Root and Affix Notes

Root – the basic part of a word that gives the word its meaning

Affix – a part added to a root or base word that changes the word’s meaning or its part of speech

• Prefix – added to the beginnings of words

• Suffix – added to the ends of words

Why learn roots and affixes?

Many English words have roots and affixes that come from ancient Greek and Latin. Knowing
the meanings of Greek and Latin roots and affixes can often help readers figure out the meanings
of unfamiliar words.

How does one use common Greek or Latin affixes or roots to help define unfamiliar words?
• Break an unfamiliar word into its parts: root or base word and its affixes.
• Identify the meaning of each. If necessary, consult print or digital reference
materials such as dictionaries or other specialized reference sources.
• Think about how the meanings of the roots or bases and affixes work together to
create a possible definition and a part of speech for the word. Context clues within
a sentence or paragraph may help here, as well.
• Then, use a dictionary to verify the meaning of the word that you have inferred
from context and word parts.
• Dictionaries and other reference works will also help you to confirm the precise
pronunciation, part of speech, and alternate meanings of unfamiliar words.

Example: catastrophic
1. Split the word into parts: cata/stroph/ic
• Greek root -stroph- means “turn or twist”
• the suffix -ic turns the word catastrophic into an adjective
• Greek prefix cata- means “down”
2. Combining these word parts, a reader can infer that something “catastrophic”
involves “a turn or twist downward.”
3. Check this inferred meaning in the dictionary
4. Check the inferred meaning of the root or affix in the context of the sentence