Analyzing Words with

Roots and Affixes

 Vocabulary
Affix– word part
Root - word part added either to
that gives the the beginning or
word its primary end of a root (or
meaning base word) to
change its
root meaning
 Vocabulary

root

prefix suffix
 Vocabulary
biography

graph

bio- -y

life + write + condition of

 Prefixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
antisocial, antiseptic, antithesis, antibody,
anti, ant against, opposite
antinomies, antifreeze, antipathy
from, down, away, to
detach, deploy, derange, decrease, deodorize,
de- do the opposite,
devoid, deflate, degenerate
reverse, against
out of, away from, exit, exhale, exclusive, exceed, explosion, ex-
ex-
lacking, former mayor
exter-, extra-, external, extrinsic, extraordinary, extrapolate,
outside of, beyond
extro- extraneous, extrovert
in, im into, on, near, towards instead, import
illegible, irresolute, inaction, inviolate,
in, im, il, ir not innocuous, intractable, innocent, impregnable,
impossible, imposter

Notice that some affixes have multiple meanings.

You may have to look at the context clues to figure out
which meaning works best.
 Prefixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
international, intercept, interject, intermission,
inter between, among internal, intermittent,

malformation, maladjusted, dismal, malady,

malcontent, malfunction, malfeasance,
mal bad, badly
maleficent

misconduct, misinform, misinterpret,

mis wrong, bad, badly mispronounce, misnomer, mistake

monopoly, monotype, monologue,

mono one mononucleosis, monorail, monotheist,

multifold, multilingual, multiped, multiply,

multi many, much multitude, multipurpose, multinational
 Prefixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
nonferrous, nonsense, nonabrasive,
non not nondescript

omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent,

omni all, every omnivorous

postpone, postdate
post after, behind
Precede
pre, pur before
Propel
pro for, foward
 Prefixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
report, realign, retract, revise, regain
re back, again
sustain, survive, support, suffice, succeed,
sub, suc, suf, under, below, from, submerge, submarine, substandard, subnormal,
sup, sur, sus secretly, instead of subvert

superior, suprarenal, superscript, supernatural,

super, supra over, above superimpose, supercede

transform, transoceanic, transmit, transportation,

trans across, beyond, change transducer

unceasing, unequal
un not, against, opposite
 Roots
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
active, react, agent, active, agitate
act, ag do, act, drive
altar, altitude
alt high, deep
aqueous
aqu water
audience, audio, audible, auditorium, audiovisual,
aud, audi, aur,
to hear, listen audition, auricular, ausculate
aus
automobile, automatic, automotive, autograph,
aut, auto self autonomous, autoimmune

bibliophile, bibliography, Bible

bibl, bibli, biblio book
bio, bi life biography, biology, biometricsm biome, biosphere
abbreviate, brevity, brief
brev short
 Roots
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
cad, cap, cas, receive, deceive, capable, capacious, captive, accident,
ceiv, cept, capt, to take, to seize, to hold capture, occasion, concept, intercept, forceps, except,
cid, cip reciprocate
chronology, chronic, chronicle chronometer,
chron time
anachronism, synchronize
circumnavigate, circumflex, circumstance,
circum around circumcision, circumference, circumorbital,
circumlocution, circumvent, circumscribe, circulatory
cohesiveness, cognate, collaborate, convene,
co, cog, col, coll, commitment, compress, contemporary, converge,
with, together
con, com, cor compact, confluence, convenient, concatenate,
conjoin, combine, correct
contr, contra, contradict, counteract, contravene, contrary,
against, opposite
counter counterspy, contrapuntal
cosm universe, world cosmos, microcosm, cosmopolitan, cosmonaut
crat, cracy rule autocrat, aristocrat, theocracy, technocracy
creed, credo, credence, credit, credulous, incredulous,
cred believe
incredible
 Roots
Root, Prefix or
Meaning Examples
Suffix

dictation, dictionary, dictate, dictator, Dictaphone,

dic, dict, dit say, speak
edict, predict, verdict, contradict, benediction

dismiss, differ, disallow, disperse, dissuade, divide,

not, opposite of, reverse,
dis, dif disconnect, disproportion, disrespect, distemper,
separate, deprive of, away
disarray

fall, fals deceive fallacy, falsify, fallacious

confidante, fidelity, confident, infidelity, infidel,

fid, fide, feder faith, trust
federal, confederacy, semper fi

fig shape, form figurem, effigy, figure, figment

fin end, ended, finished final, finite, finish, confine, fine, refine, define, finale

fix repair, attach fix, fixation, fixture, affix, prefix, suffix

fract, frag, frai break fracture, infraction, fragile, fraction, refract, frail
 Roots
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
geometry, geography, geocentric, geology
geo earth
graph, graphic, autograph, photography,
graph, gram, graphite, telegram, polygraph, grammar,
write, written, draw
graf biography, lithograph, graphic

