/-ish Analytical relating to analysis Comic relating to or marked by comedy Docile capable of being quiet and easily taught Canine relating to dogs Childish like a child, immature, silly

Of or relating to, resembling, characterized by -Like/-some -Ular/-y Childlike characteristic of a child Awesome tending to cause awe or amazement Cellular relating to living cells Brainy characterized by intelligence

-Narr- Tell Narrate tell a story Narrative a story Narrator a person who tells a story

-Cline- Lean Incline a surface that slopes or leans Recline lean back and relax

-Cracy-/-Crat- Rule Aristocrat a member of the ruling class Theocracy government ruled by a god or priests

-Duc- Lead Conduct to lead musicians in playing music Aqueduct a system of pipes that leads water to a specific place Educate to lead to knowledge

-Funct- Perform, work Defunct no longer working or alive Malfunction to fail to work correctly

-Junct- To join Conjunction a word that joins parts of a sentence Junction a place where two things join

-Lab- Work Collaborate to work with a person Laboratory somewhere to do work

-Liber- Free Liberate to set free Liberty - freedom

-Merge-/-Mers- Dip, dive Immerse to put or dip something into liquid Submerge to dip something under water

-Mut- Change Immutable not changing Mutate to undergo a change

-Vor- Eat Herbivorous eating plants Savory delicious, flavorful

-Vol- Wish, will Voluntary resulting from your own free will Benevolent showing good will and kindness

-Vinc-/-Vict- Conquer Convince to win someone over Invincible not able to be conquered Victory the conquest of an enemy

-Pon-/-Pos- To place or put Postpone to put off doing something Deposit to place or drop something Position the place where someone is

-Rid- Laugh Deride to make fun of someone Ridicule to make fun or mock Ridiculous silly, causing laughter

-Serv- Save, keep Conserve to save to keep something safe Preserve to save something Reservation a place kept for a person

-Sta- Stand Stable standing steady and firm Stagnant standing still, not moving

Prefixes, Roots, & Suffixes Most words used in the English language today were not originally...

Documents

Transcript of Prefixes, Roots, & Suffixes Most words used in the English language today were not originally...