Common Latin Roots Common Greek Roots

Latin Greek
Definition Examples Definition
Root Root

man;
ambi both ambiguous, ambidextrous anthropo human;
humanity

aqua water aquarium, aquamarine auto self

aud to hear audience, audition bio life

bene good benefactor, benevolent chron time

cent one hundred century, percent dyna power

bad; hard;
circum around circumference, circumstance dys
unlucky

contra/
against contradict, encounter gram thing written
counter

dict to say dictation, dictator graph writing

duc/duct to lead conduct, induce hetero different

fac to do; to make factory, manufacture homo same

form shape conform, reform hydr water

below;
fort strength fortitude, fortress hypo
beneath
fract to break fracture, fraction logy study of

meter/
ject throw projection, rejection measure
metr

jud judge judicial, prejudice micro small

mal bad malevolent, malefactor mis/miso hate

mater mother material, maternity mono one

mit to send transmit, admit morph form; shape

mort death mortal, mortician nym name

multi many multimedia, multiple phil love

pater father paternal, paternity phobia fear

port to carry portable, transportation phon sound

photo/
rupt to break bankrupt, disruption light
phos

scrib/
to write inscription, prescribe pseudo 0
scribe

sect/sec to cut bisect, section psycho soul; spirit

viewing
sent to feel; to send consent, resent scope
instrument
 art; science;
spect to look inspection, spectator techno
skill

struct to build destruction, restructure tele far off

vid/vis to see video, televise therm heat

voc voice; to call vocalize, advocate

Common Greek Roots Common Prefixes Common Suffix

Examples Prefix Definition Examples Suffix

anthropologist, -able, -
anti- against anticlimax
philanthropy ible

autobiography,
de- opposite devalue -al, -ial
automobile

biology, biography dis- not; opposite of discover

-ed
chronological, chronic en-, em- cause to enact, empower

foreshadow,
dynamic, dynamite fore- before; front of -en
forearm

dysfunctional, dyslexic in-, im- in income, impulse

-er, -or
indirect, immoral,
in-, im-,
epigram, telegram not illiterate,
il-, ir-
irreverent

between;
graphic, phonograph inter- interrupt -er
among

heteronym,
mid- middle midfield -est
heterogeneous

homonym, homogenous mis- wrongly misspell -ful

hydration, dehydrate non- not nonviolent -ic

hypothermia,
over- over; too much overeat
hypothetical
-ing
 -ing

biology, psychology pre- before preview

-ion, -
thermometer, perimeter re- again rewrite tion, -
ation,

half; partly; not

microbe, microscope semi- semifinal -tion
fully

misanthrope, misogyny sub- under subway -ity, -ty

-ive, -
monologue, monotonous super- above; beyond superhuman
ative,

morphology, morphing trans- across transmit -itive

antonym, synonym un- not; opposite of unusual -less

philanthropist,
under- under; too little underestimate -ly
philosophy

claustrophobia, phobic -ment

phone, symphony -ness

photograph,
phosphorous
-ous, -
eous, -
ious
pseudonym,
pseudoscience

psychology, psychic -s, -es

microscope, telescope -y
technique, technological

television, telephone

thermal, thermometer
Common Suffixes

Commo
Exampl
n
es
Suffixes

affordabl
is; can
e,
be
sensible

having
universal
characte
, facial
ristics of

past the dog

tense walked,
verbs;
adjective the
s walked
dog

made of golden

one
who;

teacher,
professo
person r
connecte
d with

more taller

the most tallest

full of helpful

having
characte poetic
ristics of

verb
forms;
sleeping
 sleeping
present
participle
s

submissi
on,
act; motion,
process
relation,
edition

activity,
state of
society

active,
compara
adjective tive,
form of
noun
sensitive

without hopeless

how
somethi lovely
ng is

state of
content
being;
ment
act of

state of;
opennes
condition
s
of

riotous,
courage
having ous,
qualities
of
gracious

more trains,
than one trenches

characte
gloomy
rized by