dehydrate, hydrant, hydraulic, hydraulics,

hydr, hydra,
water hydrogen, hydrophobia
hydro
hyperactive, hypertensive, hyperbolic,
hyper over, above hypersensitive, hyperventilate, hyperkinetic

liberty, liberal, liberalize, deliverance

liber, liver free
translucent, luminary, luster, luna, illuminate,
luc, lum, lun,
light illustrate
lus, lust
 Roots
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
magnify, magnificent, magnanimous, magnate,
magn great magnitude

memo, commemoration, memento, memoir,

mem recall, remember memorable

motion, remove, mobile, motor

mob, mov, mot move
operate, cooperate, opus
oper work
pathos, sympathy, antipathy, apathy, telepathy
path, pathy feeling, suffering
phobia, claustrophobia, acrophobia, aquaphobia,
phobia, phobos fear ergophobia, homophobia

photograph, photoelectric, photogenic,

phot, photo light photosynthesis, photon
 Roots
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
rupture, interrupt, abrupt, disrupt, ruptible
rupt break
sci, scio,
know science, conscious, omniscient, cognocienti
scientia
scribe, scribble, inscribe, describe, subscribe,
scrib, script write prescribe, manuscript

sympathy, synthesis, synchronous, syndicate

syn, sym together, at the same time
tact, tang, tag, tactile, contact, intact, intangible, tangible,
touch
tig, ting contagious, contiguous, contingent
terrain, terrarium, territory, terrestrial
terr, terra earth
evade, invader
vade go
video, evident, provide, providence, visible, revise,
vid, vis see supervise, vista, visit, vision, review, indivisible

revive, survive, vivid, vivacious, vitality, vivisection,

viv, vita, vivi alive, life
vital, vitamins, revitalize
 Suffixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
solvable, incredible
-able, -ible Adjective: worth, ability
Noun: activity, or result of
-age courage, suffrage, shrinkage, tonnage
action
Noun: action, result of
-al referral, disavowal, disposal, festival
action
structural, territorial, categorical
-al, -ial, -ical Adjective: quality, relation
artisan, guardian, historian, magician
-an Noun: person
resistance, independence, extravagance,
Noun: action, state,
-ance, -ence fraudulence
quality or process
Noun: state, quality or
-ancy, -ency vacancy, agency, truancy, latency
capacity
 Suffixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
Noun: an agent,
-ant, -ent something that performs disinfectant, dependent, fragrant
the action
Adjective: kind of agent,
-ant, -ent, -ient important, dependent, convenient
indication
Adjective: resembling,
-ar, -ary spectacular, unitary
related to
Noun: state, office,
-ate candidate, electorate, delegate
fuction
-ate Verb: cause to be graduate, ameliorate, amputate, colligate
-ate Adjective: kind of state inviolate
Noun: action, resulting
-ation specialization, aggravation, alternation
state
 Suffixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
-ed Verb: past tense dressed, faded, patted, closed, introduced
Adjective: having the
-ed winged, moneyed, dogged, tiered
quality or characteristics of
Noun: action or process, reference, emergency, dependence, eminence,
-ence, -ency
quality or state latency
-er, -ier Adjective: comparative better, brighter, sooner, hotter, happier
Noun: person or thing that flyer, reporter, player, member, fryer, collector,
-er, -or
does something concentrator
-er, -or Verb: action ponder, dishonor, clamor
Noun: plural of most nouns
-es, -ies ending in -ch, -s, -sh, -o and passes, glasses, ladies, heroes
-z and some in -f and -y
Verb: third person singular
present indicative of verbs
-es, -ies blesses, hushes, fizzes, defies
that end in -ch, -s, -sh, -
and some in -y
Adjective or Adverb:
-est, -iest latest, strongest, luckiest
superlative
 Suffixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
Noun: an amount or
-ful Handful, spoonful
quantity that fills
Adjective: having, giving,
-ful Fanciful, wonderful
marked by
Noun: related to, one that
-ian, an pedestrian, human
is
Noun: material made for,
-ing activity, result of an flooring, swimming, building
activity
depicting
-ing Verb: present participle
cohering
-ing Adjective: activity
 Suffixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
Abduction
-ion Noun: condition or action
Adjective: having the character Newish
-ish
of
Podiatrist
-ist Noun: person or member
lucidity, novelty
-ity, ty Noun: state or quality
Motiveless
-less Adjective: without, missing
Fluently
-ly Adverb: in the manner of
 Suffixes
Root, Prefix
Meaning Examples
or Suffix
Document
-ment Noun: condition or result
Noun: state, condition, Kindness
-ness
quality

-or Noun: condition or activity valor, honor, humor, minor

-ous, -eous, - Adjective: having the

adventurous, courageous, verbose, fractious
ose, -ious quality of, relating to
Noun: state, condition,
-y society, victory
result of an activity
Adjective: marked
-y hungry, angry, smeary, teary
by, having